Discover EY Women in Assurance Review

I thought the insight day was very informative and I had a good time. I thought the speakers were all very enthusiastic and the content that was covered very valuable. It was great to hear from different types of women in the business, from graduates to partners and their career experiences so far.

Although difficult as the event was held online I still felt like my presence was valued. I was able to communicate via microphone or using the chat function to ask questions, and questions I had sent in before the event were covered. As there were only a relatively small group of us I felt like everyone was valued.

Technical advice was sent out before the event after the decision was made to hold the event virtually. The day itself ran very smoothly and this was due to the programme over-seers organising the event well. Lots of guidance was provided on how to use this experience in the future and what our next steps are in EY.

As the programme was not centred around a manual or technical skill I can not directly use any new skills in my degree. However, it was interesting to hear some statistics on women in the workplace and I will be more likely to read or engage with information around this. I will begin thinking about my “elevator pitch” and how to reduce my “imposter syndrome”.

The content was very well structured with clear breaks and talk finishing/ending times. However the day did run slightly late from the initial timetable we were shown at the beginning, but I expected this. All of the speakers were present in the chat when expected, and surprisingly there were no technical issues that disrupted the day.

Although not able to attend the office the atmosphere between the employees at EY shone through. I really liked how employees interacted with each other, especially as they weren’t in the same locations. Everyone across the team seemed to get on and were happy to speak with us from their homes.

EY wants to invest in the people on this programme. Plenty of advice was given on how to make a good impression during internships or industrial placements (which this opportunity allows a fast track for). The speakers all said they hoped to see us in the business and I believe that EY want us to join them and would be really happy for us to do so.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the event had to be help virtually, unfortunately this meant that the company’s London office couldn’t be explored. However the culture at EY was spoken about lots with emphasis on teams meeting up for social events such as quizzes and the involvement on sports teams/interest groups like the Women’s Nerwork.

The company seems to really push social interactions and team spirit. Lots of emphasis was placed on networking with other interns. EY also seem to champion home working and flexibility and have an understanding of how work may need to fit around other commitments. The diversity and inclusion at EY is prevalent and there are many people working to ensure equal opportunities for all.

There was lots of information on assurance as a service line and the several parts within that: standard audit, IT risk assurance, financial services audit and “UKI” the non-financial audit side. I think that the panellist that spoke about ITRA gave a good insight to her work and although the differences between FS and UKI were explained mire thorough information may have been helpful.

The event is usually held in London, and had I travelled there then my expenses for travel and a hotel (as I live in Edinburgh) would have been reimbursed. However as we could not hold the event in person there was no element of travel so no fees to be reimbursed.

Again, under the difficult situation of hosting the event online we could not meet other participants and it was difficult to network with speakers. However we were able to hear from a wide variety of people, graduates to partners, London based workers and those from around England and Scotland which I really appreciated.

As previously stated there were really no opportunities to network or be social with the other participants. Our screens and microphones were turned off and I don’t know where the other participants came from or study. I would have liked to see the other participants in the group, even if only for a short time to have a networking opportunity. I do understand that this may have caused a distraction however, and may have been hard to implement.

Yes. The firm was very open about the different ways to get involved in the business. There are sports clubs and various networks for all sorts of areas, such as disability or minority employees, employees that hold a certain faith or are military or parents. Socially the firm is active, and teams seem to meet up after work for events.

I definitely would. This opportunity gives a good insight into the assurance service line at EY and gives access to many employees, who share their advice and guidance with you. This opportunity also provides a fast track onto internships or industrial year long placements within the assurance service line which allows you to skip all or most of the application process for these positions.