Executive Assistant Review

My day-to-day role heavily focuses on business planning techniques, i.e. managing complex diaries, whereby consideration is given to resources, deadlines and priorities. I am able to assess / analyse working methods, and steps to take to resolve and improve processes. Whilst assessing workload priorities and deadlines, I will be trained and have hands-on experience of managing the expectations of internal and external clients in meeting said commitments. This helps support the organisation in meeting their objectives as there is on-going development that will continue throughout my career that allows me to build on my strengths to fulfil my potential in the firm and working towards building a better working world.

Customer Service Teamwork Time Management Industry Knowledge Event Planning Travel Planning Retail Business Travel Tools & Technologies Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office Microsoft Word Microsoft PowerPoint

I have been able to develop relationships with client personnel and colleagues across EY. This has allowed me to build up a picture of the economic connect in which EY operates and what they sell to their clients, why and how. Developing these relationships with people in various positions has allowed me to understand the organisational structure at EY. Through moving between roles in different service lines I have gained hands on experience of each service line’s area of the organisation and where my role fits in.

Throughout this cycle I have been supported by my coaches and mentor whilst making decisions and judgements on given tasks. Through building an internal network and gaining on-the-job experience, I have been able to develop good professional judgement and problem solving techniques which enables me to support effective decision making taking place.

Having learned about PESTLE and SWOT in my Mission 1 and 2 studies with BPP, I am now able to see the relevance of these models to the work that I am involved within. This also means that I am now aware and equipped with how to apply them in to my day-to-day work. Skilfully using IT is a key part of my job role and completing the apprenticeship, when completing tasks I am able to make judgements about whether the information is best presented in Word, PowerPoint or other applications.

I receive a range of support from my training provider. This includes a 5-weekly catch up with my skills development coach to see how I am getting on with the modules for my apprenticeship and also with my day-to-day job role. Additionally at the start of each module we are invited to attend live webinars that give us an insight as to what we will be learning about in the module.

I receive daily feedback from my coaches and mentors as I am given the opportunity to work shadow them on a variety of different tasks. Additonally I am invited to complete their LEAD approach which is where both myself and my peers can assess how well I think I am doing when completing tasks.

My salary was more than I was expecting which means that all my costs are covered and I can still put money away to save at the end of each month!

Recently I undertook the role to help manage the International Women’s Day breakfast seminar at EY. This included tasks such as producing the name badges, managing the mail inbox and meeting/greeting the clients and EY employees on the day itself. It was imperative that I created a strong working relationship with the guests that would be coming to the event, to ensure that the day was a success. Additionally, whilst building my relationships within the business I was asked to attend venue viewings with my mentor as she is looking to organise this year’s Christmas party for our offices. I believe that this opportunity has risen due to the fact that I have been able to engage and build a strong relationship with her as my mentor and express my interests for events management.

Yes

At EY, you can discover where you want to go and choose your own way there. You can seek out the experiences, skills and relationships that will shape your life at EY and beyond, and be inspired by great leaders so you can lead and inspire others. EY provide opportunities for you to work on complex issues that shape the future of our global economy and help you develop in a way that would not be possible elsewhere. The exceptional experiences you gain with EY – which might span different disciplines or countries – build outstanding career value that the market prizes and that will last a lifetime.

I would advise those looking to apply for EY to check out their EY you interactive game on their website. This gives you a great insight into the different service lines there are at EY and additionally where you would fit in based on your answers. In regards to the interviews and assessment days I would suggest that you look at online websites for practice questions and answers and also to gain an understanding about what is involved in these days.