Assurance Associate Review

My role as an assurance associate is supporting my team in auditing financial statements for a variety of clients. I mainly focus on financial service clients such as private banks and investment banks. The process of an audit is forming an independent opinion on the truth and fairness of financial statements.

I have definitely improved in my communication and confidence skills as the role involves you talking to clients and also talking to teams globally. This is something I have seen grown from the very first day till the present moment in my role. Also using programmes such as Excel, I have learnt how to use it confidently

I really enjoy my programme since it feels similar to University in the sense that you have an intake of a similar age to yourself in which you share similar experiences. I would say that some of my peers that I have met during my programme will be long term friends no matter which pathway we all choose in the future.

I feel valued in the sense that there are different reward schemes within the firm. This is such as the EY Applause programme where you can gain gift vouchers ranging from £10 to £100 to use across a wide variety of retail shops, experience and gift sets. In addition, I would say that you get internal recognition for good work such as praise and also strong feedback in your year end performance cycle.

I would say it is fairly organised. You are inducted from the very first day through two days inductions where you get an overview of your programme and you get to hear stories from junior staffs and senior leadership where they give you tips and insights into your role. There is a lot of training throughout the year and you are assigned a counsellor who is responsible for taking care of your needs and also to help you shape your career in the way you want it to go.

I believe I receive a really good amount of support from the training provider as I have access to tutors whether by email, live chat or a call where I feel like they are very useful as they genuinely show they want to help you. Also I believe the training materials provided such as the workbooks and the online study modules are really useful.

I receive good support from my counsellor and manager as they have helped me to adapt to the working world. They usually provide support in terms of regularly scheduling catch ups where I can get an opportunity to share my thoughts and any concerns that I may have. This has always been a safe space where I have felt comfortable. In addition, there is an apprenticeship coach who also provides support in terms of ensuring my welfare and career is taken care of.

I currently have no living or travel costs due to living at home since leaving school and also facing the pandemic. The salary has covered my social costs such as going out with my friends and shopping costs. The salary meets my current needs in which the salary will be incrementally increasing each year.

There is a lot of opportunities outside of work such as helping the EY foundation, which is a charity foundation supporting young children and adults with barriers to employment. Whether this is through being a mentor or supporting the foundation activities, there is a lot to help out with. Also there is student recruitment events you can attend to share your EY story and experience.

Yes

This is a firm where you can grow from the very first day and you can meet ambitious individuals. I have seen myself personally grow in terms of confidence and communication as the role will involve you coming out of your comfort zone and will challenge your skill set in order to find solutions.

Make sure you do your research on the service lines. Make sure when you are researching the different service lines, keep your current skills, strengths and interests in order to make sure you apply for the right service line. There is also an EY You Quiz where it can suggest what they believe is the right service line for you. And lastly, as cliche as it sounds. be yourself as this will help you play to your strength and stand out