Smart Futures Student Review

My job title is Smart Futures Student. In this role, my daily tasks consisted, more or less, of many presentations, both given to me and delivered by my team and myself. As well as this, I had taken part in many workshops to develop different skills such as communication and coaching. One of the largest team projects that I worked on was the Dragons Den project where I had to pitch an idea for a product, in front of a panel of judges.

I have definitely learnt, as well as developed, skills whilst I have been at EY. I was able to do this through the workshops that had been conducted, and the rest of the activities in the weeks enabled me to apply my knowledge of these skills. Some of the skills that I had developed were my communication, leadership, team work, and coaching and feedback skills.

I thoroughly enjoyed the programme and everything that it consisted of. From meeting new people who I know I will keep in touch with, and having a mentor who can help me with my journey in the oncoming year, I have definitely appreciated all that I have received from EY. All of the workshops and activities that I had participated in had really helped me to develop as a person.

I have felt very valued by EY. In the weeks that I have been here, they have made sure that I was comfortable, but also that I was taken out of my comfort zone in order to develop as a person. However, this was done in a way that I would not be completely uncomfortable and uncared for, but instead I would appreciate all that was being done for me.

The programme is very organised and structured. Each host that conducted a presentation, or supervised the day, knew exactly what they were doing and ensured that the days ran smoothly. It was evident that they were very much organised as there were no breaks or obstacles which would make the days stop running smoothly. We were even provided with an itinerary beforehand, so that we were prepared for the course of the day.

The support that I had received from the training provider was phenomenal. Not only the training provider, but my supervisors in the business experience. Whenever I had any questions, everybody was more than willing to help me with clear answers to make sure that I understood, and nobody was frustrated or impatient. Everybody made sure that they seemed very approachable so that I would not feel hesitant to ask.

Again, I had received so much support from my employer. They made sure that I knew and understood what they were explaining and had no problem with me asking them to reiterate anything. They also ensured that I felt welcome within the teams that I was with so that my morale had increased.

My pay package meets my costs well as I still live at home because I am only a 6th form student. Because of this, I do not have many financial responsibilities and so, I am able to save the money that I will receive and use them towards useful costs such as school supplies, travel costs, and other essentials.

Because I am only a temporary student employee, EY gives me an opportunity to stand out from other people my age, not only because of the prestigious status of the company, but because of the qualification that I had gained during my time here. However, if I were a permanent employee, there would be many opportunities such as travel opportunities, extra (professional) qualification opportunities, extended training opportunities, and more.

Yes

I would recommend EY to a friend because of all of the great benefits that the experience provides you with. I have had a great time meeting lovely people that I know I will keep in contact with. As well as this, I have developed so many new skills and I learned how to work to my strengths, and improve my weaknesses.

I would advise them to bring themselves out of their comfort zones , take the new opportunity, and find a way to make a lesson out of everything they are taught. Also, I would advise them to let their confidence shine through in everything from the application, the phone interview, and the group tasks where they would think they are not being observed.