Audit Associate Review

I really enjoyed my placement with EY. I learnt a lot about my audit clients and industry but also to get an insight into a Big Four company and what work could entail after university. I also met such a diverse group of people who would go above and beyond to help you. They will be friends for life.

I felt valued and was often given work which would be expected to be completed by a member of the team who would be a much higher level to me. This gave me the opportunity to push myself with every piece of work. Members of the team always thanked you and told you how much they appreciated the work you had completed.

I was given help when required but support often came from people within my peer group or just above rather than management. I was often expected to try and complete the work by myself without much guidance. This happened in situations where I was more experienced at completing these tasks than the newer, more senior members of the team.

Work didnt seem very balanced. Due to the year end or quarterly procedures for the client it was often the case that some days had a vast amount of work to complete with a very short deadline. Whereas other days, I would feel quite bored with not much work to be completed. Obviously this isn't representative of other clients, hearing from peers they seemed to be much busier than me at times.

Towards the end of the placement, I was given more responsibility and performing work which was much higher than expected of my level. However, due to the work required of the client, sometimes very basic work had to be performed and due to being an intern, this would mean I would have to complete tasks which didnt need much. When new members of the team joined, I was in charge of showing them the work they were required to complete. I feel my ability could have been stretched more.

My work placement has helped me grow as a person in a variety of ways. I now am much more aware of time management and being organised to complete my university work. Working at EY will stand you in good stead for any work you would want to do in the future as the grounding is great. The professional development in you as a person is unmatchable.

Very good. Everyone got along well and talked to each other a lot. When meeting everyone, they were all lovely and everyone was willing to help you. A very nice atmosphere to settle in to and with it being hot desks, you could sit with who you liked and wouldn't feel intimidated.

Not very well organised. There seemed to be a big changeover in the individuals running the programme throughout so there was no contact during the placement and the process of receiving graduate offers took much longer than expected. There were no socials as promised in the induction week. Ideally, more contact throughout the placement to keep you up to date would have been preferable.

I completed some of my professional accountancy exams during my placement, therefore development of accounting knowledge was gained. We also did a couple of training days and weeks throughout the placement to provide us with personal training develop our knowledge on the processes. We also had department specific training days with the whole department to develop our knowledge of the industry.

Very appealing. Lots of opportunity for development and for completing professional exams. Graduate job is secured and looking forward to returning. I imagine much more responsibility being given to me once i return as a graduate. A job with one of the Big Four will provide you with excellent grounding to start your career.

Placement students didnt seem to have many socials due to everyone being on different client sites for the majority of the time rather than being in the same office. Placement students tended to meet up for lunch when everyone was in the office. There were lots of socials within my team and in the department which were great fun.

My placement was in the London office so i found it very expensive to live. Rent prices were nearly 3x the price as my hometown. Socialising was not expensive with work colleagues as this was always paid for. However, the increased pay for working in London made up for the different in rent prices.

Lots of nightlife every night of the week and everywhere was always busy. London is great if you like the hustle and bustle of London life. There is always things to do and you could never be bored of the activities. Could not have picked a better location for my placement year.

I personally did not get involved in any activities but there were lots of activities you could have done, especially if you are interested in sport of any kind. In London there will always be groups of people who enjoy similar activities to you which you can join and get involved with.