Discover EY Review

Very much enjoyed this very insightful experience. It allowed me to meet a range of like-minded individuals with a similar drive and passion for business. It did a wonderful job of informing me about EY and its programmes. The staff were all lovely, made me feel welcome and were happy to answer all questions we had.

EY has a naturally inclusive atmosphere whereby students or recent graduates aren't made to feel inferior but rather an important part of the company. All 60 students present were made to feel welcome and no one student was treated better than another, regardless of the university they attend or their level of academic excellence.

The entire programme existed to guide and support the students. On both of the two days there, EY staff were on hand to answer as many questions as possible, and we were never left confused or made to feel that a question was stupid. There were also a great range of people to guide us and answer questions - from recent graduates to experienced Partners.

The first day of the programme was built more to inform us about the company and the service lines rather than develop our skills. The following day, however, allowed us to develop our interpersonal, presentation and time management skills, among others. These are all skills I will take forward to both my degree studies and my career, and will be especially beneficial at an Assessment Centre.

The programme was very well structured. We were given a plan for the programme via email beforehand. A more specific plan for the day was then given to us at the start of each day and the organisers were very good at sticking to it, which was especially important on the second day where Time Management was a key element of the task.

The atmosphere was very good. EY has a generally inclusive atmosphere anyway, but the organisers put in extra effort to ensure students felt at ease and therefore happy to ask questions. There was also a sense of determination among students - all students were of a certain level of intelligence and were therefore keen to get as much out of the programme as possible.

The investment was probably average for this type of event. We all developed a range of new skills, from communication to public speaking.

The programme was excellent at answering any questions we could think of, and staff tried to explain what a 'day in the life' in Professional Services would be. We were also tasked with completing a task similar to the process the firm would undergo in order to win an audit, tax or advisory bid. Therefore, we had the opportunity to experience first hand what it is like to do a Pitch. There's little opportunity, however, to see what else is undertaken day-to-day in the firm.

The insight did an excellent job of portraying the company culture. Each member of staff was an excellent representation of EY's infamous inclusive culture as they were generally lovely people and proved the flat hierarchical structure by treating all colleagues, regardless of their position, as equals. They also showed their 'inclusivity and diversity' scheme by allowing us to meet both male and female Partners, proving their Gender Equality promises.

The content of the day was invaluable. The main programme aim was to aid students in their decision of Assurance vs Tax, as well as advertising the firm. I believe that a good majority of students came away having made a decision, or at least with the resources to do so at a later date. They did an excellent job of answering questions and, even after, are still happy for us to contact them with further questions.

I was reimbursed for my return journey to London (from the North of England) and EY paid for my hotel room for the two nights of the programme.

We had presentations from various employees of the firm, as well as 'Tax Panel' where we could ask members of the EY tax team questions about working in the field of Tax. We also had networking lunches on both days and an evening meal where we were joined by recent graduates and more experienced members of staff.

The networking events were good. They allowed us time to mingle and ask questions. For the evening meal, they even provided a quiz for the occasion that we were struggling to make conversation.

The employees did discuss their social life in parts but this was not discussed in great depth.

I would certainly recommend this programme to a friend. It was an excellent experience which made me now desperate to work for EY. It is, however, quite a difficult programme to be accepted into as there are only 60 places available, so situational judgement tests, psychometric tests and a telephone interview must all be completed first. The programme, however, does allow students to be fast-tracked to an Assessment Centre, so they'll hopefully get a Summer Internship or Placement Year.