Audit Associate Review

I am a trainee associate and this involves carrying out audit work on a large variety of clients. My job varies on a daily basis depending on which client I am working on - this includes travelling to many different client sites across the county. I interact with the finance team of the clients, including FCs and CFOs. I get frequent feedback on my work to make sure I am continuously improving. My daily tasks include walkthroughs, controls testing and audit procedures on year end balances.

I have learnt many new skills including accounting knowledge, client interaction and have also advanced my knowledge of excel. I have gained experience in researching clients through external sourses and have also benefitted from a number of training activities, of which include role play of client scenarios and example workpapers.

I enjoy going to work everyday and the time has gone by extremely quickly. I like that on a weekly basis I am doing something completely different and new, and working on different teams is a great way of getting to know lots of different people. I also get to see the other school leavers in college and training events which is a great experience.

I feel very valued at EY as senior members of staff frequently ask my opinion and let me be involved in the planning of the audits. On an office basis, my opinions are also valued as regular meetings are held to ensure that everyone is happy. I have my own counsellor who ensures that my development is on track, and my hard work has been recognised through receiving recognition awards. This shows that when I go beyond what it expected of me I get rewarded for it.

The programme has been extremely well organised from day 1. The induction consisted of all the school leavers working together on a charity project in London, which meant everyone was staying in the same hotel - a great way to break the ice. Following on from that we returned to our regional offices for our local inductions which was well integrated with the graduate induction. I am always given plenty of notice of when I am in college studying and when my exams are, which means I can also plan my holidays accordingly. The programme allows you to work with a wide range of people which helps progression along a lot faster.

Kaplan provide us with our college tuition and this is of very high quality. We are given plenty of resources, including online learning, as well classroom teaching. The ICAEW coordinators within EY are also very helpful as you can contact them with any queries and they get back to you as soon as possible.

There is a lot of support within EY. You are assigned a counsellor who is another employee ranked above you. They are there to help you through the programme and support you through any problems you encounter, your year end review, and other important times in your work. Everyone's attitude is very positive which helps with the daily job.

The salary is very competitive and fully meets my living costs. I am comfortably affording to save for a house, go on holidays abroad, socialise whilst still living with my parents. EY will cover most transport costs encountered whilst travelling to client sites, if they are further than the office from where you live.

There are many opportunities outside of work with EY. There are monthly social events where you can meet the other people working in your office, and you can also get involved with planning these, such as the annual ball. There is also the chance to volunteer with the EY Foundation charity as part of the smart futures scheme, which also adds value to your work life.

Yes

I have fully enjoyed my time here so far. I have learnt so much since starting, and everyone I have worked with has been really encouraging and supported. Your hard work is recognised and there is always the opportunity to improve. The social life at EY makes the job more enjoyable, as you get to know your colleagues in a different environment also.

I would advise anyone thinking of applying to EY to make sure that they fully understand what job they are applying for and why they think working for EY if for them. Make sure you put the time aside to prepare for the assessments and interviews - and as a whole remember that the application process is an experience in itself.