EY Smart Futures Student Review

I was an EY Smart Futures intern. For the first 2 weeks of the programme my role involved reading over business reports in a team to advise on solutions for their problems, and working through a series of learning logs for a qualification in Leadership and Management, learning, for example, about the importance of communication, feedback and coaching. For the final week of the programme I took part in a work placement in the Advisory service line on a project at Greater Manchester Police. I worked with the comms and engagement team sharing ideas about ways we can communicate the benefits of the project to the staff at GMP through posters and high impact videos in order to make the project well received and therefore successful.

In this role I have pushed myself out of my comfort zone while presenting to a group of judges and peers, for example in the Dragons Den challenge we took part in, in which we had to pitch our idea for a new smart phone.

I very much enjoyed my programme as I learned a lot of useful information and advice about how to be a good team leader, and during my work placement week I saw a lot of interesting things at Greater Manchester Police. Also, throughout the programme I have loved meeting new people and forming new connections.

I feel valued by EY because at several points during the programme while meeting with different individuals from within EY stressed how we were important to the company as the future of EY.

The programme was well organised with different guests coming in to speak to us and act as judges for our presentations. Each day was set out at the beginning in a schedule so we all knew what we were doing and when which provided clarity and structure to each day.

I received a lot of valuable support and advice from my training providers. They were always there to help and ready to answer any questions, actively giving both positive and constructive feedback to make our experience as positive and productive as possible.

I received a lot of support from my employer EY, as they provided an enriching experience, bringing professionals in from a variety of industries to share their experiences and expertise. Also they provided all the training and resources needed to complete a level 2 qualification in Management and Leadership.

My salary covered my costs sufficiently.

I was assigned a mentor to be in contact with extending past the 3 week programme to give me advice on my professional career going forward.

Yes

Because I have had an enriching experience which has allowed me to form new connections and inspired me to put more time into forming such connections to push my career forward.

I would tell someone applying to EY not to worry too much about everything because the people at EY are extremely friendly and helpful, because as long as you have done your research and had a think about relevant experiences you have had in the past to illustrate your skill set there is nothing to worry about with regards to the interview and application process, and all you need to do is take your time to think about your questions, and be yourself.