Associate Review

by EY

Best Apprenticeship Employer

Rating

10/10

1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

Providing consulting services for organizations in the financial services sector (banking, wealth and asset management etc.). This varies hugely - could involve reviewing loans, investments, the quality of customer service, regulatory compliance.

10/10

2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

Gained strong communicative skills (pitching, providing feedback, stakeholder management). Gained in-depth understanding of the sectors (internal qualifications in banking, investment banking, wealth and asset management etc.)

10/10

3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

Vastly, great staff to work with, very open and honest communication. Incredibly fast paced and dynamic - steep learning curve but very rewarding. Intellectually stimulating.

10/10

4. How well organised/structured is your programme?

Fantastically organized, we've a dedicated apprenticeship team (firm wide) and within the Newcastle office to provide ongoing support. In addition to this there are a wide range of internal/external resources. Good stakeholder management with frequent meetings between apprentices, learning providers, and management.

10/10

5. How much support do you receive from your employer?

A great deal. An aspect of the programme is fulfilling learning objectives from the professional body (CMI) alongside the university degree. Management are aware and supportive of the programme and facilitate demonstration of these learning objectives.

10/10

6. How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

Good support from learning provider - 1 day a week is spent on university lecturing. The learning provider also ensures the time allowance is met (20% of time overall spent learning).

10/10

7. How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

Very well. A great deal of the role is technical - however, the hard skills required often change project-to-project (and rotation of clientele). The qualifications in management (CMI) and degree provide softer skills which are necessary on each engagement.

10/10

8. Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

A lot. Christmas parties. Football/netball team. Summer/spring parties. EY foundation (charity to support young people) - very easy to get involved. Regular social events for project teams (which has extended, albeit virtually, to WFH).

10/10

9a. Would you recommend EY to a friend?

Yes

9b. Why?

Applying for, joining, and continuing to work for EY has been the best decision I've ever made in a professional and personal sense! Can't overstate the breadth & depth of support from fellow staff, in addition to the challenging and rewarding work.

10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to EY?

Consult. Consult. Consult. Intrinsic to the firm is continual improvement achieved via open communication (amongst other things). I work in consulting - we ask questions and use those answers to support clients. That mindset is holistic - query your EY contact during the application process - leverage their knowledge to the max.