Cliodhna O'Connell, Trainee Accountant, PwC

Degree subject BSc Law & Business(TCD)
Job title Trainee Accountant
Employer PwC

My name is Cliodhna O’Connell and I
am a 2nd year Trainee Accountant
and Chartered Tax Advisor with PwC. I
studied Law and Business in TCD and
then went on to complete the MSc
Law and Finance programme at
Oxford University, specialising in tax
law.

As the leading professional
services firm both in Ireland and
Internationally, PwC stood out to me
for its reputation at the forefront of
business. Taxation is arguably the
lynchpin in every business decision
and plays a critical role in society. The
rules have their foundation in
legislation and are constantly evolving
whether through the annual Irish
budget, case law, international or
European influence – much to the
intellectual satisfaction of law
graduates who will find an abundance
of opportunities to leverage their
analytical and critical thinking skills
developed through college!

What appealed to me

I completed PwC’s Summer Internship
programme during my penultimate
college year where the selection
process from start to finish was very
enjoyable and immersive – it involved
an informative breakfast in PwC’s impressive Spencer Dock offices with
other applicants and current
employees followed by a face-to-face
interview and short case study. There
were opportunities to meet with
employees at various levels, frequent
communication from the firm
throughout and an office tour.
The firm’s International network
and long-established graduate
programme enable the Irish office to
deliver state-of-the-art industry
training, top-class exam support and
unrivalled business development
opportunities.

My daily work

I’m based in the financial services tax
department which to date has
enabled me to engage on a mix of tax
consultancy and compliance projects
with clients across the insurance,
asset management and banking
industries. My work ranges from
calculating the tax liability for an
International insurance company
with branches in various jurisdictions
to creating tax efficient global fund
structures for large investment
houses. Our department offers plenty
of partner and client contact,
exposure to different teams, the
opportunity to use your initiative
from the get go and bring your
opinion to the table.

There’s a huge social element at
work with regular events organised
across each graduate intake and also
amongst your department. The
facilities on hand are no doubt
amongst the best in the city –
delicious canteen, 24-hour gym,
fitness classes and 3pm Friday
finishes during the Summer months
– all combine to facilitate a
sustainable work-life balance!

With over 2,300 employees across
our 7 Irish offices, there are
opportunities for everyone ranging
from tax, audit and advisory,
company secretarial, human
resources to business development
and marketing. Whatever your longterm
career aspirations, the technical
and industry knowledge acquired on
the job, along with the firm’s farreaching
alumni network will assist
you in achieving your goals.
I would encourage all law
graduates to speak with college
alumni and undertake internships to
determine what interests you,
explore the culture of different
organisations and identify what
opportunities various firm’s can
present!