Assurance Associate Review

Going to a different clients every day, essentially testing there financial postings and declaration are true and fair. The job involves a lot of travelling around the country from London to Newcastle, with the opportunity to work abroad on clients. The job is definitely not office based and you will be travelling around on a daily basis.

I have definitely developed my communication skills and accounting skills throughout my time at EY. The job has also taught me to be professionally skeptical when reviewing company's figures, this is something that comes with practice and experience as you are able to validate the reliability of data and explanations provided. I am also studying towards my ICAEW chartered accountant qualification which opens so many doors for future careers post programme.

I find the programme very enjoyable. As with any job it is the people you work with that make it, I have been lucky to work with some great people. EY really focuses on being an inclusive organisation and it really shows compared to other of the big 4, as from the first interview at the company the partners and managers really made the experience pleasant and a lot less stressful.

The programme is fairly well organised. By no means is it easy though as you are expected to learn a lot for yourself, however I believe this large amount of responsibility given from the word go, really helps accelerate your development in the role and increases your resilience. The training was very thorough although hard it gave a deep understanding of EY and audit methodology,

There is a fair amount of support with a positive attitude given on all scenarios. Upon joining you are given a buddy to ask questions to and aid with the joining process. You are also given a counsellor, who is a manager who is responsible for aiding your individual career progression. Which proves very helpful, they also aid in resolving difficult issues such as your work portfolio.

You receive a lot of support from Kaplan. The college is in weekly blocks and there is a wealth of revision material available on their website to aid you in revision. In addition to this there is an EY ambassador who will work with you to ensure that you are best prepared for the exams.

I believe the qualification is essential as in order to qualify as an accountant you need to have done all exams provided by the training provider. The qualification is essential as once you have obtained this you will be able to carry out your job with greater ease and also allow the ability for promotion as qualified staff are able to review work of non-qualified.

There is not an abundance of social activities to get involved in however, the school leavers often plan events in our group and college has really helped bond us, There is the occasional office drinks, along with Christmas and summer ball. However due to the nature of the job getting together becomes difficult. However there are many professional networking events and EY really encourages this,

Yes

I believe the apprenticeship as a whole offers a great alternative to university, for anyone looking for a career in accountancy. This is because you are treated exactly the same as a person who has graduated from university and are put on the same course for the same qualification. This leads to a great acceleration in your career growth.

Make sure you do! The application is a long process however it is a great learning experience whether you are successful or not. The insight day (the final stage) gives an accurate portrayal of life on the job, so attending one will really help see whether the company is right for you as well as if you are right for the company.