Assurance Intern Review

I really enjoyed working in London and working for EY. Everyone I worked with was so friendly and made me feel really welcome.

Despite being an intern everyone I worked with made me feel like a member of the team. I was invited to all team events and feel at ease around everyone I worked with, whether they were first years, or senior managers.

I was worried about being out of my depth with the work I was given, but the management I worked with were always happy to walk me through any work I was not sure about. They were good with checking up to make sure I was getting on OK.

Between my two clients, my workload varied a lot. On one client everyone in my team was very busy and as an intern there was not much I could do help as I was too inexperienced. I sometimes felt like a bit of a nuisance to constantly be asking for work when they were already very busy. One my second client, the team was much smaller and I was given more work to do, without having to pester anyone. I was able to manage my own workload more on this client.

Studying economics and focusing my module choices on finance related topics, I did see a lot of cross-over between my degree and the work I was doing. I learnt a lot about how businesses function and what various aspects within the business are responsible for which was very interesting. However, I would not say that by studying a finance related degree you are at an advantage.

I did not spend anytime in the office in More London Place as I was always on client site. This was in Victoria and in West Hampstead. Everyone I worked with was really friendly and there is a real sense of teamwork regardless of where you work or how many people you work with. There were times when members of the team were very stressed which is why it was important to all work together.

Although I have not heard back from EY yet, we have been informed that employment prospects are very good following on from the internship. There is also the opportunity to apply to defer your offer or transfer to another service line if you receive an offer which is a great opportunity.

I was not directly working with any other interns in my teams and not being in the office made this situation difficult. However, the only organised socials we had during the internship were on the last day, during which we went to a bowling alley, and drinks near the office which were arranged by an intern. I heard from employees there that in previous years, the internship organisers had arranged many events and has been keen to get the interns to get to know each other, so I don't know why it was not the case this year.

In London the cost of socialising is obviously very high and we weren't paid until our 4th week which meant funding the first 4 weeks was not too easy. However, most people doing the internship were living in London anyway so did not have accommodation to pay. There was lots of fun things to do in London but it was expensive.