Assurance Associate Review

Performing various parts of an audit on a range of clients, from small independent companies to SOX compliant multinational companies. Performing analytics on areas such as debtors, to reduce sample sizes for the clients, whilst obtaining greater assurance over the accounts. The role involves a lot of travelling to client sites, particularly as regional offices, such as Leeds have a wide catchment area.

In the past year there has been a big drive to use analytics in auditing, which is a skill I have developed. This allows us to focus on areas of the audit that need more attention and also help us to understand client processes from the journals, as the client may not fully understand what their accounting software posts or why, but analytics helps with this.

It definitely depends on the client and the team you work with as some clients are much more friendly, which even when work is harder/longer hours, it makes it not as bad. Also it's much more enjoyable when managers allow flexible working as this allows me to reduce travelling time and travel on quieter trains.

I don't feel as valued as I'd like to be as we are often seen as a cheap resource by managers and graduates seem to get preference. Recently I've been put on some clients with long travel times and even though it should be ok by firm policies to stay overnight and cheaper in the budget, the manager didn't care I would be travelling over 3 hours each way to a client.

It is fairly well structured, however it changes that much that I feel it is being made up as they go along. I wished that with college, there would be more flexibility of when we could do the courses, as they tend to cram them all in during the summer, which means I've had to shorten planned holidays or lose the excused leave for college and learn remotely using just the course materials.

The training provider is brilliant and is always contactable when you need them. Even when I did courses in the Birmingham centre, tutors in Leeds were happy to help me and go through some areas I was struggling in. I've passed all my exams so far first time and especially find their online revision materials and apps helpful, as it isn't always convenient to take paper materials to clients

They provide days off for college and any time for exams we need, but they don't really do much else other than this. It would be good to have time off to revise, as it can be quite challenging to balance work and revision, as in every gap between exams, I've been booked to a client with quite long travel times, so it would be good to do less overtime, so I can revise.

I find it ok, however some managers expect me to pay for travel within 10 miles of the office, even though I need to purchase additional tickets from Leeds train station (next to the office) to clients. I've managed to get these approved after escalating the issue as out of pocket public transport expenses are in policy, but it would be difficult with an extra £10 per day on business travel. Also it causes some tension that a 3rd year school leaver is paid the same as a 1st year graduate, even though the school leaver could be a senior by then and managing the graduate at a client. They argue it's because they have a degree, but if school leavers don't need a degree, then I don't see why there should be a difference.

There are a few, but these either don't interest me or they are hard to attend, especially in audit, as it can be hard to get back to the office for 6 when you finish at a client around that time. The Leeds Chartered Accountant Student Society puts on some events later in the evening and I've found these enjoyable.

Yes

Even if you only stay with the firm for a few years, you build up so much experience in that time and will have business contacts that will be useful for years to come. It also looks great on a CV and there are many opportunities after qualifying in a big 4 firm to work in industry.

I would say that EY should be seen as a stepping stone and not a final destination as I've seen a lot of people staying to try and get promoted, but they've not enjoyed it and have eventually moved into industry in something they enjoy, but it is a great way to get lots of client experience to decide where they want to go to.