Summer Intern Review

My placement was an enjoyable experience; I was given a range of different tasks to do that meant I got to work with a range of different colleagues at different levels. The most enjoyable aspect of my placement was probably sitting in on meetings as they gave a great insight into my service line.

My colleagues were extremely welcoming and when I was given work the colleague who gave me it was very appreciative. Also, I was given very constructive and positive feedback from the colleagues who gave me work which helped me to improve the work I did after I received the feedback.

My internship was very good for providing me with the opportunity to shadow a Partner in my office; I spent half a day with one Partner, during which I sat in on meetings which was very interesting. I also got the opportunity to go to lunch with the aforementioned Partner and another Partner in the office; this was invaluable as I got a real insight into what working at EY was like from people who truly knew the business.

As it was not a busy season in my office, I often struggled with not having anything to do. However, my counselor would always be looking for work for me and when I asked around the office, I was often able to find a task to do. Once I was booked on an engagement I had plenty of work to do, however, before this, there were times when I had nothing, which was somewhat frustrating.

My placement helped me to develop my computer skills, such as using Excel and the shortcuts that make it easier to navigate/use, which will undoubtedly be useful for the rest of my degree. In addition, the internship really helped me to enhance my people skills as I came into contact with so many new people, whether that be clients, colleagues or fellow interns.

The general atmosphere of my office was very relaxed and welcoming. The people there were all very kind to me when I first started and were happy to answer my questions, no matter how small or silly they seemed. As the atmosphere was relaxed and everyone there was friendly it made it much easier to settle in and talk to people, despite being nervous.

The timeline of my placement was very well organised; we had a two day induction that set out everything we should expect and hope to get out of the placement. My counselor was very well organised and had multiple meetings with me to check my progress. The only thing I would say was that I was not booked on an engagement for three out of four weeks of my internship, meaning I was mostly doing small tasks here and there.

My internship is part of a scholarship run alongside my university, therefore, I have a year-long placement with EY starting next summer. From my internship experience, I am looking forward to going back next year when I can really get stuck into audit and see the whole process from start to finish.

During my placement there were no social events in my office unfortunately; however, at our induction and final event there were social events with my fellow interns. We went to a ping pong bar and bowling place which was great and it was good to catch up with interns who had been in different offices.

As I was based in Manchester the cost of living was not super high; I study in Lancaster so I stayed in my house there but commuting was not too expensive. Eating in Manchester is not very expensive as there are lots of places near the office for lunch and after work drinks.

At our induction we were made aware of lots of groups within EY that you could get involved in; within my office specifically, they ran a fantasy football team. Although these opportunities were advertised at our induction, I heard no more about these when I actually started work, however, I was only there for a short time.