FOR the second year, the accounting and professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is named Britain’s Graduate Employer of Choice by student job-hunters. Almost one university leaver in eight last summer thought that PwC offered the best opportunities for new graduates, according to research carried out for the latest edition of The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers.

The firm is one of just four organisations to be rated the No 1 graduate recruiter since the Top 100 was first launched in 1997. Previous winners include Marks & Spencer (1997), the consulting firm Accenture (1998-2002) and the Civil Service (2003).

PwC’s success on campus coincides with a real renaissance in recruitment within the accounting sector. The total number of graduates hired by the UK’s Big Four firms — Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PwC — has risen from 2,350 in 2004 to a target of 3,800 for 2006 — a rise of more than 60 per cent in just two recruitment seasons.

New graduates starting work with PwC later this year will join one of the firm’s 40 offices that make up the UK practice. There are six main graduate-entry programmes, the largest of which are those in the Assurance and Advisory divisions that provide the core audit services and business advice to clients.

All the major accounting firms have high entry standards and PwC requires applicants to have a minimum of three grade Bs at A-level and to be on course for at least a 2:1 in their degree. A strong academic background is seen as essential preparation for the professional accountancy exams which play a big part in new graduates’ first two or three years with the firm.

PwC is a year-round recruiter but is filling its 2006 graduate vacancies on a first-come first-served basis. With the exception of a few specialist roles, the firm encourages applicants from any degree discipline, not just relevant courses such as accounting, finance, business studies or economics.

NUMBER 1

PriceWaterhouseCoopers

What does it do? PwC is the largest of the Big Four accounting and professional services firms with clients in more than 140 countries. It has more than 14,000 partners and staff in the UK and provides a range of accounting, financial and business advisory services.

What does it employ graduates for? Accountancy, actuarial work, tax, business recovery, strategy, corporate finance, economics and strategy.

Where are the graduate jobs? This year there are up to 1,200 vacancies at PwC’s 40 UK offices.

What’s the pay like? Up to £25,000 depending on the job function and location.

What’s the competition like? PwC typically receives about ten applications for each graduate position.

Martin Birchall is editor of The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers

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