Tax intern Review

EY did a great job in making the internship virtual at short notice. I feel that I had the chance to understand the company's culture well, and network effectively, despite the internship being virtual. The recruitment team and speakers (people who work in EY) were all lovely and very helpful.

Everyone, from my buddy (a second year graduate) to senior partners were very helpful and friendly. They provided great constructive feedback on group presentations and were not harsh, although their attitudes, of promoting efficiency and hard work, were impressed upon me.

Lots - all questions (about the graduate scheme), which I had heading into the internship, were answered. The speakers were eager to answer all questions and seemed to appreciate questions as a sign of interns' enthusiasm.

A session on mindfulness, and another from health EY, were very helpful for learning how to switch off after the stress of work. Richie's session on presentation and speaking skills was especially brilliant, as he used examples throughout for all his tips. I think speaking to larger audiences is a weak skill for many people, so he did very well to come across as relatable and helpful. My buddy and mentor for the group task were also lovely and willing to go into lots of detail for any questions or problems faced.

Except for expected occasional technology issues, the internship was very well organised. The only organisational problem was that sometimes my mentor had been assigned to meetings during time she was allocated to helping my group task, but that was not a huge deal and we had access to her for plenty enough time.

Everyone was very enthusiastic and ready to participate and interact in group activities. All staff involved added life to their talks and just seemed like genuinely nice people.

In terms of soft skills, very much, such as the mindfulness, team trust building and presentation skills workshops. We didn't learn very much in the way of technical knowledge, but that was to be expected considering that the internship was modified at short notice to a virtual one, and we were not in an office where we were hearing jargon and shadowing employees.

The commuting part of the experience was obviously lacking! But I think that I got a great feel for the company's culture and a very clear roadmap of progression, day to day work, exam timings, etc. was provided.

Very much so, I believe - however, I think I would need to be in the office to completely experience the true culture. The speakers and my buddy and mentor were all very willing to talk about their experiences working at EY.

I had a view of accountancy and finance as boring and excessively stressful, even if it was well paid. This internship showed me that that is not true - no one at EY was cliquey or elitist, and no one (not even senior partners) sounded like they had given up on life or like they resented their job. The idea of 'building a better working world' and 'building relationships based on doing the right thing' was heavily impressed upon me, not through words necessarily but through everyone's attitudes and the advertisement of extracurricular activities EY provides.

On the original contract, a notional yearly salary is stipulated. I will be paid after the internship.

The group task was a good way to meet others, since virtual internships make networking with strangers a bit more difficult! Speakers who work in the firm gave out their email and phone number and even were happy to connect on Linkedin! Other interns did very well to take the initiative and set up a Linkedin group for the cohort and even organise drinks in person for after the internship.

We spent an hour or more each day with our group, with whom we were doing research on a case study. This gave me the chance to meet five others. As previously said, other interns took the initiative and made their own Linkedin groups for the cohort, which was great.

There are seemingly infinite networks and societies at EY, so there will be something for everyone. The Health Studio in the office is also great. Secondments to other companies, offices or countries are also a great opportunity which EY offers.

Definitely! You get to meet others and simulate a working environment through the case study group, hear people from all stages of the career ladder speak, and everyone is so friendly. All that, while getting paid!