Summer Internship 2 Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the internship I had with EY, I feel as if I have come out with much greater confidence of my future career and the options I have in front of me. I have learned a considerable amount which has been fascinating to be able to be a part of, and to have such exposure to the everyday workings of EY from assistant to partner. However I would have liked to have gone out of the office from time to time to meet clients face to face, but I understand that that did not happen because of the nature of the projects which were underway during my time at the company.

Despite the work I performed not being on a technical basis, I felt as if the work I achieve was fundamental to the projects continuing smoothly, and I was reminded of this throughout my internship which gave me motivation and satisfaction in the work I was doing.

I received considerable guidance with understanding the work I was performing and also shadowing. This was invaluable for me because my background education did not give me anything to prepare for the technical aspects of the work. My councilor especially, and many others, made a concerted effort to aid my understanding and give me an opportunity to learn, which made me feel much more welcome in the team.

The technical knowledge gained has will not be directly applicable to my degree. However the softer skills such as time management, getting up early, being organized and meeting deadlines will certainly translate into my university work and improve it.

There was much flexibility within the internship to participate in what I wanted to be a part of. The structure therefore was loose, but this suited the nature of the work I was in, as I was expected to take the initiative to find work most of the time.

The general atmosphere was very welcoming and inclusive; people, from level one to partner, would be very happy to answer any question I had, and make an effort to include me in conversation. This made me feel as if I was already going to work there despite not yet receiving a decision as to whether I would.

The company did not put me on any training courses, however there were many optional 'lunch and learn' sessions which were lectures on every aspect of business, from exam skills to resilience. On top of this there were web based learning courses to take which taught you the know-how around certain business issues, such as customer service, cyber-security and digital awareness. These were also non-mandatory, but I decided to do some and found them useful.

I felt as if I was already a level 1, just without the exams.

I was immediately submerged in the EY attitude, attending socials and talking to colleagues gave me a good insight into what it meant to have and spread the core values of the company, and also office banter.

It opened many possibilities for me, as EY is such a big company, it shows that you have the choice to go into many different teams, and that this is encourage to make the best out of your time and to add the most value to the company.

Pay was very adequate, although I feel as if the canteen could have been more subsidized.

Yes many, for example partner breakfasts, socials within the team and other interns on the induction day and the leaving party. Also there were opportunities to join clubs, and the use of LinkedIn was encouraged.

The team specific social events were fun, we went bowling and had a lot of beer and burgers, all paid for by the social budget. The EY-wide socials were a little more awkward but were fun again in meeting people at our level and I think I have made some good friends here.

Very much so, there are a great diversity of social groups to join, from sports to cultural clubs.

Yes, it can be stressful at times but if you take a relaxed attitude and understand that despite having to work hard, no-one is trying to make you fail, and that if you ask questions people are happy to answer. I learned a lot and would do it again. You do not need to have a related degree to the service line you are in, you will not be expected to be very clued up in the technical language of the team. Just show an interest in learning it and take it on board as you go.