Leading Women Internship, Assurance Review

I enjoyed the insight to a good extent. EY planned a very activity and information packed week in which I learned a lot about the assurance line of work. They were very helpful and inclusive, and allowed me to experience exactly what that line of work is like in the real world through activities such as visiting client side offices and sitting in on important meetings.

During my time here I felt very valued right away. I was given access to all of the office as well as given laptop and EY account allowing me to explore the EY system. Allowing me to sit in on meetings, and speaking to he recruitment teams also increased my feelings of value due to the fact that it really showed me that the company was putting in effort for me to have an informative and enjoyable week.

Throughout my placement here I was actively encouraged to engage and ask questions, with the insistence that no question was a silly one, enabling me to receive full guidance on anything I was unsure about. They also gave me a buddy who was there to help me completely throughout the week with my activities and advise me on any questions I had, demonstrating a high level of support.

One of the main skills I developed was networking, which I believe will be extremely useful in my degree studies and beyond as it is a key life skill that will enable you to make the most of your connections as and when you need them in both the real, and professional world.

The insight was very well structured. I got a schedule on my laptop demonstrating all of my appointments and shadowing periods over the week, as well as showing me where they were. I had appointments structured in many different areas, such as some with the leading women team and some with partners or seniors.

During my insight the atmosphere was generally pleasant. As expected it was busy, that’s just the London atmosphere, however no one was ever too busy to help or talk to me making the environment of which I was working extremely nice. This was the same for both the London office, and client side offices.

The firm had given me a journal allowing me to track my skill development throughout the week, as well as allowing me to track any questions I had so that I could ask for answers from the appropriate person. This demonstrated them investing in me as they wanted me to be sure of my personal progress throughout the week.

The insight definitely showed me to a good extent what a full time role with the company would be like. It did this through activities such as allowing me to talk to a first year grad student working there, allowing me to see what my life could be like if I worked here in a few years time.

It allowed me to understand the company culture very well through my many interactions with people who worked there and spoke about it in general. Also, in the first introduction phone call I was told of the company values and ethics, demonstrating the values that they believe in as a company.

It was very valuable. It showed me the life I could live, helping me to judge whether or not this is something that I might like to do in the future. Again, this was aided by the opportunity for us to ask questions, thus allowing me to establish whether or not this would be a good career path for me.

I was paid for my time at this company by the hour, however was not reimbursed travel fairs. The travel was expensive, and included not only the train to and from the internship, but also the tubes in London during the day as I visited client offices. The pay was much appreciated.

There were lots of opportunities for us to network through out the week as I ey many employees at many levels. Networking was actively encouraged with the LinkedIn challenge where we were asked to make connections with as many people as we could. Everyone was friendly and willing to connect with me, so it was quite successful.

The week was not dedicated a social event for the London interns, however we organised one ourself. Alternatively, I was allowed to attend a family lunch with many employees at EY, as well as being taken to lunch with my buddy which was a very nice touch, and was greatly appreciated.

I found out a lot about the EY network and foundation and womens network. Out of work activities seem to be a big part of the EY culture, and it seems to be encouraged to get involved as an employee. They ran many charitable initiatives, as well as having many socials for employees.

I would absolutely reccomend this insight to a friend, or anyone in a similar position to myself who would like to find out more about EY as a company. I learned a lot, and it was a very useful week to have undertaken. I am very glad I participated and would recommend it to anyone who is curious.