UKI Assurance Summer Intern Review

I really enjoyed the virtual experience. I found out a lot about EY and the area of Assurance which beforehand I did not know much detail about. The people at EY were very friendly and helpful. They gave excellent answers to questions and were happy to field all questions no matter how big or small. The programme was interesting and diverse and gave us a really good insight into what it is actually like to work at EY.

Although the EY internship was online I felt very valued by everyone at EY. The staff were all very friendly and gave us multiple opportunities to ask questions about both the business and their personal career. We were given the opportunity to present to Partners about our projects which is an incredible opportunity for a summer intern. They gave us detailed feedback on our work and took a real interest in what we had said.

We received excellent guidance on all tasks. We we given clear instructions at all times. The event was well structured and we always knew where we were supposed to be. If we were unsure of anything EY staff were always willing to answer any questions I had, no matter how big or small. They were also very quick to aid with any technical support required if you were unable to join meetings for whatever reason.

During my EY virtual internship I developed many skills. We learned some excellent presentation skills including how to better engage audiences and deal with nerves. During our group projects, I developed my teamwork skills especially virtual skills in this area as we were forced to collaborate with new people who we had never met face to face. Other skills we were taught were time management and mindfulness skills and I can use these skills at university.

The event was well structured and we always knew where we were supposed to be. We were given excellent instructions on which meetings to join at which times and we were given very clear agendas before each day telling us what we would be doing. All presenters gave well structured presentations with clear objectives that they wanted us to take away from their session. They also gave us multiple opportunities to ask questions as well.

The people I met on the internship were very friendly, always willing to answer any questions I had, no matter how big or small. The group I was assigned for my group project were all very nice and I felt like I built up a very good relationship with them over the week. Was nice to see that when asked, most responses were positive when we were asked how we were feeling multiple times on the internship.

We were given multiple learning and development talks from different speakers during the week. We were given one on presentation skills and how to make presentations smoother but also more engaging. Also, we were given a mindfulness session on how to release stress through meditation. We were also given sessions on how to improve time management skills and the keys to being part of a High Performing Team (HPT). All sessions were interactive and engaging.

The virtual internship was excellent in helping me to understand what working at EY would be like. They told us a lot about the job but also what extras you get when working with EY such as societies and perks. We were also given a lot of information about the service line of Assurance at EY in particular and what the day to day is like working in this area. Also, what the opportunity for travel is like.

The internship started off by going through the key values of EY and how they operate. There was a large focus on their motto of "Building a Better Working World" which to me meant doing things to a high standard with the right intentions. We were also told a lot about the culture of the firm by speaking to current EY staff who showed real enthusiasm about their work but were also extremely friendly and helpful.

The content was excellent in helping me to decide my future career path because although we were not in the office, I felt like I got areal insight into the world of professional services and in particular the area of assurance. The talks were very informative and the project was hands on so gave us a real understanding of what the work in this field would entail. It has really made me think that this would be a career that I would be interested in.

We were paid for the internship but no expenses as it was carried out from home

There were multiple opportunities for networking throughout the internship and I got lots of new links on Linkedin. We got to hear from so many EY staff who do different things and they were all happy for us to send them any queries we might have had about what they were saying. On the group project, we had the opportunity to network and work with other interns but also a buddy who had recently joined EY.

The social was difficult in Covid-19 but there were multiple opportunities for networking throughout the internship and I got lots of new links on Linkedin. We got to hear from so many EY staff who do different things and they were all happy for us to send them any queries we might have had about what they were saying. On the group project, we had the opportunity to network and work with other interns but also a buddy who had recently joined EY.

Yes we heard about lots of EY societies and groups that are available to all employees. We heard from people from different faith groups and also people from the LGBTQ+ society. These really showed us how diverse a company EY is. EY employees told us about office socials and parties that take place throughout the year that in the past have included activities such as go karting and bowling. We also heard about virtual socials that have been taking place due to Covid-19.

Yes