Summer intern Review

I really enjoyed the internship. The team I worked with were very friendly and tried hard to make the experience memorable. The experience checklists we were given provided us with a wide range of goals to achieve and provided structure to our work. The culture was very friendly within the office and I felt like I could ask anyone for help if needed.

My colleagues were very friendly and welcoming and were happy to find work for us to do. Although this workload decreased nearer the end of the internship, this was due to the end of the season not. Various socials e.g. drinks, were arranged for after work and I felt comfortable with most people on my team.

I felt very supported on the internship. We were allocated informal buddies who were our first point of contact during the first weeks for any questions we had and for work. We also were allocated a counsellor with whom we had weekly catchups and together we discussed our internship goals and general career goals. We also had a general intern manager who was very approachable for any queries we had.

I was very busy at the beginning of the internship as we were being welcomed into the team, so were given a lot of work, however as it went on the workload decreased due to the end of the season and many employees were on holiday. The level of work varied day-to-day, but I enjoyed that the internship was not too stressful.

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of responsibility we were given straight away from the beginning. We were asked to help with projects with many clients, including sitting in on meetings and conference calls. The very first day of the internship I was asked to do some technical research to draft an email to a client, when i was expected something a lot more general. All the work we did was reviewed so there wasn't an overwhelming pressure.

I study accounting and finance so the knowledge and skills that I developed were highly relevant and useful. I learnt a lot about general business structuring, tax knowledge which I can use in future university modules and technical skills such as excel, raising invoices and VAT returns. Additionally, I learnt more about how to act and communicate in a professional manner.

The atmosphere was very friendly. At first, I was concerned about having to act professionally and just get on with the job, but as the weeks went on and I got to the know the people better it became more relaxed. The atmosphere between the interns was great, and not competitive at all. I think there could have been more socials at the beginning to break the ice more and get to know people outside the office.

The internship was very well organized. They have a very specific process set up. I am yet to see how efficiently the results come back and if I will be offered a job. There was a strong internal support system, and I appreciated this a lot, as I knew exactly who to ask if I had any questions. There was a central induction at the beginning of the internship for general information which I'm not sure was completely necessary but I understand the need for it.

We had an initial central induction on the first day, which was purely informational. We met interns at other offices and service lines. We also had a half-day induction within FS tax on the second day before entering the office. We had an IT induction at the start of the internship via skype, and weekly lunch and learn sessions to help us build knowledge. Within indirect tax specifically, we had one technical knowledge share at the start but most of the learning came from doing the work and asking any questions that we had regarding the work.

I am still awaiting the results of the internship and whether I will receive a job offer. They have available positions for all of the interns, so it is a case of performing well and they will reward you fairly. We had an assessment at the end of the internship which was a presentation involving drafting an agenda for a meeting and a Q&A session. We also had to keep a detailed record of the work that we completed and feedback provided by other team members.

The interns were all very friendly and we tried to do something weekly after work, usually drinks. We also went for lunch a couple of times together. With other colleagues I went to a social in Greenwich park in the first few days, we went out for a few team lunches and a couple of drinks after work within the team. It would have been nice to have had a social event before starting the internship or within the first few days to break the ice.

The internship was in London so the cost of living is very expensive. Particularly for me as I was commuting in from Buckinghamshire, so the transport costs were significant. In terms of socializing, food and drink is also very expensive in London so I had to limit the amount of this I purchased through bringing a packed lunch everyday.

In canary wharf there are a few bars and restaurants however I did not spend too much time there. You would have to get the tube to get to a better area to go out at night. I didn't go out clubbing at all during the internship due to my long commute and not having London accommodation. The options however and drinks would have been very expensive if I had.

There were a few socials during the time I was on the internship. I also had the opportunity to volunteer on one of the days at the Salvation army, sorting through clothes for the victims of the Grenfell tower. I appreciated this opportunity as I have done a lot of volunteering in the past and I enjoy doing it. There are various networks at EY and sports teams however due to the short time I was here, I did not get involved, particularly due to my long commute.