People Advisory Services: Mobility Review

EY provided an internship that was well organised, and enabled the interns to get stuck in with whichever team we were allocated to that week. I met some fantastic people- both employees and fellow interns who made my experience incredible. The internship provided a way of gaining an insight into working in one of the 'Big 4' that would not have been possible without an extended period of immersion in the office environment. I would highly recommend applying to anyone considering a career in professional services.

All the colleagues were very down to earth, and willing to spend a long period of time explaining the work they were doing, as well as finding you tasks to do which would deepen your knowledge about the job. The internship enabled me to feel as if I had genuinely helped them out, and they did everything possible to ensure like you felt a part of the team you were on.

At EY you are allocated both a counsellor and a buddy. The counsellor helps you to set goals for your internship and is a point of contact for any questions throughout. Alongside this, you are given a buddy who tends to be a new employee, or someone on the graduate scheme. My buddy took me for coffees and lunch and was a friendly face who put me completely at ease. Each colleague you have worked with will then provide you with written feedback, this is then reviewed with your counsellor, and is a great opportunity to be praised for what you have done, and receive constructive pieces of advice for the future.

How busy you are is dependent on the team that you are in, as well as a day-to-day basis. As my internship was in tax, and I was undertaking a summer placement, my experience was not around the end of the tax year, and was therefore not their busiest time. However, this was advantageous as it meant that colleagues had more time to explain the work they were doing. Some days however, there were a number of meetings as well as a number of deadlines to meet for clients, and therefore a lot to be getting on with. They also provided us with an intern project and presentation, this meant that when there was less to do in regards to the team I was on, there was plenty to do in relation to the project.

Often the work that was carried out was alongside one of the colleagues on the graduate programme, which meant that you become a helping hand to them. It was also very much dependent on the team- in some teams you were handed a piece of work that would only be quickly checked over before being sent to the client, therefore entailed a lot of responsibility to adhere to detail.

My time at EY has developed a number of skills that will be highly beneficial for my degree. As someone who would not regard themselves as that confident with public speaking, having now given a presentation to Partners within the firm, I can say that my communication skills, and confidence, has improved massively. This is something that will be used within my degree. Furthermore, in all the work that EY does, attention to detail is crucial to ensure the highest quality service to the client; this is also something that will be extremely beneficial within my degree subject and in working life beyond.

EY operates a system of hot-desking, this means that you are always sat next to different people, or are working with different colleagues within the office. It also facilitates an atmosphere of collaboration, and means that it is easy to walk over and ask someone for help or clarification where needed.

The internship was extremely well organised. The first two days are induction days, which is a brilliant opportunity to meet fellow interns- not just from your department, but the rest of your office and for me, the other office in London. I made great friends with these people as we were all in the same boat, and we met up several times a week for drinks and a catch up. At the end of the internship there is a 'round-up' day bringing all these people back together- by this point everyone knows each other pretty well, and it was a great conclusion to the experience.

On the EY internship, if you impress your colleagues, you have the potential of being offered a place as a graduate. Therefore it is in both your interests to excel in the internship, in order to showcase what your skills are, as well as gain an insight into the role you could be performing if successful. Therefore the training that you receive is with the view of a potential job offer.

If you impress your colleagues, then there is the potential of being offered a graduate position with EY. This is hugely motivational during your internship. EY also offers excellent opportunities in terms of progression through the firm, which high future prospects. Working for such a big firm such as EY comes with a number of perks, such as working from home, a large holiday allowance, as well as their support structure through counsellors internally.

The first two days of the internship involved induction days, this was a brilliant opportunity to meet not only fellow interns from your office, but also interns from other offices around the UK. In my experience we formed great friendships with people across the two London offices- we met with these people several times a week for drinks and dinners, and I will remain in touch with these people.

Living in London is of course not cheap, however as the internship was only 4 weeks long, I was able to stay with friends and family who lived nearby. Furthermore, the transport in London is so good that even staying on the outskirts was possible to commute in. EY also provide you with a good wage for your month's experience; this is a great perk and means that the cost of socialising is certainly not too much.

We were situated in Canary Wharf, which has a number of great bars and restaurants for after work. Being in Canary Wharf also means that you are so close to the centre of London which is easy to get to by tube or uber, therefore provided a great setting for socialising both within your office and with interns from other offices also.

EY provide a subsidy for gyms and restaurants in your area, but they also provide activities such as pilates and yoga within the office also. Our graduates also put on drinks events, and took us for lunch, which was a great opportunity to network with colleagues at all levels within EY.