Analyst Review

In restructuring, we help distressed businesses, take formal insolvency appointments, improve a company's working capital and advise pension schemes. I work in Restructuring on one of the world's largest administrations. My day to day role involves helping the Joint Administrators (who are EY Partners) with creditor claim adjudication, liquidation planning for companies in administration, tax queries, project managing foreign offices and much more. No day is the same and I am always learning something new.

I am always learning new skills; from taking minutes at meetings, speaking at meetings, time-management, writing techniques etc. These are all soft skills which are invaluable at work. EY also provide in-house training and online courses to learn new skills (from regulatory changes, excel skills, data analytics and much more). I also go to college regularly to study for my professional exams (ACA).

I love my program and enjoy going to work. I have a good work-life balance and have made friends for life. The EY culture is the best you can experience: everyone is friendly and willing to help you. The work is incredibly interesting and much better than you can expect from other firms. You are given responsibility from day 1 and are praised when you do a job well.

The program is very well built and structured. EY regularly hold in-house training sessions and online learning. You are also given a Counsellor, buddy and apprenticeship guide when you join, who will stay with you for the length of your program. EY also has a Kaplan tutor (as well as your class tutor) who you can reach out to if you have any questions on Course content / structure. EY give you plenty of time for studying, and are receptive to you leaving at 5 to go home and revise when you are doing exams. You will also have a line manager, who is responsible for giving you tasks on your projects (you may have more than one line manager if you work on multiple projects). Overall, you are given excellent support to help you grow and excel in your career.

You receive a lot of support from EY - they regularly hold in-house training sessions and online learning. You are also given a Counsellor, buddy and apprenticeship guide when you join, who will stay with you for the length of your program. EY also has a Kaplan tutor (as well as your class tutor) who you can reach out to if you have any questions on Course content / structure. I have found that my colleagues are also very supportive, as they have most likely been through the program themselves, and can really help if you are feeling overwhelmed with work/study, have questions on exams or just need someone to speak to. We also have designated 'mental firstaiders' in the team who are there to support you if you are suffering from mental health issues.

I receive full support from Kaplan when studying for exams. They are available 24/7 to answer questions and will even arrange a phone call with you if necessary. They also regularly email us to provide information on our course structure. The tutors are also very friendly and knowledgeable. The online learning site from Kaplan is great and intuitive to use. It has online videos, mock tests, course content and much more to help you with your exams.

The ACA qualification is an amazing qualification to have and is fundamental to your career. In terms of my role, the knowledge from my exams has proven useful when understanding issues in my cases: e.g. tax compliance, audit requirements, corporate structures and debt. I would say that none of the topics learnt in my exams is wasted.

EY has loads of 'clubs' that you can join; from sports, hobbies, activities and much more. There also loads of seminars to attend (including access to seminars from other firms). My team also organises social events, from bowling, rounders in the summer, drinks at a local bar and team lunches.

Yes

A job at EY is the best choice that you can make, and I can guarantee that you will not regret it. It is hard work, and requires a lot of your time when studying or during a busy period, but the EY experience lasts a lifetime and will really push your career forward.

My tips when applying for a job at EY would be to: research current events in the market (e.g. Brexit, the demise of the high street, the change in the audit sector, etc) that are applicable to the job you are applying for. Also, learn something on excel, read a book - these are all things that help you in the world of work. Finally, just be yourself at interviews or assessment centres - people who come across much more personable and friendly with others stand a much better chance at succeeding not only at the interview stage, but also at the job itself.