Business Academy Intern Review
at EY
Work Experience
Finance
Kingston upon Thames
Review Submitted: September 2020
Overall Rating
4.5 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4.4/5
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Overview of the Experience
4/5
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Skills Development
4/5
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Company Culture
Overview of the Experience
Please give an overview of what your work experience involved:
4/5
It was very informative about next steps one could take at EY, especially in deciding whether one wants to do an apprenticeship after leaving school. It gave a great insight into two of its service lines, tax and assurance, and gave us many subject specific sessions, including skills necessary for working in the company. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable experience, and I would recommend this to anyone who wants to work at the big 4 or in accounting.
To what extent did you enjoy your work experience?
5/5
I found it very enjoyable. This is because they not only had informative sessions, but also had multiple engaging activities, such as an Icebreaker exercises where we learnt more about others in our group, we did a quiz to learn more about the company, and there were a few break out sessions to allow for more collaborative input from a whole group and learn from each other. This was really well put together and I would definitely recommend it.
How well organised was your work experience?
3/5
It was very well organised. This is because they had a good mixture of informative sessions, but also had multiple engaging activities, such as an Icebreaker exercises where we learnt more about others in our group, we did a quiz to learn more about the company, and there were a few break out sessions to allow for more collaborative input from a whole group and learn from each other. The people leading the sessions were also very friendly in helping us with any queries we had.
How much did your work experience help you in deciding on your future career path?
5/5
It has helped me a lot as I now have a detailed understanding of what it means to go into accounting, and especially in tax and assurance service lines. It has also helped me understand that there is significant career progression at EY, and so it would be a great place to work. Further, the work would be exciting as one can travel all over, depending on where clients are, allowing for a good working culture.
Were you paid or reimbursed for this experience?
5/5
Yes I was paid, but frankly they did not need to as they were already helping me a lot by deciding what I would want to do in the future. Moreover, they discussing salaries at apprenticeship level, saying that if University is not for you due to student loans, the apprenticeship is all paid for, plus you can already start making a salary, unlike university students in student loan. There was nothing to be reimbursed for.
Skills Development
What training and skills development did you learn from your work experience?
4/5
I learnt about the tax and assurance service lines, as they are the two biggest service lines in the company, and I learnt about many transferable skills, such as presentation skills, both speaking an writing, how to engage with an audience, and also how to do a PESTLE analysis. This has allowed me to fast track my abilities and give me a great insight into this sector and how to get immersed into it immediately.
Company Culture
How much did you learn about the company culture and what it would be like to work there?
5/5
I thought I knew a lot about EY, but with the quiz that the team put together, I learnt a lot more about the culture and company, such as that they have offices in 6 continents, and have 270 000 employees. I learnt about the different groups one can join, such as religious, LGBTQ or women's society, and I heard from current apprentices and they all had great things to say about EY's culture.
Were there opportunities for networking and meeting other employees?
3/5
There were a lot of opportunities to network as they had multiple engaging activities, such as an Icebreaker exercises where we learnt more about others in our group, we did a quiz to learn more about the company, and there were a few break out sessions to allow for more collaborative input from a whole group and learn from each other. This was really well put together and I got to connect with many people on LinkedIn.
Recommendations and Advice
Would you recommend EY to a friend?
Yes
Why?
I found it very enjoyable. This is because they not only had informative sessions, but also had multiple engaging activities, such as an Icebreaker exercises where we learnt more about others in our group, we did a quiz to learn more about the company, and there were a few break out sessions to allow for more collaborative input from a whole group and learn from each other. This was really well put together and I would definitely recommend it.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to EY?
Be yourself in the application, as you it would tell you a lot if you want to actually work in accounting. Prepare well as there are lot of numerical reasoning tests, and ensure you know a lot about the culture, in case these questions get asked at an interview for you. Finally do not worry if you do not get in, as a lot people apply, but keep trying and keep applying as you could get lucky later.
