Intern Review

I had a great time- there were periods where work was slow but this is natural in summer periods. It was difficult at times getting to client sites without driving which I hadn’t realised in the application process but team members were helpful with giving lifts, etc.

I worked on GPS clients during busy season which meant that all the work I was set had a genuine use and value. I felt less like an intern and more like a member of the team.

My counsellor was fantastic and we had a really great working relationship; my buddy was always responsive and if we weren’t in the office together he would always check in on Skype. Additionally there was a mid-internship call with grad recruitment which made sure that everything was going smoothly and answered any overarching questions I had.

There was a lull 3 weeks in where I was unassigned for 3 days and ended up just doing odd jobs which was quite unfulfilling. However this was largely due to the nature of busy season where there were less roles for lower level workers.

The work I performed was handed off, reviewed by partners, and used in the final audit which means that I had a lot of responsibility but the team made sure that I was always supported along the way.

I would have appreciated training with more technology or analytics as I think a lot of the application process focused on that aspect of the job but that was not necessarily reflected in the internship.

The Newcastle office is small enough that everyone knows each other which gives a positive collegiate atmosphere.

When I had a slow period in GPS and was unassigned for 3 days, I said numerous times that I would like to experience a Corporate client as employees had told me that they were keen for extra hands. However this was difficult to negotiate with retain which suggests that there isn’t a great deal of oversight over client placements.

I had a lot of money spent on me as I went on an away job for two weeks which was a very authentic experience and I really enjoyed it. However, I wouldn’t say that I was given any particular training other than from team members on the job.

I would really like to continue with EY on the grad scheme, but I have requested London rather than Newcastle simply because I prefer it as a city, and audit requires a lot of travelling to client sites so as a non-driver I am dependent on a good public transport system.

There was a summer social with the whole firm, and a buddy social between the interns and the first year grads. I wouldn’t say that a the summer social was particularly welcoming as the interns struggled to intergeate with the staff; it did feel a bit cliquey at times. Also the buddy social would have been a lot more comfortable had it not been a dry event.

The Newcastle area is reasonably cheap in terms of drinking, and lunches which meant that interns could form good relationships without breaking the bank. I lived at home with my parents so I can’t comment on rent, but having gone to uni in London it was nice to break out into a smaller and cheaper city for a while.

I was based in Newcastle which is obviously live.

I learned towards the end of the internship that there was a department netball team which I would have liked to have joined but we were never told about it (perhaps because the office induction for 3 female interns and 1 male intern was hosted by two males?). We were informed of all the networks for women, LGBTQ etc which was nice.