Assurance Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience at EY. I previously had no experience of working in the finance industry, or in any finance role, so to be given the opportunity to walk into such a prestigious firm everyday was enjoyable. Not only this but the people, from other interns to partners, were all incredibly friendly. It was easy to have a conversation with anybody, and everyone was willing to put in time to help interns with work, directions etc.

Firstly, with the internship being paid at a very reasonable rate for a second year University student, you already feel valued before you start the internship. In addition, EY help with expenses through the assessment centre process, again, ensuring you feel valued. I also felt valued by the trust my team put in me. There were times where I performed a recalculation and my team were happy to go straight to the client to address any issues before checking my work, this makes you feel trusted and valued.

Generally guidance was provided whenever you needed it. If there was something you didn't understand and that you needed help with there would always be people you could ping on Skype or walk up to in the office. If your management was busy though, it's best if you come with a list of questions and get them all out the way in one go rather than pester them with little things every 5 minutes.

The workload varied dramatically throughout the 6 weeks. For example, there were weeks where my full 9-5 day would be packed with work and I would eat lunch at my desk to ensure all documents were complete. However, there were also days where I would email every senior I knew and yet there would be no work available. There have been times where it may be best to let work drag out so you can ensure your busy for a couple of days, yet there will also be times where you need to knuckle down and get things done promptly. There was never a time I was required to stay past 6pm.

Before starting the internship it's natural to worry that you won't be given any responsibility and will only be of use for running to the coffee shop. However, at EY this is not the case. From my second week I was given the responsibility of interacting with the client on my own, scheduling and attending a meeting. Additionally, I was expected to complete various excel files within a short timeframe to enable the completion of an audit. Safe to say there was never a time I was only responsible for making the drinks!

One of the main skills you develop on the EY internship is communication. As everyone is so friendly and willing to chat, there is never-ending opportunity to engage with others. Everybody has a different background and thought processes and it can be fascinating to see how other people work. You will also have direct client interaction, where you can talk to influential people within large firms. Just this skill made my time at EY valuable, as it is something I will use in everyday life; whether that is in or out of work.

Whilst you may not spend too much time in the EY office, it is still a lovely place. I was situated within the EY office in Canary Wharf and the atmosphere is just how you would want. There are places to sit and fully focus on work in silence, but there are also breakout areas where you can network and grab a coffee with whomever. People are generally relaxed and you can sit wherever you desire. There are often people chatting and laughing yet the noise is quieter depending where you choose to sit. There is a good working environment for everyone.

Throughout the application phase I was extremely impressed with EY and their quickness in response to any query I had. When the internship started everything was well organized and it is made very clear as to where you are meant to be and when in your first week. When you start to interact with your team, your schedule and whereabouts often varies depending on the client. This means things can become less organized here, however, your seniors keep on top of this and ensure the team know what is going on. You have your personalized calendar on Outlook and can view anyone else's. This helps organize what you are doing and let's other see what you may be up to if they need your attention.

There was 2 induction days at the start of the internship and an I.T induction on the third day. This enabled you to navigate and familiarize yourself with EY's software and office. However, there was no training provided in regards to the actual work you will be doing. I believe a day in the first week could be used to train interns on the layout of certain documents and what they contain. This would mean less questions for seniors when on the job and allow interns to be more efficient in getting work done to a high standard.

From my experience in the EY summer internship program I believe EY would be a very appealing place to work and would offer what many people desire from a job. You are surrounded by like-minded, intelligent people who are always willing to interact and give you their time. The work is challenging and the pressure can be exciting. Whilst this may not be for everyone, especially during busy seasons, there is the opportunity to have a real work-life balance and make many friends along the way.

One of the reasons I have preferred working from the office is the increased time you get to spend with fellow interns. There are often a few other interns from your service line on a couple of table over a couple of floors. This means that you can take the full hour of your lunch break, grab some decent food and socialize throughout the day. Everybody is in the same boat, going through the same experience and there is much to learn from other interns. Whilst the nature of the work made it difficult to meet-up in the evening, a WhatsApp group was quickly established and it's easy to make sure you meet-up with other interns at least once a week for a few drinks.

As is easily imagined the cost of living and socializing within Canary Wharf is extortionate to say the least. Don't expect to pay less than £5.50 for a pint anywhere within walking region of the office, and living in Canary Wharf is not a feasible option. There are places to live within 20/30 minute commute of the office for the price of about half of your monthly payslip, such as uni accommodation or air b'n'b. Whilst drink and food prices are expensive, with the internship only being 6 weeks you will be paid enough to manage socializing and buying food at lunch.

Canary Wharf is very much a place for work. There are bars etc open late-ish, however, it is hard to say there is any sort of night life in a place filled with financial services. For the best nightlife it easy to get the Jubliee Line into Central London and meet with London Bridge interns. Despite this, there are many places to grab a beer after work if you wanted, just don't expect this to go on much past 9pm. Travel links don't make this much of an issue, but yes you will need to go on the tube to enjoy the nightlife elsewhere.

At the start of your internship it will be mentioned that you can help with the EY foundation and help with charity work etc. Whilst this is possible, the short duration of the internship makes it difficult to get involved with this sort of thing. You may be able to fit in a day, however, work obviously takes priority. You can join network etc that are run by EY, however, as I did not join any of these I can't comment on any activities outside of work. It's left up to your own devices in regards to how social you want to be and who you would like to meet up with, your team may have social events but don't expect this if you're on a tiny team.