Olwen Sheedy, Senior Associate-Audit, PwC

What does your job involve?

Audit, or Assurance as it can also be known, comprises of three different departments. There is asset management, international and domestic business and there is banking and insurance. I work in international and domestic business.

What does an Auditor do?

An accountant prepares the financial accounts for a company and, as auditors, our job is to make sure those accounts are correct. It’s as simple as that in theory, but obviously there's a lot more involved!

What skills do you need to be successful?

Maths, accountancy and other numerate based skills are all extremely helpful, but they’re not necessarily vital, as you can upskill in many cases. They key thing is good inter-personal skills, teamwork is essential in the work that we do and good communication is what makes it work. You need to be able to report clearly to management and also be comfortable to talk to clients if there is any issue to do with their accounts.

How did you choose your career?

I did a degree in Business Studies in DCU, but I initially had an interest in teaching. However, in the third year of my degree I got an internship in Boston and that really opened my eyes to the benefits of an international career. In my final year I developed my interest in how companies work and how business functions. After graduating I worked for two years in London, which was great, but I knew I needed to secure a further qualification, so I pursued the accountancy qualification which led me to my current career in audit.

Best thing about your job?

I love the variety of my role with PwC. I work with different clients in different sectors throughout the year, with companies of all sizes. I also love the fact that I’m gaining a qualification while working, so during the three and a half years of my contract with PwC I am gaining experience in what I am studying and, likewise, the study helps with the day job.