Assurance Associate Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my year at EY, the social side of this placement both with my work teams and other placement students meant that I enjoyed the year as a whole. This did vary through the year as at times I was too busy, hence not enjoying it so much and other times I had many social events and a smaller workload which meant I was really enjoying the job. These times outweighed the times where I did not enjoy the placement.

I felt valued by the majority of my teams and colleagues. Some teams where I was not working with them for long or had no continuity on that client, I felt less valued and did more basic work, however when working with my main team which took up approximately 70% of my year, I felt appreciated as a member of the team. I was treated immediately as no different to a graduate and was thanked for completing even the smallest of tasks.

Placement support was excellent. We had a dedicated placement co-ordinator who looked after all year long placement students from getting the offer to leaving and beyond. She was consistently helpful with advice and solving any issues. We also had a counsellor who provided support in our role, this was someone more senior in our department, They were able to help with the more formal aspects of the job and when we needed assistance for example if I had been unhappy in a team or on a client. Furthermore, the buddy system was in place to provide informal support throughout the year.

This varied dramatically throughout the year depending on deadlines and what job I was booked on to. I was more often quite busy, but did have a couple of weeks in the year with little to do. Conversely, I had the busy season period of 6-8 weeks where I was very busy, building to the final two weeks where I did not have a day off. This however was a one off, and we were rewarded for the additional time spent at work.

The amount of responsibility I was given increased during the year as I understood the work better. On the whole I was given a lot of responsibility for managing the audit and reviews of statutory accounts and for managing my own work. At first, I was given responsibility for a small task, which I would then report on to a senior, I then was given responsibility for an account or number of accounts to complete. I was also encouraged to talk to the client from the start of my placement, with all teams trusting me to discuss issues with the client alone (though supported if I wanted it!).

The skills I have gained during this year will really assist with the final year of university, as I gained both accounting knowledge and soft skills such as organisation, teamwork and time management. The skills will also be vital in any job in the future as I learnt how to work with new people and work in a professional environment.

The atmosphere in the office was very social on the whole. However, I spent 70% of my time at client sites. The atmosphere here depended on the client and the team. My experience however, was always positive, friendly and supportive atmosphere.

The placement was very well organised with social activities, inductions and support networks all provided to you and a clear idea of what was expected of you.

The firm paid for me to go to college and complete the first two of my ACA exams. Furthermore, I received a weeks residential training at the start and an additional 5 training days relating to audit skills and soft skills. I also had access to a variety of training materials online and was encouraged to book time to complete these.

The future employment prospects are very appealing at EY. It is clear what you would be doing if you were to come back, and on the whole will be welcomed back if you wish. There is also the chance to come back in a different office or service sector if you can put forward a case as to why you may want this.

The social scene amongst the placement students was very active with events occurring at least every few weeks. Some of these were informal events, where they were self organised. Others were backed by EY and we were given a budget.

I lived in London, so it was quite expensive to live. I paid £650 in rent plus £80 a month on a travel card. However, the pay is enough to cover this and sensible living costs.

London had a great nightlife! Lots of variety, can never run out of things to do. there is also plenty of bars right by the office for post work drinks.

Yes, there are many sports and social clubs both through EY and in the local area that can be joined.