Associate Review

I completed my placement year with within the assurance department. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at EY. I had the opportunity to work in a good friendly team environment and had significant client exposure. Through out my placement I was given a lot of responsibility, both meeting with clients and analysing client's financial accounts. This placement was a great opportunity for me to develop my skills and have an insight into the industry.

At EY they have a constructive feedback centre where you can receive feedback from the work you complete on clients. I found this very useful and it enabled me to improve on my work. For your work you received a rating and then as a way of rewarding employees you'd receive vouchers. You are able to redeem these vouchers for experiences and vouchers.

My counsellor was always able to assist me with my career progression during the placement year. We spoke regularly and he was able to help me make the most out of my placement. He gave me advice throughout my placement and also recommendations of things to do in the local area.

Throughout my placement I was always busy on a daily basis, whether this was meeting with the client or analysing financial accounts. I managed my own time and was left responsible for meeting deadlines accordingly. During my studies towards my ICAEW qualification I had to manage both my workload and my studies; this was a particularly busy period.

I was always delegated responsibility and allowed to manage my time accordingly. I regularly met with Financial Controllers of different clients and directly updated my manager as to the progress of my work. By the end of my placement I was be able to show newer members of staff how the software worked and different testing we were completing on their financial accounts.

As part of my placement year I began studying towards my ACA through ICEAW. I went to Kaplan college for two weeks and studied for the Assurance and Accounting exams. This has enhanced my knowledge of both accounting and assurance. In addition to this I attended a training week specifically addressing my role in the firm.

The placement was extremely well organised. We begun with an induction week which was a great opportunity to meet all the other students. During this week we received in depth training and plenty of social events. We also completed a corporate social responsibility day. After our induction we we were introduced to our teams. All aspects of the placement were well organised, from our time at college to our week away in Oxford training.

The firm invested heavily in my development in every aspect of my placement. They paid for all assurance placement students to spend a week in Oxford for training. They also financed our time at Kaplan college and our qualifications. We had numerous training days which really enhanced my ability to perform in my job. I feel the skills I have learnt are now transferable into other aspects of life.

Very shortly after completing my placement EY confirmed my graduate offer. I have since accepted the offer and will be returning on their graduate programme. As I have completed a placement year at EY I am able to skip a year of the graduate programme so have two years to become fully qualified upon my return.

The social scene was very good during my placement year. The majority of placement students (approximately fifty based in London) would meet up on a Thursday for drinks. In addition EY organised events for us to attend, whether this be dinners or drinks. We also had a black tie end of placement event to mark our placement finishing.

London living, was predictably, fairly pricey. However, this is something that is common knowledge. EY pay a good salary and I found this more than enough to live in London and socialise regularly. Based in London Bridge, there is a great social atmosphere in the surrounding area with plenty of great pubs and wine bars.

There were plenty of opportunities to get involved in. I played for the EY football team during my placement. It was a great opportunity to meet people from across the firm that I wouldn't have otherwise have had the opportunity to meet. We played every week on a Sunday in the London Accountants league. There were also plenty of opportunities to get involved in charity events.