Audit Associate Review

My day-to-day role generally involves direct communication with the client and working independently using excel and EY programmes. I am regularly asking questions to my senior, and am encouraged to do so. We are also encouraged to take responsibility for our work, which will vary depending on the client and time of year - this means I am never doing the same thing twice, which creates lots of opportunities for learning.

I am working towards the ACA in order to become a chartered accountant. We also take various internal training courses to improve our knowledge of EY methodologies as well as on software such as excel. I have learnt a huge amount about how businesses work, as we gain a lot of experience for each industry depending on the clients we work on. In terms of my skills, I have greatly improved my confidence and communication skills through meeting clients and getting to know them better with the support of my seniors.

The company culture at EY is very inclusive, and we regularly have office meetings and social events. This makes it easy to meet everyone in the office which has made me feel more comfortable. There is a lot of work to be done, but each team is great at coaching and encouraging efficient work. There are times when I feel that there is too much to do, and I feel slightly overwhelmed, but my colleagues are very supportive and it has taught me resilience to be able to get through the work load.

Generally I feel very valued by EY. We are given lots of training and set up with buddies and counsellors, and encouraged to gain feedback from managers. This feedback often makes me feel appreciated and shows that my work has been recognised in the audit.

The programme is highly structured, beginning with a 3 day induction and then training courses in Accounting and also an "Introduction to Audit" course which is a week residential. We then have regular online training to complete, as well as a "Developing Audit Knowledge" residential course, and further courses to build on these during the length of the programme. We receive a lot of support on career advice from colleagues and counsellors, and it is clear the level we will be working at each year.

Our technical training is provided by Kaplan, who are relatively easy to contact by email, and who have high level tutors for classes. They have also recently updated their website, so we are now able to access support and learning materials more easily. The tutors also stayed late after college to help with any key problems we were having, and were easy to contact by email.

We are assigned a buddy (a School Leaver in the year above us) when we join the firm to help us get settled and answer any "silly" questions we have. This is hugely supportive, as you immediately have a friend who knows exactly what you are going through. Additionally, we have a counsellor who helps if you are not getting on well with your team or the client, and also helps you write your feedback for the year end.

The salary is good for our age and our complete lack of audit training. Each year we get a pay rise depending on how we have performed in the year, which really helps. However I would say that it would be difficult to live on your own on the initial salary, but it is more than enough to cover a car on finance or help you save for a holiday.

EY offers many volunteering trips and opportunities, which it is able to do so as it is a very large firm. We have regular office social events, and there are some sports teams. You may find that you have little time outside of work during the busy season (Jan - March, depending on your clients), so you do need to take this into consideration. There can be some pressure to work longer hours during this time, however is you are working hard during the day most managers are happy for you to carry on with your hobbies.

Yes

Yes - but they do need to be ready to commit to a full-time job, and all the stresses and rewards which come with it. This is not a simple 9 - 5 job, but it will give you huge insight into businesses and finance, and create almost unending opportunities for highly successful careers.

Read up on the EY website about their interview and assessment days advice, and just try to be professional and well-dressed on the day. Be polite and try to ask/answer questions if you can, as this will help you come across as confident and relaxed. Always appear eager to take on new opportunities, and try to chat to as many people as you can in the induction and then add them on LinkedIn or even Facebook after!