When I began working in the Pittsburgh office I had an opportunity to work on a mining client we have which has operations in Guinea, West Africa (a French speaking country - no, I don't speak French). The audit was an incredible experience in which I spent one month twice a year for four years working in Guinea. As a result of working in Guinea and spending time with expatriate employees from the United States, Quebec, France, Morocco, and South Africa I knew that at some point in my life I was going to work overseas as an "expat."
One of my managers from the mining client had moved to Moscow in August 2007 to begin a two year secondment. Some of the "Africa Guys" as we are often referred to decided to take a trip in the following summer to visit our friend in Moscow. We didn't think it would be likely we would ever visit Russia without knowing someone there so it was the perfect opportunity. Leading up to the trip I began asking the manager (at this point a senior manager in Moscow) how everything was going and the challenges and benefits of working in Moscow. I also started talking with HR and one of the partners I worked very closely with who I have always considered a mentor. When I visited my friend on a summer vacation with the "Africa Guys" an informal lunch was arranged for me to meet with two partners in the Moscow office followed up with introductions to some of the expats around the office. I got a great impression from everyone, and each person I talked to was brutally honest in describing the perks and drawbacks of working in Russia.
PwC has several programs, depending on staff level, for international opportunities. As an experienced senior associate (four years of experience) the EPIC (Early PricewaterhouseCoopers International Challenge) program was geared towards staff at my level. Under this program I have the benefit of returning to my home office in Pittsburgh once per year during my assignment to meet with my partner mentor and another return flight home to attend training with the US Firm (the US Firm covers these costs). I also signed a contract which guarantees my job upon my return to the United States at the completion of my contract in Russia.
The EPIC program allows staff to select preferences for where they would like their international assignment to be located. After discussions with my partner mentor and my friend/former manager in Moscow we all thought it would be best for me to give Moscow a try as I would know someone and I had already met several of the people in the office. As I had met with some of the partners while on my vacation I did not have to interview anymore, but a telephone interview with the foreign office is usually performed in order for a decision on that office hiring the staff.
In September 2008 I finally moved to Moscow to begin a two year assignment within the Energy, Utilities & Mining practice as an assistant manager. (In the Russian Firm, as with the rest of the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region, the staff level of assistant manager is the equivalent of an experienced senior associate in the US Firm.) In Russia all of our workpapers are completed in English and all staff must pass English exams for employment. There are often several client contacts who also speak English, and for international companies a significant amount of their documents are maintained in English and Russian.
Everyday in Moscow brings a new challenge, an interesting story, and a rewarding experience. I hope to share all of these with you and answer any questions you may have. Auditing may not be the most exciting job in the world but it has provided me with more opportunities than I ever could have imagined and everyday I'm glad I chose to work at PwC.
Upcoming blog entries:
- Working in PwC Moscow vs. PwC Pittsburgh
- Business trips throughout Moscow
- Networking with other expats within PwC
- Social (Night) Life, PG-13 version
Posts
Hi Keith,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post and the insight into your international experience. Would you be able to, either in a reply or a future post, whichever is easier, provide more information on the EPIC Program? Specifically, how far in advance did you begin to research the program and to what extent is it possible to be selected to work in your first or second choice. Hope all is well in Moscow and to see you back in Pittsburgh soon!
Ilya Zaretsky,
PwC Pittsburgh
Hi Ilya,
ReplyDeleteMuch like everything at PwC, everyone will have a different experience going through the EPIC Program. I began the process in May 2008 but I already had a friend in Moscow who assisted with speeding the process along. My friend Nate who moved to Auckland began the process much earlier in the year.
As far as receiving your first or second choice for the program I believe it would depend upn the needs within the office. In the current economy there are not many opportunities here in Moscow, but 9 months ago the office here was looking for additional employees on secondment. Within the global mobility page on the PwC internal website there are opportunities listed at various locations. You can also contact the global mobility contacts within the US Firm to determine where there are staffing needs. If you pick a location which has staffing needs as your first or second choice I would think you are likely to receive the location you want.
Sorry for not providing a clear answer to your question, but with everything in auditing, "it depends." Feel free to email me at keith.x.mcmillen@ru.pwc.com for additional questions.
Keith