Intern in FS Assurance Review

I really enjoyed my Internship at EY, it gave me a really good insight into what working with them would be like. From day one everyone made me feel extremely welcome and part of the team. You get exposure to tasks/ clients and are given full support wherever needed no matter how small the task.

The whole set up of EY makes it extremely welcoming. Before starting my internship my assigned buddy had messaged me and introduced herself. Then on the first day she was waiting at reception for me likewise my counsellor made contact with me before I even arrive at EY, which is really nice to have contacts before you even start. One the first day you get introduced to the whole team and everyone makes the effort to speak to you. Even when I was working in a different EY office to the one assigned I was still invited to all events there. There were social events and team meetings all of which I was invited too.

You are instantly welcomed and guided into life at EY. Upon arrival you are allocated a Buddy which acts as your mentor to ask any questions too regardless of how small and is also in your office with you to ensure you understand what you are doing. You are also allocated a counsellor who you will have weekly meetings with. They are responsible for your progress and development whilst at EY.

This score is not really a true reflection of the work in general however due to my internship being in August there was very little work in the firm as a whole as it is all planning work. Many staff are on leave etc and the only work is planning based as it is not busy season. However every day I would have at least one task to do and when you ask managers for work they usually find you something to do. When I was assigned a specific client for a week I would have nearly a full week of work.

I was surprised at the level of responsibility I was given due to dealing with such big clients. I was given tasks to do on the planning of audit reports, cash cut off tests and also a client visit. All of the tasks were thoroughly explained beforehand and I was given examples to ensure I worked at the standard required.

I developed many skills whilst on my 4 week internship. I gained vast knowledge on how audits are carried out and the key stages of the audit which will be crucial for the professional accounting exams. I feel my business skills developed a lot for example responding to emails in a correct business tone and how to interact properly with managers/partners. On the second day we received a lot of IT training with regards to accessing the special EY pages for Audit or how to access the EY intranet which will be extremely useful for when I return for my Industrial placement. During my 4 weeks we had Web based learning modules to complete on topics from independence to money laundering.

The whole set up of EY makes it extremely welcoming. Before starting my internship my assigned buddy had messaged me and introduced herself. Then on the first day she was waiting at reception for me likewise my counsellor made contact with me before I even arrive at EY, which is really nice to have contacts before you even start. I sat in a 'hub' area with other interns/ industrial placement students which I really liked as everyone would still talk and socialise alongside working hard. At lunch everyone mainly sits in the hub area so you quickly get to know people in your office even managers etc.

I found the internship extremely well organised. Our first day was spent at the Canary Wharf office for general training on matters such as socialising with clients etc. Before even starting at my office my buddy and counsellor had made contact with me. On my first day in the office my buddy met me and gave me a tour of the office and introduced me to key people in my team. I had a 4 week calendar which had already assigned my clients or tasks to do so EY had obviously already properly prepared and assigned tasks for us.

We were assigned mandatory web based learning modules during the course of the internship from money laundering to independence. On the first day in the office we also received IT training on how to access the EY intranet and all the resources. On all meaningful tasks I requested feedback from the Senior and I received timely feedback which my counsellor reviewed. I also had multiple meetings with my counsellor to discuss my aspirations and what I want to get out of the internship.

I am lucky to be on the EY scholarship programme so I have completed my internship at the end of my first year at university. Then next summer I will start my Industrial placement with EY. There is a clear career pathway and you always know the next stage in your career. You have meetings with your counsellor on what you need to do to progress and establish career goals.

The social atmosphere at EY is extremely welcoming. In my 4 weeks I attended a social event with the whole team and went out for Lunch with them. I quickly made friends with the fellow interns and industrial placement students and it was very easy to ask them questions you may think are too small to ask someone else.