Assurance Intern Review

I enjoyed the six week internship as it gave me a real insight into what audit entails and what to expect on the graduate scheme. During the six weeks, I was assigned to work on different projects. The clients which I worked for were based across the North East with each project being either 1-2 weeks. I enjoyed meeting new people, working in different teams, and being able to spend time at different businesses. One client sate was based 2.5 hours away from the EY office, so I got to spend a week staying in a hotel and going to dinner with my colleagues, which was paid for by EY. I enjoyed this aspect as I got to know my team members on a personal level.

I felt incredibly valued by my colleagues. The projects which I was assigned mainly involved working in small teams (1-3 people). My colleagues on these projects would take the time to carefully explain tasks to me the audit procedure, and helped me with any queries that I had. I felt like I fitted in perfectly in the team as everyone was incredibly welcoming, and I didn't feel out of place.

At the start of the internship, all interns were assigned a counsellor who they could contact for support and guidance. As I was working at a client sites further away from the office, I skyped my counsellor for a catchup and to reflect on how my internship was progressing. The counsellor was very relaxed and easy to talk to and made sure that I was meeting the goals that I had assigned at the start of the internship.

I was kept constantly busy throughout the six weeks, and always had something to do during the day. I found the balance to be perfect and didn't feel like my workload was too much to handle. Once I had completed tasks assigned to me, I asked my colleagues for further work which they were happy to provide me. Along with completing work on the project, all the interns were assigned a group project to research which we presented on the final day in the office.

I was given a sufficient level of responsibility which I was pleased with, especially considering that I did not have any previous experience with accounting and finance. The workload reflected what I would be doing on the graduate scheme. I was also surprised by the level of interaction I had with clients, which involved asking them for invoices/bank statements/other data.

The key skills which I developed from this internship include: time management by completing a variety of different tasks in a timely manner, attention to detail by ensuring that invoices reconciled and public speaking skills by participating in a group project at the end of the internship. In terms of the audit skills which I developed, these will not be particularly useful for my degree as I study a humanities subject, but will come in useful if I decide to work in audit after completing my degree.

The atmosphere in the office was relaxed with there being a lot of young people around, including school leavers, interns and graduates .I found the managers easy to approach. The office also has 'hot desk' areas meaning that anyone can sit there if the desk is not occupied. I didn't spend much time in the office as I was based at different client sites.

It was organised very efficiently. The first day of the internship was an induction which was spent in another office. During the day, we got to hear experiences from graduates working in that office, along with being able to network with other interns across the North. The second day of the internship was another induction, but this time in the office which we had applied to. During this time, we got to learn a bit more about EY and its culture, along with finding out which projects we would be working on for the next six weeks.

Personal training and development was a key aspect of working at EY. From the very first day, we were given an 'experience map' which had a list of key goals which the firm wanted us to achieve by the end of the internship. Alongside this, the counsellors would arrange regular catchups where we would be able to discuss our progress.

Very appealing. Throughout the internship, we had to collect feedback from the colleagues which we were working with. This feedback was then sent to the counsellors and is used as the basis to decide whether an intern receives a graduate offer. The whole process was explained in depth during the induction session.

During the internship, all interns were working on different projects so we didn't get to spend much time together. We got to spend time together when we met up for a summer party arranged by EY mid way through the internship. We all met up again a few days before the internship ended where we practiced our group presentation.

I lived at home during the internship. As I was based in the North East the cost of living and socialising is relatively cheap compared to other areas of the UK.

I didn't go out with colleagues during the internship, but nightlife is also cheap.

There weren't any opportunities.