Assistant Senior Review

I work within the audit department of EY and my current role is of an assistant senior. My main job is to perform statutory audits of clients, mainly within the oil and gas industry or food and drink sector. I work in a team with colleagues and interact with clients on a daily basis. Currently I am responsible for associates on the engagement team and reporting to my seniors.

I have learned lots of new skills during my 2.5 years with EY. I have gained several qualifications whilst working towards my ICAS qualification (currently sat 6 out of 11 exams), enhancing my accounting and finance skills. I have also attended several internal training skills through EY to develop and progress my client relationship, business facing and auditing knowledge.

I enjoy the programme I am a part of. It allows me to do a job that I am passionate about while earning money to fund interests outside the workplace. I have met lots of new people and made lifelong friends while the skills and knowledge I have gained through my on-job training and ICAS studying will be invaluable to me throughout my career.

I feel valued member of EY. Although I work with different managers on a regular basis I have formed a strong bond with my counsellor, who forms as my line manager. Should I ever have any worries or concerns regarding my work or my studies I always feel able to contact him and discuss any issues. EY also issues recognition awards, which you are nominated for my managers when you have performed an exceptional piece of work. However I feel that the bonus we receive does not reflect the sacrifices we make during busy periods to try and meet client demands.

The programme has a fairly clear structure as stated on the contract you sign initially when accepting the job. At the beginning the programme is well structured. The 1st week of work is a week long induction to the company and thereafter you begin to receive both internal and external training. Once basic training has been received you then start to work on engagements. I do feel however that better guidance could be given in the middle of the programme, such as when it is likely you are to sit exams, so you can plan holidays/timings of projects better,

I receive good support from ICAS. Upon the 1st day of any course you are given the contact details of the tutor (usually an email address) which you can use to contact them with at any point of the course. Usually the time lag between sending the query and the response is not too long. There is also a forum on the ICAS website where students are encouraged to post any questions to should they encounter issues as part of their home studies.

I receive a lot of good, quality support from my employer. Should I have any issues with my studies, such as the timing of exams/coursework, the HR department and the professional qualifications team are always on hand to reach out to. I have spoken to them on a few occasions and they have always been able to resolve my problems as quick as they can. Should I have any issues with my work then there always people who have undertaken the same exams as I have and are willing to help, which is also useful.

The salary we receive from EY is ok. We do receive above minimum wage and the salary does rise as the student becomes more qualified. However I do believe it is slightly disproportionate to the graduate scheme, who earn considerably more and although they are qualified, school leavers can essentially do the same day job as them. As stated above I also feel the bonus is not aligned to the amount of overtime we work.

EY does offer a good variety of events outside the workplace. There are regular social events in the office or in the local area which we are encouraged to participate in. The company also has a wide range of networks, such as charity and women committees, which students are again encouraged to participate in.

Yes

I would recommend EY to a friend as it has allowed my to achieve my aim of becoming a chartered accountant while earning money as I train to allow me to live a lifestyle outside of the workplace which I desire. I believe that there are not many firms who invest as heavily in their apprentices as EY do or give them the same level of responsibility as EY give. Although there are downsides to the programme on the whole I would recommend both EY and the programme to a friend.

The application process can be quite vigorous. The 1st stage of the process is online psychometric tests and when doing these, the applicants just need to ensure that they read over the questions in as much detail as possible and take time to ensure they answer the questions correctly. For the interview and assessment centre the applicant just needs to ensure they are as confident as possible and just need to be themselves. It should be as relaxed as interview as possible. They should also be prepared to talk about extra-curricular experiences just as much as qualifications.