Summer Internshipp Review

I loved the virtual internship. We were exceptionally lucky that Ernst & Young were able to provide this internship under such short notice due to COVID-19. So many different aspects of the company were included and despite everything being online I felt so included by the staff and everyone was constantly encouraged to ask questions. The internship was really helpful in explaining the different accountancy exams and giving useful tips and tricks that you could use even if you didn't go into financing, such as meditation and presenting skills.

I felt very valued during this internship. EY managed to tailor it so that even though we were all online and not seeing people in an office environment you still felt like you were involved in a professional environment. Also having time with mentors in smaller groups of 6 really allowed us to connect with staff from the company and ask questions. The staff also answered nearly all of the questions we had making us feel like our participation and willingness to learn was extremely valuable to them.

The support was amazing!! As this was virtual there were times where the links that were sent out didn't work (despite working the pervious day) but the student recruitment team were always immediately on it and got the problem sorted very quickly. The use of having groups with mentors was really supportive as it allowed us to ask questions in smaller groups about aspects of finance that you didn't understand. It was also really great for anyone nervous to speak in the main call that had 200+ interns. Also the staff allowed us to connect with them on Linkedin, and actively encouraged it, for us to ask them any questions about EY and the assignments we had.

I definitely developed my skills in presenting after we had a seminar on it. This will aid my in my degree studies as I have to give a lot of presentations and be able to do it with conviction. Also we had a session on mindfulness which was exceptionally helpful in keeping me relaxed and I will definitely use it when I need to clear my head during the middle of the exam period next year!

I thought the virtual experience was really well structured as we had the same working hours each day. We also had most of the information heavy sessions in the morning which I really enjoyed and then always had a session in the afternoon to work with our groups at the end of the day on our case-study. I felt this was really effective as it allowed us to use any extra knowledge/research we had gained during the day and apply it to our case study

It was so fun! I cannot believe how quickly the time passed when I was engaging in it! All of the staff, speakers and presenters were fully of energy and kept us constantly engaged. It was also a very supportive atmosphere, answering any questions we had- even if they were very simple ones. I felt was in a very happy and inclusive environment as we met so many different people in the company that ranged from all levels!

There definitely was some training, however as the internship was cut down to a week due to COVID the company was not able to give us as much training in financial matters as I think they would have liked. However on the side of development we had loads of exceptionally helpful sessions that ranged from developing high potential teams, to presenting, to how we can develop outsells further when if we joined the company and the session on mindfulness. So whilst there was not much training I don't believe that's the fault of the company, more the time restraints and major restructuring that had to occur due to COVID. Cannot fault the development session though!

I have a very deep level of understanding of what it would be like to work with EY if I joined. We were able to have question and answer sessions with so many different members of staff from offices all over the UK and Channel Islands. We got to meet partners all the way down to graduates who joined last year. Each person was so inspiring. Furthermore, we had sessions on the societies the company offered and its range of diversity was amazing! We also got a clear understanding of what the expectations were for graduates joining the company,.

EY is very much a people company. From the get go we were introduced to all the different schemes the company has to further develop its staff. The company offers a wide range of networks for people with similar interests and actively encourages its staff to join these. To me it showed that this company really cares about it's employees and wants them to have a social life within work and to better themselves as much as they can whilst working.

This was very valuable in helping me decide my career. It showed me that there are so many more options that I had realised and that I don't need to be feel held back by the fact that I do not have any background in financial education. In addition, the content introduced me to a range of financial career paths that I did not know existed or was available to me prior. It has definitely shown me that I could have a career in finance

We were constantly being introduced to member of staff from a wide range of backgrounds and levels in the company. My LinkedIn profile has greatly benefitted from this experience!! We met partners, mangers, graduates and everything in-between. The networking was really fun and the ability to ask high-level members of the company questions was daunting but an invaluable experience for me. I have definitely met connections that will be so vital for my career in the future

There were no events to meet people in person due to COVID but the panels we did have to meet employees and to network was really fun and invaluable. We also had the opportunity to ask questions to partners one on one as we were given emails and LinkedIn profiles so. that was also a really good networking opportunity.

Definitely! There are loads of networks that employees can join that range from exercise clubs, charity planners and events and networks that include a massive range of diversity. Furthermore, we learnt about the EY foundation that is a charity that employees can get involved in to help disadvantedged students who are on the free school meal scheme to help them gain employability skills and give them the opportunity to thrive. Employees can get involved in this by offering to be a mentor or help plan the events

I would definitely recommend this experience. Ernst & Young have so welcoming and help people from a wide range of education background get a really good feel of the roles in finance that we can graduate into. It is so much fun and you never feel like you are on your own, even though it is virtual. You gain so many skills and an amazing opportunity to see what it is like to work in a professional working environment.