What is it? PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is one of the world’s largest accounting and professional services firms and has been voted Employer of the Year for the past five years in The Times Graduate Recruitment Awards. PwC has more than 150,000 employees in 153 countries. Its five key businesses - assurance, tax, financial advisory, consulting and actuarial - generated global revenue of more than $28.2 billion (£17.6 billion) last year.

What jobs are on offer? PwC is planning to recruit about 1,000 graduates to begin work in 2009 in more than a dozen areas of the firm. Entry-level roles include assurance, strategy consulting, business recovery, tax and economics consulting. Most positions include full training and support to achieve relevant professional qualifications.

Where are the jobs? PwC employs 16,000 staff in the UK and has offices in 32 towns and cities across the country, including London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, Leeds, Newcastle, Swansea, Belfast, Hull, Norwich, Plymouth, Liverpool and Aberdeen.

What is the pay? It varies with function and location, but PwC describes its graduate packages as “market competitive”.

What is the competition? Accounting and professional services firms typically receive ten to 15 applications per graduate vacancy. However, with fewer entry-level posts on offer elsewhere in the financial sector, there may be considerably more applicants for 2009 jobs. Graduates need a 2.1 degree and a Ucas tariff of at least 280.

How is PwC rated? PwC has been ranked No 1 in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers for five years running, matching the record set by Accenture, the consulting firm, in 1998-2002. The firm is also the “graduate employer of choice” for the accounting sector.

How do I apply? PwC recruits graduates year-round, but applications for several functions close in December and January. For details, see www.pwc.com/careers.

The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers is based on research with more than 15,000 final-year university students. The new edition of the book is available at £16.99 from timesonline.co.uk/booksfirst. www.Top100GraduateEmployers.com

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