Tax Summer Internship Review

I found this internship very insightful having come from a science background and no prior experience in accountancy I thought the week offered a good look into what life would be like at EY. Would really recommend to anyone wanting to gain experience and looking to learn if EY/accountancy is a career path they're interested in following.

The week held sessions in smaller groups where you would participate in more practical work where you really got a feel for what you might be doing if you decided to work for EY. Also had a buddy session with someone in your service line in the department you would be working in which was packed with lots of useful information and made me feel very welcome in the company.

During our week's experience, we worked in smaller groups on a case study to get a feel for what working at EY would be like. During this, in some of the sessions, a mentor was present to help guide and direct us if we were stuck making the overall experience very enjoyable and I definitely learnt a lot. The recruitment team are also always on hand if you are stuck with anything or to answer any questions.

Despite studying a degree different from accountancy/economics I still feel I benefited from this scheme and have learnt lots of valuable takeaway skills. Particularly the question on how to present effectively and answer questions on the spot I am sure will be helpful next year in my degree for the viva I will undertake at the end of the year.

Throughout the week each day was clearly structured and jam-packed with lots of activities and guest speakers etc. I feel it made the most of the time available but never felt strenuous and allowed ample amounts of coffee breaks and time for lunch throughout. Overall very well structured and organised.

The team facilitating the experience were super positive and provided a great atmosphere. I always felted welcomed throughout the experience both in the smaller groups and larger group activities. The guest speakers too brought an energetic and positive atmosphere to the group and always spoke passionately about their topics and EY.

Personally I felt EY strongly invested in the interns throughout this experience. The week definitely had a feel of introducing us to the company, giving us the experience of what work we would be doing and lots of information about the companies ethics and what it can offer their employees. I feel like I definitely learnt a lot from this experience.

In these challenging circumstances, I think it was harder to facilitate the environment for real-life work experience. We had regular case study work each day which was intended to demonstrate what work we might be doing should we go on to work at EY but personally I would have preferred more of this.

Throughout the week there was plenty of talked and presentation on EY as a company and the culture within the company. I found these very insightful and helpful to understand EY's ethos and what it might be like to work as part of that company. I particularly enjoyed the talks on EY's networks including the talk on EY's women network.

This experience definitely has helped me in my decisions on which industry to pursue potential careers in. It offered a wide range of information about EY as a company and what it can offer its employees but also an opportunity to gain experience on the type of work you might be doing should you go on to work at EY.

In the week we had several opportunities to meet employees of the firm. I particularly enjoyed the buddy session where I had a one to one meeting with an employee in the service line I applied in where I could ask her any questions about the firm or the work she does. I found this very helpful and welcoming and a real insight into life at EY.