Shadowing Review

During the first week, the smart futures alumni completed an online course dedicated to team leadership and networking. During the second week, I was placed in the tax team in EY and I shadowed one of the workers to see what her every day life is working at the company.

I became more confident after completing both weeks. I feel as if I am able to network and communicate much better. Alongside that, I am able to hold myself in a professional environment better as I know how to greet senior staff. I have also learnt how to balance my work load better and have become accustomed to following guidances.

The second week of the work experience, shadowing, was more beneficial in my opinion and due to that I was able to enjoy it more. This is because it allowed me to gain first hand experience of what a working life would be. The first week felt a bit tedious in respect to the fact that we had to complete coursework and the environment felt similar to a classroom which I am already accustomed to.

The programme was very well structured and I was able to understand the concept of the programme from very early on. There were minimal disruptions due to poor planning, if any, and the staff ensured that there were no drawbacks even if plans did not proceed as expected. Every day had a specific agenda and the timing of events was always kept to so there was never any confusion.

The staff which ran the programme ensured that there were no difficulties in completing tasks. There was always massive help if I didn’t understand something which was extremely beneficial as I never felt like there were any problems caused. During the shadowing, my mentor ensured that I understood all the tasks she was doing and assigned me my own seat.

There was immense help in receiving the qualifications. Every day there would be new staff present to teach new content so ensure that all the knowledge was being processed. There was always enough staff present to ensure that there was no confusion and I could always ask questions if I felt lost.

The first week definitely allowed me to become more confident as a person. It also taught me how to network better with the people around me. Therefore, during the second week I was able to enhance these skills and bring them forward when meeting new staff. The qualification also gave me the confidence to speak out when I have an opinion of my own and it is relevant enough to be shared.

During my stay at EY, I was able to play sporting games with the staff when they weren’t working. This definitely broke some of the tension whilst maintaining a professional environment. As I did not stay at EY for a long period of time I was not aware of the networking events which they have. However, as being part of EY’s alumni group, they do offer many events which are optional to join.

Yes

The professional environment is something which is crucial to experience before applying for a job. As I want to become a chartered accountant in the future, I went into EY determined to see if this was the role for me. After completing my work experience, I was able to confirm that I wanted to continue with my desired pathway.

EY is a company who seeks specific employees, so to just be yourself during every stage of the interview to see if you fit in the criteria which they are looking for. This is important as it will allow individuals to enjoy and take advantage of the work experience to their full potential.