Associate Review

I am a an Assurance Associate. This means I am a member of the Financial Services team, providing Audit. My day to day tasks vary greatly, along with my interactions internally and externally. I often have high levels of responsibilities with client work.

Along with doing my ACA qualification, I have been to many internal training courses to help with my role. I have developed many skills such as confidence, time management, resilience. I have learnt a lot in my time at EY.

The work that I perform can be very rewarding, with satisfaction on completed a long project/task. The team is very varied in age which gives a range of social and knowledge levels. It definitely met my expectations, and allows me to enjoy my programme.

Being valued is something that suffers at EY, as generally only staying very long hours gets rewarded. It can be hard to be recognised or rewarded unless you force yourself forward for said recognition. Occasionally, in smaller teams, you can feel much more valued. But I would say overall, there is very little focus on this.

The programme is varied in organisation. Many events are well organised, but we do not find out about them until very late on. This can make it feel unorganised. Things often change rapidly too, such as college dates. In regards to support, there is very good organisation. There are multiple people set to you in order to discuss various issues you may have, along with progress meetings and reviews in order to keep you on track. Team hierarchy and delegation depends on the team you are in entirely, but can either be very clear on can be completed muddled.

Training with Kaplan means we are able to receive a fair amount of support. You are always able to contact the tutor, and they will always reply. They have a good set of resources and are keen to help you. It is a good experience.

As mentioned, there are many people that help you with any issues you have and reviews to keep you on track. This is all very accessible, and is quite clear in who can help you with what. Everybody around you tends to support you.

Living in Bristol, a relatively high salary is needed. The salary doesn't really do this justice, and without support it would be very hard to live in Bristol. London wage at 6k higher is not justified. Makes it hard to live with.

There are lots of opportunities outside of work such as sports clubs, and networks such as the Woman's Network. There are often sports classes running, and voluntary initiatives such as a programme to help less fortunate students gain work experience.

Yes

it is a good place to work, with lots of opportunities especially for future career. It gives you invaluable experience, and sets you in good footing for later life.

Be yourself through the interview process, and ensure that you use the pre-interview guides given to you. Listen to everything anyone has to say on the way through, as it will help you down the line.