Assurance Intern Review

Worked on an Audit team auditing one client for the duration of my internship. I was in charge of one section of the accounts for the client, with support from my team. We worked on client site frequently, so my daily role was working through my assigned account, speaking with the client on any queries and receiving coaching from my team on the audit process. I also summarised board minutes to further my business understanding.

I have majorly developed my excel skills, as well as gained a completely new understanding of the process of an audit. This included completing accounts workbooks and understanding the different documents used to complete an audit. I used my existing mental mathematics skills, and my organisational skills. This was necessary as I had to complete multiple different workbooks with various different inputs from the client. Finally I learned client-facing skills and communication with team seniors.

Yes, I was given responsibility of an entire account within the audit my team was working on. This led me to produce a piece of work, consisting of several workbooks that were completely mine, after receiving coaching from another team member. The work I did involved a decent level of responsibility as I had to check that certain transactions had been recorded in the correct period, which has consequences for the client's final accounts.

My support was almost perfect. I received coaching at the start of the internship on the work that I would be completing, as well as additional guidance should I request it. The whole team were happy to answer my queries and help me understand parts of the business I was unsure about. The only thing missing was a basic introduction to the audit process and where my work fit in - although I figured this out.

My team was very friendly, and my manager was understanding when I encountered issues. I felt supported and comfortable in my team. There was an expectation to work hard, and we did encounter long days, but the atmosphere was one of collaboration and communication which helped me. I felt comfortable asking any questions to my seniors, and enjoyed getting to know my team on a personal level. The work was hard but expectations were realistic.

I had a great time. We worked hard on client site which was tiring, but the atmosphere in my team and at the wider office was fantastic. People were friendly and I felt comfortable. The events put on by the internship team were great, although my office didn't give us a mid-placement social as there were only 3 interns. I found my work interesting and learned so much about businesses and the audit process.

Yes

See if the culture feels right for you. EY stood out to me immediately in application as a firm not only dedicated to its clients but to its employees too. Be completely yourself and try to let your personality shine in the different stages of application. EY value applicants showing their true selves and their attributes, not someone who is overly formal and stiff, only answering questions how they think EY want them to answer.