Assurance Interns Review

I found that the event was very well organised and all the team members who organised the event were very passionate about the company. Each session was very valuable and created a great impression of EY. I thought the case study was a great addition and kept us engaged throughout the week. It would have been nice to have a slightly longer slot for our final presentation but I can appreciate the managers and partners had already given up so much of their time!

So many people had been involved in the experience and with each person giving up so much of their time, it really made me feel valued. There was lots of opportunities for Q and As which allowed us to feel that our voice was being heard. I think it might have been more engaging if we were encouraged to have our cameras on, but overall the sessions were well presented. The case study was incredibly detailed and it was clear how much time had been put in to this.

We did receive guidance and support, especially from Laura, Sana, Kasia and Teale and the rest of the team who were on the calls every day. We also had the opportunity to have a call with our buddy which I found extremely insightful although it would have been beneficial to receive their contact details so we could get in touch with them throughout the internship. However, there was always someone on hand to help us out!

Some of the development skills sessions we attended were very useful. Especially the sessions on HTPs and presentation skills. We had many networking opportunities and everyone who we met was willing to connect with us on LinkedIn and answer any further questions we had. We also have been given the opportunity to become an EY ambassador on our uni campus which is something I am extremely interested in and I think it will be a great way to carry EY back into university.

The experience had a very clear timetable and Microsoft teams was really easy to use (after overcoming a few technical hitches!). I definitely would have found it useful to receive the timetable at the beginning of the internship, especially because it wasn't that clear how much allocated time we would have throughout the week to work on our case study. I am not sure why they did this - perhaps it was because the timetable wasn't finalised!

The atmosphere was great and everyone spoke very highly about EY's culture and values. I found the first session with our case study group slightly awkward which was through no fault of the business but to give some feedback on that first session I think a set ice breaker would have been really useful. Also maybe an online forum where we could have communicated outside the internship might have been nice but again, I can appreciate this should have been our own initiative. Also as a last point, I think a forum with all the interns would have been really useful so we could communicate before the programme started so we could begin to network.

The firm invested a lot of time into the interns which I think is the main point here. We heard from so many people across the company at all levels. We also were paid for the weeks work that we did which was greatly appreciated since other companies did not do this and they didn't have to! We were working full time and the team who organised the programme spent the full day on the calls and presentations

I got a great insight into what a role would be like at the firm and we heard from people at every level - from a school leaver to a partner. We were able to ask lots of questions and had many sessions covering the firms values and what assurance would be like. We were talked through day to day life in the office and also what a full career at EY might look like including how promotions work etc.

We had many sessions discussing the culture values of the company and it also shone through in each presentation. I found speaking to the school leavers and graduates particularly useful because it felt like we got a true insight into the culture of the company especially coming through at a graduate level. With knowing that I had a graduate role already, it made me pay close attention to all the sessions and hence I felt that I was able to get a strong understanding of the company's culture.

The content was very valuable. Receiving talks from each level in the bank gave a really clear insight into how career progression may look if you stay at the firm. We heard from a variety of people who have had travel opportunities and secondments which was also very useful. I had already received a job offer before the programme began and all the information given to me made me appreciate that this will be a great place to start a career.

Yes. I thought the networking aspect was good. All staff members were welcoming to adding them on LinkedIn and we were constantly encouraged to engage with people on there. Besides our case study groups, we had limited time to engage with other interns which I think would have been useful, but we definitely had the opportunity to network with people higher in the company. The LinkedIn challenge was a great way to network with people in the company.

We didn't really have any social events due to it being a virtual internship and I think this might have been a good addition. For example, I really enjoyed the quiz held on the last day but I think it might have been more enjoyable if we could have worked in teams for this so we could have an opportunity to meet more interns.

No. As far as I was aware there were no opportunities. Some people met up after the last day but I am not sure how they met and engaged with each other. One of the main opportunities we can engage with is the EY ambassador programme which I would love to get involved with next year during my last year of university. This will be a great activity which brings EY into our various universities.

I would definitely recommend this virtual experience. It was a busy week filled with so many exciting and interesting sessions. It was a great way to decide if EY is the place that I want to work and I felt it gave me a true insight into what a career at the firm may look like. The case study was a great opportunity to put some of the skills into practice and I am looking forward to beginning my career here.