How did the Code-Switch programme help you to get your current job?

I’m an analyst for financial crime at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), at associate level. I look at transactions with any sort of potentially criminal or tax-evading behaviours.

In terms of how the Code-Switch programme helped me to get this role, my PhD in English Literature is not necessarily a subject that translates perfectly to the real world of business so what Code-Switch really gave me was an opportunity to take the fundamentals of what I’d learned through PhD – really precise research skills, analytical skills and communicative skills – and apply them to a totally new arena.

Code-Switch gave me that opportunity to really test the waters, open my mind to the business world and see if I would do well in that environment. The Code-Switch programme prepared me really well for this type of job because when I did the PwC academy I already knew a lot of the things that were being taught so I felt very confident and assured that I was proficient enough in the skills required. I never ever felt at any point that I was making the wrong decision because Code-Switch gave me the skills and confidence to go into that new environment.

I also talked at length about Code-Switch during the interview process. I had an interview at the start of the academy to get into the academy and an interview upon completion of the academy to get the permanent role with PwC. I talked at length about Code-Switch during both interviews and I think the interviewers were just very, very impressed that I had actual on-the-job consultancy experience. I was able to talk extensively about working for a client and working on a project with strict deadlines and they were taken aback that someone who was applying along with other graduates has that work experience and practical knowledge of working for clients.

I think my expectations and my confidence is largely down to the Code-Switch experience. I would have been a fish out of water, as I know, some people are in the academy. The academy’s good in that it teaches you all the theory that you’ll need starting the job but it doesn’t give you the what you get with Code-Switch which is actually engaging with the client and doing that real work. You know, having that experience, I feel a lot more confident talking to people and I sort of know things now at my age with my experience that a lot of people don’t.

It’s a good question. I mean, for me, it’s the change in subject matter entirely. It’s a completely fresh subject for me coming into business, learning business fundamentals and project management having been just reading books on literature for years. For me, it was interesting in terms of a total change of pace and change of study. Also, the fact it is a very interactive learning experience in an almost group situation again with teachers which is not the case during your PhD. I loved the group work and the fact that we worked in teams from day one. We immediately got to start building rapport and, figuring out each other’s strengths and weaknesses and how to work as a team. There is a strong social aspect of the training that I really appreciated compared to my PhD experience and it was really nice to spend six months with one small group of people because we were like family working through anything that came up together.

I suppose that would depend entirely on your circumstances. If you’re behind on your thesis, you should really be focusing on that but, if you’re making good progress and have some time on your hands, it’s absolutely not an issue to organise your week to fit in both. Some weeks, I worked less than 5 hours a week on Code-Switch, others it was more like 10 but it probably averaged out at around 7 or so hours a week so if you can figure out a way to do an extra hour or two a day on top of your thesis, you’ll have no issue. It’s a really unique opportunity which is so different to your PhD and you’ll gain so many valuable insights and skills in just 6 months that it is certainly worth the effort.