This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
This was a really valuable experience - previously had no experience of professional services so it was good to get a better understanding. In addition I got introduced to the friendliest team I could have met. While some of the work was a bit dull, the social aspect of the team helped and they were always there with advice if I was struggling
As mentioned above, the teams I worked with were very supportive and willing to help out f I had problems. I felt involved due to inclusion in team meetings, on team socials and with all the advice I got given. I kept being given pieces of work to do, all of which were explained and more importantly the reason for their necessity explained - hence I felt like I was actually contributing
EY assigned me a buddy, councellor, careers counsellor, SIP program check in point as well as any seniors I had on the jobs therefore there always felt like lots of places I could turn if I was struggling. I was continually given feedback too which helped guide me through my development and it was nice to see the feedback evolve as I got more accomplished
There were very few days where I was left twiddling my thumbs. Along with all the work I was given there was also a continually running project to work on as well as small tasks I picked up over the placement. However there was a good balance and there were only a few days where I had to work late to meet deadlines, with no work at all over the weekend. When working late though my senior was always there too so I never felt abandoned
Tasks given were typical for new graduates and although they were heavily scrutinized that really just suggested that I had proper responsibility. Also got to shadow partners and sit in on meeting that were extremely important to the company, hence getting a taste of important tasks - a good responsibility
Though little of the financial work will be applicable to my degree work, I had the opportunity to develop some computer skills. these will be really useful going back. Looking beyond university I think the skills will very applicable as EY have a good policy regarding offers so with a bit of luck I could come back and as I said do similar tasks as a graduate
The Company
The atmosphere was a lot more relaxed than I expected. It was possibly due to the fact that it was a quiet period but everyone had time for queries and to show me how to do something basic if I needed. I got the impression that the teams tend to work really well together (possibly helped by the team social events) but was most surprised by the flexible working environment - no one seemed to have problems with people working from home (though i would not have attempted it as an intern!)
The overall internship team within EY seemed to have very little impact once the initial induction day was complete. However the team within the ITRA service line was fantastic and kept things running smoothly along with my counsellor. They helped ensure that I had long term work lined up (though this varied slightly for individuals from what i understood from my colleagues) and helped arrange my shadowing opportunities. There was also a project arranged over the whole placement that seemed well thought out. Main problem was around whether interns should attend the annual training event which was communicated very last minute.
There were weekly Skype sessions on different topics such as paths within EY, exam preparation and emotional resilience which were interesting. Main investment was in giving us graduate level work which was a long term training scheme. There was little in the way of organised socials or training sessions aimed solely at interns bar the original induction day. If you were not based in London the firm invested more in terms of paying expenses for travel to training and our project presentations, but for London interns, investment seemed minimal.
Company Parties/Events
The progression within EY seems strong with good opportunities if you pass exams and contribute to the teams well. The best thing about the advancement seems to be you have a good say in the direction in which you want to go if you wish to specialise ( as long as you have something to offer). The high conversion of internships to grad offers is also attractive
The Culture
A lot of the social events were organised by fellow interns or by graduate students. They were a good way to get to know the team early on and made up for the lack of organised events run by the central internship team. Got invited to play crazy golf and go karting as well so a bit of variety was nice
I was in London so it was expensive. Without a subsidised canteen I had to bring lunch in to work most days to stay up with my earnings. Although the wage EY pays is pretty good, I did not come away with much at the end of the 6 weeks. Having said that I did try to enjoy London while i was there too which contributed
London is meant to have a good scene but I didn't experience much of it. I went to a few plays and musicals while there which was more my scene than nightclubbing and they were fun but expensive. I think this is the story of London
There were a lot of opportunities. I had the option of joining the sports teams (though most were out of season) and some of the social networks as well as socialising with the work teams. I was essentially treated as a new member of the company which helped you feel valued and like you fit in.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
London
August 2017