What's your job about?
PwC Acceleration Center Manila provides support to the various PwC firms across the globe by providing high-quality Assurance, Tax, Advisory, and Business support services to clients in more than 20 countries.
As an Associate in the Assurance cluster, my role is to help the engagement teams in performing various tasks based on AC Manila’s user guide and client’s instructions. Some of the work that I perform are financial statements review, disclosure checklist, and audit file set-up and maintenance.
On a typical day, I would start by revisiting my to-do list and checking my email to identify the tasks for the day. Then, I’ll liaise with my Team Lead regarding the status of the deliverables that I’ll queue for his/her review. Before the day ends, I send out progress reports to inform our clients how far we are in the process.
Here in AC Manila, it’s not all work. The Center hosts people engagement activities (PEAs) to inspire us and enhance our sense of well-being. At least twice a week, we have team meetings where aside from talking about our work allocations and team capacity, we also incorporate mini-games to unwind, recharge and get to know each other better.
What's your background?
I grew up in the humble municipality of Polangui, Albay. In 2005, my mother died in a tragic road collision. Our living turned more difficult when we experienced financial difficulties. It’s hard for a father to support four of his children going to school. These circumstances inspired me to value my education and persevere in life.
When I was in high school, I was active in both academic and extracurricular activities. My hard work paid off when I graduated valedictorian. I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy from Ateneo de Naga University. I graduated with honors through the help of my family, Ateneo, and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) scholarship grants.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Yes, someone with a different background can still do what I do. I believe that most jobs can be learned as long as you’re willing, adaptive, and collaborative. Graduating with a degree in Accountancy is an edge as it will save you time in learning the technical concepts and will help you appreciate why we do our work. It is like eating an apple with a knife. But even if you don’t have a knife, you can still eat the apple.
In general, our work requires attention to detail that is necessary for completing quality deliverables; project management skills to juggle tasks on hand, and proactive communication to identify pain points and solutions.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
The coolest thing about my job is being able to work with a diverse group of people, not just here in AC Manila but across the PwC global network. I love that we have the opportunity to connect and learn from each other - different cultures, ideas and perspectives in life. And despite the differences, we are able to work together to achieve a common goal. I also feel ecstatic whenever the client sends positive commendation which confirms the exceptional quality of the work I delivered and that my efforts are worth it.
What are the limitations of your job?
As an Associate, you will be working on different tasks and it is quite challenging to manage various tasks with competing deadlines. Therefore, you should be very mindful of the agreed delivery dates of all tasks you are in charge of. There are times that I feel overwhelmed with the surge of work, but I appreciate the efforts and coaching of our leaders. They help us manage our tasks accordingly.
3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student
If I were to go back in time to give advice to the younger Christian, a college student, I would probably tell him these three things: