Assurance Business Apprentice Review

I am involved with the audit of government bodies such as local councils, NHS trusts and universities. I am sometimes also required to help out on corporate audits. At the moment my day to day work involve auditing significant accounts and conducting walkthroughs of said accounts to understand the body.

My work load and stress management has been severely tested from the beginning. There are many different clients to keep track up and thus being able to prioritise the most important tasks have become an essential skill to develop. I am also required to study after work so developing some resilience for that is also important.

To be perfectly honest I really don't enjoy the programme at all. I chose it without really knowing what the day to day work would involve and it does not match my skill sets or interests. But the people I work with are great and are the only reason it makes the job bearable.

It is quite well structured in that there are set periods where you will be required to attend college and take exams. Other than that, any sort of training is done through informal coaching on the job. I do feel sometimes that there is not enough training for the day work but finding your way through it is part of the experience.

The support comes mostly from more experienced co-workers. However I believe the provisions available such as sick-days or training for things like mental health are very generous. They do take care of you as a person at my company and the culture and relationships formed between employees are also great.

WE receive plenty of college training before the qualification. But it can be challenging when the exams are right after a busy season. Having to come home after a long day of work to study for an exam can be quite challenging. Some more provisions to prepare for the exam would be appreciated.

The qualification and the training for the qualification is in direct relationship with the work we do. So the more we learn, the better we can perform on the job and a more variety of work we can undertake. It makes the learning we do feel a little more real.

There are sports teams and networking events, also company parties that are provided. I believe some service lines have more regular socials but this depends on which service line you're working in. I personally haven't had much of a chance to get involved in extra curricular activities at work.

Yes

I'd recommend the company in general but I'd advise anybody looking to apply to have a good understanding of the actual work involved when applying. The company and the people that work at EY are great, but the work in some service lines will not be for everybody.

As above, think carefully about what you actually want to get out of the programme. This involves getting a real understanding fo the day to day tasks and expectations on you and the work-life balance involved in a certain service line as they can vary drastically. Other than that, don't be afraid to explore regional / smaller offices as they can offer a more intimate experience.