Summer Internship Programme Review

I really enjoyed my placement, I got really involved with the work over the 6 weeks and learned so much and confirmed my ambition to find a career in accounting.

I was on a small team of only three of us performing an audit at the client site and I have kept in touch with my manager. I know he has already requested me on his clients next year if I return for my graduate job depending on my degree. The feedback I received boosted my confidence so much and it was great to be included like another colleague, rather than just an intern.

I felt so comfortable asking for help from my manager and he put me at ease straight away, reminding me that everyone else has been in my position and never criticising me asking simple questions. EY give each intern a 'counsellor' to provide support away from their immediate working team and this was really beneficial to me in making sure I was getting the most out of my time there.

Since I was in a small team I was able to complete lots of the interim procedures and I had just enough work. I was asked to work late most nights, my latest night was 8:30/9pm but for me this was fine because I felt more involved and would have felt guilty leaving before the target work for that day was completed.

I was given responsibility according to how much my confidence improved. My manager was great in recognising what I was and wasn't comfortable with and after three weeks of the internship I was approaching the client personally with problems and given a substantial amount of responsibility on the work we were performing. I think I was lucky as I was working with the same manager for the entire six weeks therefore he was able to increase my responsibility according to my performance.

The networking skills are very important in my degree and beyond as I am more confident and keen to develop relationships, especially in a professional situation and it's important to recognise that the other interns will be a vital part of your network as they're your colleagues of the future. It was also good to experience adapting theory to practice, something which degree courses tend to lack.

I was based on the client site for most of the six months and the atmosphere was great. The social side of the internship was also fantastic, I was socialising most evenings after work and even met my boyfriend there!

The internship was set up extremely well, I felt that there was a constant stream of support from the internship organisers and this was constant throughout. The socials were organised very well and were great and the CSR day was very fun getting involved with the local community.

I think that the firm balanced the necessary training and development with the recognition that we were only in the firm for six weeks. We were asked to complete online training courses at the beginning on client protection etc. I think most of the personal training and development fell to my manager as he was teaching me on the job day to day.

I was offered a graduate job which I have accepted.

As previously said I was out with other interns most nights and have kept in touch with lots of them. I met my boyfriend there which was brilliant! The social side of it was definitely one of the best parts and its great to know I will be returning to the firm having already made great friends.

I lived at home because it was too expensive to rent in London and the travel was very expensive. Socialising was also really expensive since it was London but that is offset by the higher salary paid in London than in regional offices.

The nightlife in London is great the only annoying thing was remembering to get the last train home as my family home isn't in on the tube lines!

There were many opportunities such as volunteering with the firm, social events organised by staff and other interns, I had a partner breakfast one day and networks similar to societies at uni such as volleyball, lots of sports networks, a women's network which I joined.