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Here’s What We Know About PwC’s Summer Internship Situation

Last week we learned that PwC was taking its summer internships digital, much to the chagrin of at least one guy who wrote us and called it a “big cost cutting measure that none of us are happy about.”

He sent us a screenshot of the email he got from his future employer, but since I have nothing better to do and the typing fingers of a cracked-out squirrel with a Karen haircut writing an angry letter to some manager who stiffed her on some nuts, I’ll go ahead and transcribe it for y’all rather than just being lazy and uploading the photo. Don’t say I never did anything for you.

Hello,

Over the past few weeks, the COVID-19 situation has challenged us all. While we’re continuing to navigate a new normal, we know you’re waiting to hear news about your upcoming PwC internship.

First and foremost, we are pleased to tell you that we will be extending a full-time associate offer to you for 2021, or later as appropriate!

Cue all the salty ex-interns grumbling back in my day we actually earned internships *grumble grumble* et al. Moving on.

With the uncertainty around when we’ll resume regular in-office operations and out of consideration for everyone’s health and safety, the Advance internship we had planned has been revised. We very much want you to be part of PwC and we are excited to share with you some details of your revised summer 2020 Advance internship experience:

  • The Advance internship has been changed to a two-week virtual Digital Upskilling experience starting in July 2020.
  • As compensation for completing the two-week experience, you will receive a $2,500 lump-sum payment, less applicable withholdings and authorized deductions.
  • You can participate in the virtual experience from anywhere within the US or Puerto Rico (i.e. you do not have to be in the location confirmed in your original offer letter).

The screenshot we were sent cuts off there but I don’t think we need to read more to get the idea. I imagine PwC interns everywhere spent the weekend mourning the overtime they’ll never get.

Meanwhile, someone on Reddit shared this PwC communication they received that addresses both the internship situation and the full-time offers which PwC wants to remind everyone they definitely, absolutely, without a doubt intend to honor. In this case, I transcribed the screenshot not because I felt like it but because OP seems to have time-traveled to 2020 from the dark time before Snipping Tool existed.

As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 crisis, we are uncertain when we will resume normal in-office operations. With all of the disruption, we also want to be able to give our interns and entry-level hires — people who are important to the future of PwC — the quality experiences we want them to have.

First and foremost, we’re proud to share that we have told our 2020 entry-level hires that they have a job at PwC, and we have adjusted our 2020 summer intern programs for the new environment. We’re doing this because we are committed to putting our people first. We’ve made adjustments to our plans as follows:

Summer interns:

  • PwC Advance interns will have a two-week virtual learning experience beginning in July. Interns will have opportunities to build digital skills that are important to securing their future. As our commitment to them, all Advance interns will receive full-time offers for 2021, or later if appropriate.
  • The PwC/Strategy& MBA internship will remain the same, but it will now start on July 6 and is scheduled to end on August 14. Interns will work either virtually or in person, depending on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on our work arrangement at that time.
  • PwC Start interns will have a four-week virtual learning experience that will take place from July 6 to July 31. Start interns will have opportunities to learn more about PwC’s lines of service and will learn key tools and digital topics that are driving digitization at PwC. Upon their successful completion of the internship, they will receive offers for 2021 Advance internships.

Full-time 2020 entry-level hires will have jobs at PwC. So that we’re in the best position to give our entry-level new joiners the onboarding and early work experiences we want them to have, we’re reevaluating start dates and will communicate plans by the end of the month.

During these extraordinary circumstances, we’re working very hard to provide the best possible experiences for everyone.

PwC U.S. recruiting lead Rod Adams told Poets & Quants he believes PwC is the first of the big boys to make a formal announcement regarding upcoming internships, and as far as we know, he’s right. “I’ve got to assume they’re all considering shortened internships, virtual internships, the kind of things we’ve considered. But as far as I know, we’re the first to get out there with a plan.”

So that’s what we know. Now you do, too.