Associate Auditor Review

I am an associate within the Assurance sector at EY - more specifically Government & Public Sector Audit. I work in a team consisting of 2-8 people at any given time to deliver an audit. We are booked year round to a variety of clients - for me this consists of local councils, NHS and universities. The team I work with varies from client to client and the projects tend to last 2-6 weeks so I am constantly building relationships with different colleagues. Day to day I complete various tasks to help deliver a successful audit. This can range from analytical reviews (looking at year on year reviews) to detailed transaction testing to meeting with the client to discuss changes in the way the clients accounts are run.

Whilst working full-time, we also study for the ACA qualification. At certain points throughout the year we have time off work to go to college and then take exams. There are 15 in total and the course will see us qualified at the end of the 5 year apprenticeship. I've also learnt skills on the everyday job such as advanced use of excel, the ability to carry out detailed analysis and the confidence to meet with clients

I very much enjoy working for EY as a company, there a definitely noticeable benefits to working for a big 4 company. The other thing I enjoy most is the people, the social side is very active and everyone gets on with each other - at any level, I went for a pint with an executive director last week! My intake was also much better than I was expecting, I found some really good friends and we all support each other through difficulties in exams & in the job. The work itself can get a little monotonous at times but I hope I will be challenged more as I progress.

I do valued by EY to a good extent, I definitely feel like we are needed in the completion of an audit - we do a lot of the dirty work! I am also aware of various recognition awards that have been set up however I don't see them coming to the most junior people such as myself. Within the team environment on a client I certainly feel very involved and able to say my piece if necessary.

The programme is structured well and I do feel supported however I also think that a lot is promised at the start and some of it dies out pretty quickly. Once I settled in and got used to the way things work I became happier but I think at the start they tried to sell a bit too much of an unrealistic dream.

The tuition we get in college is of a very high standard and I have no complaints in that regard. There are a lot various resources online to help with exams. I would say that college is an enjoyable experience as it also gives you time to work/learn with people who you don't normally see on the day to day job.

In work we are all assigned a counsellor who monitors our progress. This is done through a feedback cycle every 3 months. Although I can see the benefit of the system I do feel it has its flaws. Unfortunately I also do not feel like my counsellor is someone that I can go to with any problem I may have. I will always look to other people in my intake for help first.

I feel like my salary is sufficient enough to cover all my costs with a little left over. I am aware that my salary is good for someone of my age and experience however I am also aware that as a second year school leaver I will be earning less than a first year Uni graduate even though I will be better at the job than them and be much more useful to the business through having a years experience. I therefore feel this in particular is a little unfair. One other financial benefit is travel expenses. Many of my clients are a long commute away (which I was not made aware was a possibility when I joined) and so I am able to gain a little extra cash through mileage claim.

There are a decent amount of out of work opportunities. I have started playing for the office football team which is good fun and a good way to get to know other people in the office. However I do wish there were more office sports teams as football is the only one at the moment and obviously this only appeals to a portion of the staff. There are also other voluntary opportunities which are emailed round on roughly a weekly basis but I haven't looked into these that much.

Yes

Prestigious company to work for where many opportunities will definitely arise. A supportive environment with a social atmosphere. This is a position where there is definitely long term career progression available

Don't pretend to be someone else otherwise it won't work out well, EY employ on certain characteristics which help you to excel during your time here. There are lots of benefits but not everything is as dandy as its made out. Work is work at the end of the day!