Intern (business academy student) Review

The business academy has been a truly interesting and new experience. As an intern in Assurance, I have learnt to use spreadsheets and carry out important checks for big clients of EY. I have also experienced nothing but a welcoming and friendly atmosphere while having the opportunity to work with motivated and intelligent individuals. Despite being quite afraid of business before I joined, I have found the office to be a very sociable place. Being given a buddy also really helped me to settle in and she made me feel part of the office. I have been very proud to represent EY for a week and I am very lucky to have met the people I have met. The daily Skype meetings were a real highlight for me as they gave me an opportunity to speak to other business academy students. I also felt that they were a very useful part of the week, teaching me skills to not only use in my future regarding EY, but also in any other line of work or in university. Everyone who presented these sessions was very engaging and friendly and encouraged any questions or contributions to the session. I would say that at times, I have felt that I wasn't given enough to do by the team even when I asked for tasks from them. However, I do understand that I am not able or qualified to do some tasks and that I did not join EY at a busy time of the year. Despite this, I have really enjoyed my week at EY and I have been so lucky to have had this opportunity at such a successful company.

As I am currently completing my A Levels, I had never had experience of accountancy, especially the importance of all the different sectors within the sector. I feel that I have learnt about not only EY as a company but also about the many people that work here, and their paths that lead to them being a part of EY. The Skype sessions, for me, were where I learnt the most. Getting advice and tips from people who are at the top of their game in the subject they are speaking about was an opportunity I may not have been given anywhere else. Presentation skills have always been a weakness of mine and I fully intend to use the information given from the Skype session.

I have really enjoyed this week at EY and I am sad it has gone so quickly. I have been surprised at the effort made by all staff to help me and get to know me around the office. The team I have worked in were mostly young people who understand what it is like to join a company as a new employee and how difficult it is to integrate into a new environment, and I have felt so supported and welcome within the company over the week. Due to the process of applying and how competitive it is, I would say that I expected a few more tasks suited to me and despite it being the first Business Academy, I would have liked it to be more organised and busy. I also did not get to meet or talk to any of the other Business Academy students which I feel would have been valuable.

I have felt very welcomed by everyone here, no matter how senior they were. However I feel that because I wasn't given many tasks to do, I struggled to receive feedback about how well I completed tasks, which would have been very helpful to hear. I also spent a lot of time doing my own independent A Level work which I would have rather been replaced by challenging and involved tasks which I could have received feedback on.

I feel the contact prior to the program is excellent. I was given all the information I needed before I arrived at EY. I was also emailed by a few employees which made me feel that I had contacts to turn to even before I arrived at the office. However when I arrived here, nobody knew where I was meant to be and my buddy didn't know what my timetable was for each day. I have felt that the timetable was not full enough and many tasks were allowed a lot more time than they needed.

Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to meet my assigned counselor but we still had online contact and he was someone that I felt I could ask any questions to. The team have also been very supportive and have not had a problem with repeating things to me and explaining tasks in a different way to help me understand.

On the first day I was at EY, I was given the chance to have a meeting with a partner at EY. The meeting was another highlight of the week as he was a very friendly and down to earth person. He gave me a lot of valuable advice for my future based on his path to EY. I have also felt that the organisers of the program have been very supportive during the week and have made sure that we were all kept up to date with the happenings during the week.

Although my costs may be more extreme than others, the pay does not cover the cost at all. Having come from Birmingham to Bristol, costs have included train tickets, a hotel and travel around Bristol, as well as day to day costs such as having to eat out for every meal. However, I feel that the experience of this week also needs to be taken into consideration. All the tips and skills that I have learned, especially from the online sessions, have been invaluable to me and they will help me for years to come.

I have not been taken out of the office during my week and have not been taken to any classes or events. When I wasn't working I stayed in a hotel but wasn't given any work to complete outside of the office which I would have liked to have been given.

Yes

Although I have been disappointed with some aspects of the week, I feel that no experience or time has been wasted this week. Not only does this kind of experience look amazing on any applications, I have also been given a taste of the real working world, and an office of a very successful company. I have also really loved the city of Bristol and how friendly it is compared to Birmingham. It has been lovely to explore a new city and get to know new places.

I would say apply as early as possible for the Business Academy and prepare for every stage because each stage is difficult and competitive. Do not be afraid of the phone interview, it is a lot less daunting than you may think, if you are very prepared. Use the example questions they give you, plan your answers to them and do not be afraid to pause or ask them to repeat the question. I would also say that if you have an issue then report it as soon as possible. I wish I had raised the issue of my tasks very early in the week so that I could have been given more to do, but each day, I thought the next day would be busier. Also, scrutinize your timetable that they give you. Don't be afraid to say that you don't think that is enough for you or to ask what exactly you will be doing each day. My biggest advice would be to ask lots of questions, fill out your booklet that you are given and make sure that when you leave, there is nothing that you haven't asked about the company.