Smart Futures Interm Review

Participated in classroom based workshops including CV/Interview preparation as well as a number of team activities e.g. created a superhero in groups. We also completed a CMI qualification in Team Leadership through writing a number of learning logs based on practical activities and classroom activities. On the final week, we went on business experience and were allocated a department. I visited client sites such as Amazon and learnt the basics of audit. I was responsible for entering data onto spreadsheets and helping to prepare presentations.

I've become much better at teamwork, tolerance, presentations and communication. Time management has also be built upon as the completion of the CMI qualification was under strict time conditions. I also developed public speaking skills through hosting the graduation alongside a fellow student. This increased my confidence and commercial awareness.

I enjoyed meeting like-minded students who shared my ambition and drive to succeed. It was very easy to make friends and get along with people. This was enjoyable as I do not believe that I would’ve otherwise met them. However, I didn’t have any other students with me during the work placement, and I didn’t always have things to do.

I am very grateful that EY invested in me, and this obviously makes me feel valued. The fact that they paid for me to complete the CMI qualification as this will help me to stand out on my CV. I also feel valued for the fact that they let me work on teams and go to client site.

The first and second week of the programme was well organised from the day to day activities to the structure of each day. We were given decent breaks and organisation tended to be good. However, there wasn’t always tasks to complete in the work placement week, but overall it was still well organised.

I did the CMI level 2 qualification in Team Leadership. The programme was well organised as we alternated between team activities and classroom based sessions – all of which complimented one and other to aid the completion of the qualification. The explanation of the learning logs was quite good. The worksheets worked well with the speakers’ words.

The first and second week of the programme was well organised from the day to day activities to the structure of each day. We were given decent breaks and organisation tended to be good. However, there wasn’t always tasks to complete in the work placement week, but overall it was still well organised.

I felt as though the salary we received was really generous and was more than enough to cover costs and incentivise us to come in every day. We were surprised by how much we were getting paid given that we spent a decent time socialising and it didn’t really feel like we were in employment.

I was given a lot of information about how to get on to various follow on schemes such as the scholarship, school leaver scheme and the graduate scheme. I also got to go on client sites and learned about how to keep healthy whilst working as well as health and safety in an office.

Yes

It’s very well paid, you also get a professional level 2 CMI qualification in team leading. I’ve met a lot of new people that I hope to stay in touch with. I’ve become more confident, more commercially aware and more sure in my abilities to find a job after the course.

Don’t be intimidated by the process or the programme. The interview process isn’t daunting while you’re actually doing it, they make you feel at ease. The qualification isn’t difficult to complete. The interview questions are worth doing. They don’t screen anyone out based on grades so that shouldn’t be something that holds you back.