Associate Review

I am currently on the bench, which consists of carrying out training and online learnings, until a task is provided to myself. Once I am provided with a task, I will complete the task within the required timeframe, often having to work with other colleagues who are also on the bench.

I believe my communication and leadership skills have developed during my apprenticeship so far, as I have had the opportunity to lead meetings, host calls and work with people form all over the world. University has also helped to develop these skills as we have been involved in modules which address these topics.

I enjoy the program to a certain extent, however I would not say that I fully enjoy what I'm currently doing. I enjoy the work aspect when I'm placed on a project I enjoy, however, we do not get a say in the projects we are placed on. When placed on a project I'm not particularly interested in/ enjoy, it can become quite boring and affect my motivation levels.

I believe that the program is structured quite well, as we have a counsellor within the workplace, whilst also having a university mentor to support with our studies and to ensure work are providing us with the required amount of time to complete university work. I do not believe that the university experience has been that good since lockdown however, as the standard of teaching has definitely declined.

We receive a lot of support from our employer. We each have a counsellor who is there with any queries or issues we may have, and they are definitely a beneficial aspect of the job. Additionally, we are allocated a number of study days per year, which allow us to take days off work to complete university assignments.

We receive support to some extent, but this is mainly from our university mentors. The lecturers and university staff are there if we need to email them with any issues, however, from experience, the support and advice has been a bit general and not that detailed, especially when it comes to feedback from assignments.

I believe that the qualification has helped to some extent, as we carried out an Insights profile in year one of university, which helped to identify which personality we are, and which personalities we most clash with. This has helped me to work better with colleagues as I can identify their personality type, allowing me to identify the best ways to work with them.

There are a lot of activities available for us to take part in at work. Before the lockdowns we are currently in, there were sports teams, social events and networking activities available to us. During lockdown, a number of teams have been doing weekly quizzes / pub quizzes, which have been good was to stay connected with other colleagues whilst we've all been stuck inside.

Yes

I believe that EY is a good company to do a degree apprenticeship with as it gives an insight into how a large global organisation operates. Additionally, whilst on the degree apprenticeship you get to experience a number of different areas within the business, you are not just stuck in one area throughout the duration of the course.

I would advise that anyone applying does their research, and is definitely sure that this is the job they want to apply for. EY expects their employees to be able to work to a high standard, and at times it can become quite stressful due to large amounts of workloads and short deadlines.