Smart Futures Intern Review

I was given a work experience course at EY and during this time I met some great people and enjoyed the work i was doing. i really enjoyed For the first two weeks of the Smart Futures programme, I developed my existing skills such as networking, giving presentations and note taking. For the third week, I was at UBS, in Group Internal Audit (GIA) where I learnt about how to conduct an audit and had first hand experience.

During the programme there were several workshops, all targeted at different skills and proficiencies. These definitely helped me become a more rounded business person and allowed me to gain skills that I would not have gained at any other work experience programme. I developed my people skills and communication skills a bit better too and always strived to work my hardest.

The smart futures programme exceeded my expectations, and I am so glad I applied for it, as it was an amazing way to spend my summer. The people there are so friendly and eager to help, and I built a great network with people I would have never met otherwise. We were even presented to partners, and important clients, which made us feel much more involved and part if EY. I will never forget my three weeks at EY, as I learnt so much about the professional services industry, and met incredible people.

I felt very valued and appreciated, as everyday I would see my manager and director and they would always be so keen on my findings and feedback. My manager even organised a meeting in the last day, where I presented my tasks and gave my feedback. Some days I would even go out to lunch with members of the team, which was great!

The programme was well structured - there was an initial induction day the week before the internship, and then a formal induction on my first day. We had an IT training day. We were delegated different tasks each day for the first two weeks and then we were given a buddy and mentor to support us for the third week and throughout our next year at college.

The level off support is immense. I have only been at EY for 3 days yet I have improved in many areas dramatically and this is a testament to the level of support provided over the course of the 3 days. Everybody is approachable and always willing to help. We would occasionally also have group chats and discuss better ways of developing our learning.

We all have mentors which we meet often for guidance in our final year at sixth form. Having a professional to refer to is really helpful and enables us to get advice or assistance when we are making big decisions such as applying to University or EY's programmes. The EY supervisors would also give us a lot of help and always ask how we were doing and getting on with our work too.

Considering we were only there for work experience i think we were paid really well and i also didn't even expect to be paid in the first place. We read leaflets about wages for full-time and part time workers as well as apprenticeship courses too and all of these pay packets seemed reasonable if not better than you would think. I am happy with what we were got overall during this course.

After leaving we have remained in contact with mentors and we have alumni events. Furthermore they often email us regarding other events or opportunities, for example free tickets for Othello at the Globe. The team I was with have also kept in contact and we occasionally meet up on a weekend to discuss what we've been up to and how we have developed in our careers since the work experience.

Yes

EY are a company that have an emphasis on the people that work there. During my short stay I came across many people across the business. Every person was welcoming, helpful and interested. Also the firm is a Global business that deal with dynamic issues on the business front and this is a great environment to be involved with.

During the interview, answer every question with a personal example and relate it to a strength. Ensure to keep eye contact and feel free to allow your hands to make gestures, this suggests openness and is something which strong public speakers do. As you arrive shake their hand and make small talk. This will set the setting later and make it more of a relaxed environment. Be early and let the reception know you've arrived. Speak to anyone else sitting around for an interview. Get used to the buildings it’s a lot to take in as it can be nerve racking. Make sure you plan your route well. Finally, be friendly to showcase who you are and how much you want to be part of the programme.