Leading Women Intern Assurance Review

The week on the Leading Women's Programme was a great opportunity to experience what it is like to work in the Assurance department, as well as experiencing the working culture at EY. I really enjoyed working for EY as a business and I think their environment is extremely welcoming and friendly. I enjoyed getting an insight into what it would be like to get a job in assurance.

During this time I was mainly shadowing managers at their meetings with colleagues or clients. I was also given tasks to undertake by my buddy, but of course due to lack of experience, I was unable to be given a significant amount of responsibility. However, I was treated with respect by all the managers and employees, who were always willing to answer questions and to help me with any queries.

Whilst shadowing senior managers, they were always willing to answer any questions that I had and to try to keep me up to date with their current projects. My buddy would give me tasks to do and would work alongside me and was always happy to guide me and answer any questions that I might've had.

I think the main thing I learned from this week is the importance of speaking up and being keen to connect with other professionals. I think this is a key skill to learn more and to also increase your network size to have more opportunities. It has also increased my confidence to approach more senior members who were always willing to share their knowledge and educate me on their current projects.

Everyday there was something different to do, and my buddy always kept me updated with the plan for the day, whether it be shadowing a meeting or attending a client site. Although throughout the day sometimes additional meetings would get added, or plans would change, it was very organised using an online calendar to keep everyone updated. I would say that maybe in advance a few more tasks could've been set aside, as there were times where my buddy had little for me to do, so I had to approach other managers and ask them if they had tasks for me to complete.

Everyone was so friendly, not only the managers, but also the other interns. I think that the welcoming atmosphere at EY and the working environment is what appeals most to be. The offices are warm and friendly, and the office atmosphere is extremely relaxed, with a hot desk system where people rotate where they sit and there are many areas to sit and chat with colleagues.

Although one week is too short a time to receive any significant training, I think EY took steps in order to invest in my development. They sent web seminars to improve soft skills, whilst the buddy system meant that you always had someone to show you your tasks and what to do. We also had tasks throughout the week, including an efficiency optimiser test, which definitely helped with personal development.

This was one thing that really impressed me about the insight. We were treated with respect and allowed to attend current client meetings and project insight meetings, to get a real taste of a day in the life of an auditor. We were given laptops to use and allowed to sit in the office with the rest of the team, which made me feel very involved. As we visited the firm during down season I think we didn't quite get the full picture of how stressful the work can be during peak season.

The leading women programme showed me how much EY are investing in increasing the diversity of their workforce. I have also learned that there are societies for the LGBTQ community and also for lots of different races, as they are trying to increase diversity. I have seen that the company strive to have a diverse and friendly workplace.

It was useful to see a day in the life of an auditor, but I think it was still hard to get the full picture in only one week. Also, seeing as we were given limited tasks and responsibilities, I would've like to see more range of the jobs I would potentially have if I were to work in the department.

Yes, we were paid well for the week, which was enough to cover expenses for travel and accommodation in London, whilst having a bit left over at the end as well. We also had a lunch one day with our buddy and supervisor, which was paid for by EY. There is also lots of free tea and coffee in the office, and the canteen offers cheap food.

Through this week I made many connections within the firm by being proactive and friendly and introducing myself at any opportunity. I think showing interest in what the other workers are doing can broaden your horizons. You have to make an effort to connect with the employees, but once you do they were very friendly and willing to talk.

There wasn't any arranged social events with the other interns, but between ourselves we planned an evening meeting to talk about our week. Again, with employees there wasn't anything planned but there was lots of opportunity, if you're proactive and approach people yourself, asking for their email or linkedin. My buddy was very helpful in introducing me to a wide range of people.

Some of the girls I was working alongside mentioned at one point that they have socials occasionally and that they are well budgeted by EY. However, it varies between departments as it seemed like other sectors had more frequent and better funded socials than they had in Assurance. However, it seems like EY invests time and money into maintaining a good environment and lifestyle within the company.

I really enjoyed this week and would definitely recommend it to a friend. It gave me a great opportunity to see what it's like to work at EY and to start to get an idea of what it's like to work in assurance. However, I think if you want to be really involved in the department and to learn lots, the longer internship would be more beneficial.