Assurance Intern Review

Being given "proper work" was a big surprise to me. It was really good to be entrusted with tasks that actually affected the client/the audit process. Whilst the work was challenging, I felt I developed a good understanding of it and could explain what I was doing well. I think the work will become more interesting if I receive an offer and eventually become qualified.

I was very surprised by how welcoming people were and how willing they were to help. I feel the same could be said for established members of staff and other interns. The level of trust I was given whilst carrying out my work was a big confidence boost and it was great to see my managers had so much faith in me.

Whilst every one was very willing to help, very few people actually had the time to. I think it would have made sense if a senior had been given some time away from their own focuses and could actually teach us about what to do and why we were doing it.

After the first week I was definitely kept busy. I spent a lot of time on client site, particularly since we were doing half year reviews. I couldn't comment on what other interns did though, as I was generally the only intern on site. Since half year I have noticed a drop in work levels but because I have developed relationships with seniors etc I was simply able to go around and offer assistance.

I was very surprised at the levels of responsibility I was given. The spreadsheets I was producing were used in meetings with clients and I had a hand in producing the full annual report for the client - which is freely available online. Even recently I have been allowed to go to client site by myself, since I am collaborating with a team in Manchester, but the client HQ is based nearer me.

My degree is very different to this field. However, additional Excel skills never go amiss and the personal development involved meeting new people, writing emails etc will all contribute to my studies in one way or another. However, I do feel the programme was a good insight to life at the company.

It was a very busy time of year when I joined and you could tell there was a lot of deadline pressure. However, every one was in high spirits and it did not feel like an office as such. Client site was a bit different at the start and took some getting used to - it would have been better if other interns had been there with me.

Once we worked more together my managers were much better equipped to give me work that I would be able to carry out. I didn't feel they had much knowledge of the internship and my own background (studies etc) - they seemed surprised when I told them I didn't study accounting/finance. I think it's important to remember that the people looking after the interns still have their own work to do and so that can leave you waiting for them to finish. It would have made sense for them to have a couple of days freed up.

It's clear that EY have full confidence in their interns before they even start working. I get the feeling that they wanted to keep a hold of me before I even started. This is really nice as it removes the stress of thinking about offers/how I'm doing. Counsellor meetings are very useful and reassuring.

It's clear that EY offer many opportunities for their staff and genuinely seem to care about their development. I'm very keen to work and travel whilst doing so and it is clear that I will be supported in pursuing this. The opportunity for progression and promotion is clear and I feel I could have a successful career here.

The interns in the office were fantastic, down to Earth people (and the same could be said for the other staff). The Social Committee on the office do some great work and they have come up with some fantastic ideas. It's also been very easy to integrate into the team and meet up outside of work.

I'm very lucky and study in the city that I'm working in so that had made life a lot easier.

Again, I live in the city I'm working in and so I know most of the places I like. Being in Edinburgh during the Fringe is also fantastic and I would recommend it to anybody.

Definitely.