Business Consultant Review

Projects vary from person to person and team to team. This year I have done project management and cost optimisation projects. Day generally doesn't start before 9am and during normal project times I would work until 6/6.30pm depending on how much work I had. There were days where I had very little work (1/2 hours) so had lots of down time, as the work is project based, you are flexed to meet demand. There are plenty of other opportunities to get involved with if you have capacity such as learning and development, contributing to proposals for new work and organising 'in-house' team meetings/socials.

Yes - at the start when you are still learning, (depending on the person) they are happy to support to a level where you start to have enough confidence (and experience) to directly add value to the conversations you have with clients. At the end of my placement I was able to take client calls by myself and would lead calls for my workstream.
There is no rush into responsibility - it is earnt. If you haven't shown that you are capable then they won't give you as much responsibility.

The skills you gain will very much depend on how much effort you put in. If you go out of your way to get involved with lots of different things then you will gain so much more. The main skills that I developed/learnt were; stakeholder management; time management; target operating model (TOM); team work; project management.
Stakeholder management: I had client calls from pretty much day 1 where I got the opportunity to interact with senior management. At the end of my placement I was having calls by myself with clients at management level. I learnt how best to communicate with a diverse group of people, learning how to get the most out of each individual based on their working style.
Time Management: As the work is project based, there is always going to be work that isn't properly managed - this means that often you will get asked to help. A key skill I learnt was how to balance contributing where I could but also making sure I wasn't spreading myself too thinly and wouldn't produce quality work. Learning how to say 'no' and when to say 'no' is important - they will respect you and your work if you are honest.
Target Operating Model (TOM): On a cost optimisation project, I learnt how to do current state assessments, cost/benefit analysis and the steps involved with creating a roadmap to, and the target operating model.
Team work: You are placed in a 'home team'; and your project team is not necessarily with the same people. In my sector they rotate us through the different sectors (Insurance, Wealth and Asset Management (WAM), Banking, Capital Markets) so you get the opportunity to meet lots of different people and learn about what they do. Building strong relationships within the team means you will learn a lot more, be more effective and efficient and enjoy your work more.
Project Management: My first project was doing project management and I had to ensure that multiple different teams were all on time to meet project deadlines, helping them overcome barriers to progress or raising problems where necessary.

Before you start you are given a 'buddy' who is your informal help channel. They help with basic stuff and are a friendly face from day 1.
You are also assigned a 'councillor' who is your line manager. They are responsible for your career progression and represent you in your bi-annual performance reviews.
Help will always be given at [EY] to those who ask for it...
Once you have worked out what you want, there is a very strong culture of helping you achieve it.

At the lower levels you don't have to deal with the politics as much. There is a healthy amount of competition but there is also plenty of work so there will always be opportunities. Culture of bettering yourself and the team propped up by making sure there is business value at the core. It is a people business and to succeed you need to be good at quickly building rapport and being curious.
Friendly atmosphere and lots of young people that you start with. Lots of people to socialise with right from day 1.

Very well. Looking back at the year I have had a really good time, made some very good friends, learnt a lot and developed a network with lots of interesting, useful people. There were highs and lows for sure but it was definitely a net benefit. I moved to London for this placement and have had a very good time here. Looking forward to coming back after I finish my degree.

Yes