Assurance Summer Intern Review

Virtual experience had a good mix of upskilling sessions (time management, presentation skills) as well as many opportunities to talk to current EY staff. Additionally the case study, with a presentation to a partner at the end was useful as it meant that we could implement the information that we had learnt over the course of the week, for example presentation skills, as well as service line specific information that was given to us earlier in the week.

While there were occasionally issues with the conferencing software used, the student recruitment team were very proactive in solving any issues, and made sure to reply to any messages/emails that were sent. Additionally there were several sessions focusing on health/diversity and inclusiveness so I got the impression that the values EY publicize are indeed evident at the Firm. Also during the several Q&A sessions with staff members, all talked positively about their experiences at the Firm. Since the staff were all at different levels and offices, it shows that the values are indeed firm wide.

Due to the virtual nature of the programme, the main active participation we got involved in was through asking questions during Q&A sessions, and during 'mentor' sessions when working on the case study. Because of this, there was less guidance/support necessary than would have been needed in an in person internship. However, all the people I interacted with, from student recruitment to senior manager, were very friendly and informative. This meant that when it came to the Q&A sessions or case study, you do get a lot out of it.

Key positives were that the information we received about EY went beyond what was available on the careers website. Additionally being able to ask professions in my chosen line specific questions was very useful as it meant I could improve my service line specific knowledge. However, in the talks there was a large focus on the Firm itself, whereas it would have been more useful to get upskilling sessions on the service line itself (e.g. Assurance - how does an audit work, key issues) as there was only one talk dedicated to it during the week.

There was a clear structure each day, with enough activities/talks to keep the days busy but not so many that you were overwhelmed. However the days had the 'passive' activities (e.g. listening to a talk) in the morning, with the 'active' activities (e.g. working on a case study) in the afternoon. It would have been better to both spend more time on the active part of the experience, and have such activities in the morning, when people are more alert.

Very positive. The staff from EY were very knowledgeable and friendly. While there can be awkwardness when providing virtual experiences, the fact that everyone was so friendly meant that the interns felt more comfortable asking questions/interacting with staff. Additionally, since the recruitment process for the virtual experience was the same as for the normal in person internship, all the other interns were committed to the program and knowledgeable. This also contributed positively to the atmosphere.

The programme focused more on giving the interns information about EY and what it would be like to work at EY. Since there was limited 'work' that interns were required to do, it meant that there was limited upskilling in terms of getting more knowledgeable about out service line. However there were sessions on mindfulness, time management and presenting skills. These sessions were the same sessions that staff at EY have access to so from that point of view EY did invest in training and development.

The structured talks included topics on how studying towards your professional qualifications is blended with work, as well as talks about firm initiatives (e.g. EY networks). While it was useful to learn more about those initiatives, it would have been really useful to hear about the day to day realities (e.g. a 'day in the life' section). I was able to find out this information by asking staff during Q&A sessions, but it would have been more effective to give it a dedicated talk.

There were multiple sessions concerning company culture, diversity initiatives and employee networks. This, combined with being able to informally talk to EY staff meant that we were able to understand the company culture, and what differentiates EY from some of the other Big Four firms. In particular it was useful to talk to new graduates away from seniors or student recruitment so that we were able to hear their honest opinions. Luckily all the graduates had positive things to say.

Yes, there were several Q&A panels with multiple staff members from the firm. Additionally, when were were working on the case study, each group was assigned a 'mentor' who we could ask questions about both the case study, but also the job more generally. There was also a 'buddy' session where we were split into smaller groups with a new graduate. That session was particularly useful as it meant we could ask them questions about being a new joiner.

Yes, there were several talks dedicated to the networking, upskilling and volunteering opportunities available to EY employees. I was aware that internships in multiple service lines were taking place at the same time, but there were efforts made to make sure that all the information given was relevant to the service line and location that the intern had picked. It was also useful to hear about the secondment opportunities within the firm, and hear in more depth how one would go about securing a secondment.