Associate - Student Placement Review
at EY
Level 2 Apprenticeship
Business Operations
Manchester
Review Submitted: June 2021
Overall Rating
3.7 /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!
3/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
3.6/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
3/5
Perform different tests of details over different financial statement line items to ensure they are accurate. Interact with the client to obtain an understanding of the entity and request the necessary deliverables to undertake our work. I supported on extra projects, such as the team who organised fun activities for the team to keep moral high in lockdown.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
3/5
The programme is very enjoyable, I enjoy the client work and the ability to work with different industries but also that I get to work with different engagement teams throughout the firm, sometimes across offices and lines of service. There were not too much extra curricular activities due to lockdown though.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I learnt how to efficiently interact with clients in order to communicate effectively what we require to complete our different testing and also to deal with any queries that come up when completing our work. Additionally I have developed my excel skills, particularly the use of pivot tables and other functions to speed up documenting processes
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
All necessary equipment and resources were sent out on time and the resourcing department within the firm allocates us to different clients. There is scope to request to work on particular clients of interest if that’s something you desire but I found I have had a good experience with a wide variety of clients.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
I received extensive support from EY which enabled me to focus on my personal and professional development. Within my placement I was assigned a career coach who informed me on any upcoming opportunities within the firm such as training days. The career coach also allowed me to ask any questions which I did not feel comfortable sharing with my project team.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
The support was good. The trainings were virtual only due to lockdown. However, there were lots of resources available to practice and test our knowledge in the learning portal. There is additionally a email helpline you can email with any queries and the response time was very quick
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
The modules we completed were all very relevant to the role and has enhanced my understanding when partaking clients work. It provided strong underlying knowledge of why we perform particular tests and the importance of being professionally sceptical at all times. The professional level papers felt more relevant than the certificate level papers
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
3/5
Unfortunately due to Covid-19 restrictions I was unable to attend any in person extra-curricular activates during my placement. I have been informed by colleagues that EY would typically run a wide range of activates that employees can participate in. However, I was still able to get involved in some activates such as when I assisted in the running of a virtual recruitment event.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend EY to a friend?
Yes
Why?
The firm really looks after it’s employees and there are plenty of opportunities to get involved with. It is a place to work that you can be proud of and I have seen first hand the quality of service the firm provides for its clients everyday. Additionally there are lots of opportunities to take part in training and development to further enhance skills
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to EY?
Work hard and make sure you give yourself plenty of time for the exams. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Research the industry and the sorts of clients available to the different offices to ensure you apply to an office that will suit you.
