Business Academy Intern Review

Learnt about what EY do as a global company, and the different kinds of professional services they provide to other businesses, e.g. in finance and technology. I learnt about what an audit is and how the audit process works in EY. Had sessions about the importance of goal setting and the different people we can go to in order to find support if we are ever struggling. I also learnt about how to develop my own personal resilience, and how to tackle problems that I face.

I developed many different skills during my work experience, as well as obtaining new skills. I had to manage my time efficiently, and ensure that I arrived at certain sessions at the right time. Furthermore, I developed my critical thinking due to actively participating in a case study given to me by the company. I also developed my confidence by sharing my ideas and thoughts on the case study to other people taking part in the work experience.

I enjoyed the work experience a lot as I gained a greater insight into the role of E Y and the different roles that they have. The work experience exceeded my expectations, as I didn't expect to learn as much information as I did during the placement. The programme further developed my interest into apprenticeships as an alternative to university, and I enjoyed the case study given to me during the work experience, due to it enhancing my critical thinking.

My work experience was very well organised. Due to it taking place online, the organisers always made sure that they sent the links to the meetings beforehand, and guided us if we did not know what session we needed to be in. The organisers always conducted sufficient checks to ensure that the content they were displaying could be seen by everyone and that they could be heard. Furthermore, they always left enough time to answer any questions that we had about anything.

I learnt a lot about the company culture. This is because there were specific sessions held during the work experience about the culture at E Y. Employees at E Y that have only been at the company for a few years shared their experiences of the company, highlighting the positive experiences, and societies they are part of. I learnt that employees are given two days paid volunteering days a year, which really resonates with me, as I believe in giving back to the community.

This work experience helped me tremendously in deciding my future career path. This is because previously, I was leaning towards attending university, but know after learning more about apprenticeships, I feel like they are a better option for me. This is because I would be able to work whilst gaining an accountancy qualification at the same time, I won't have any student debt, and I will have the chance to grown my network and meet new people in the business.

I was paid £124.80 for three days of the work experience. I feel that this is reasonable, as the salary was adjusted for living costs, and is the same amount that a person my age would earn hourly if they worked. The payment was sent quickly. Due to the placement being online, I did not need to travel to the office, so no travel and meal costs had to be reimbursed by the company.

There were many different opportunities for networking and meeting other employees. This is because there were a whole vast array of sessions held, each led by a different individual. Individuals that ran sessions gave a thorough introduction of themselves and their role within the company; how they ended up there. These individuals also shared their Linkedin profiles and encouraged us to connect with them. Furthermore, I built a strong connection with other people partaking in the work experience, and a group was created on Linkedin to share our different views on the finance industry.

Yes

I would definitely recommend E Y to a friend! This is because the work experience was really helpful in making me decide my career path, and as the company was really clear during the whole work experience about the next steps that I should take in order to work for the company. Furthermore, the whole work experience programme was really insightful and fun, due to the vast array of sessions. From a case study to presentation skills, I participated in many sessions during the placement.

For those considering to apply to E Y, I would say that you should just be yourself and make the best out of the opportunity. Only a few people are accepted onto the programme, so you should consider yourself to be extremely lucky. Use the time to ask any questions that you have about the company, the accounting sector and job progression. Furthermore, ensure that you network during the placement, and connect with some employees of the company as well as other people doing the placement with you.