Assurance Associate Review

My role is an associate on the audit of a range of companies, working with a range of teams. You have the opportunity to work with people from different professional backgrounds, and therefore exposing yourself to different levels of work. Depending on the team, you will find that you can be set few/basic tasks, or be given significant responsibility on the audit you are working on. Although this can be overwhelming at first, it is a great opportunity to grow your personal development and skill-set.

I have learnt a lot about auditing, having not had any prior knowledge on auditing/accounting. There are many internal courses on the industry itself, as well basic soft skills required when working in a corporate environment. I have learnt a lot about ethics and the importance of work culture.

The programme is enjoyable, mainly due to the company culture and positive teams I have worked with. The open and diverse culture at EY makes it an extremely inclusive place to work, this most definitely exceeded my expectations prior to joining. Having supportive teams who coach you well in tasks has helped my skills in auditing. One downside of the job is the long hours which need to be put in due to tight deadlines.

The programme is very well structured, as we have clear communication with our tuition provider and our resource deployment within our office/region. This means our study time, work hours and exams are known in advance and can be accessed any time. This is also outlined in our Professional Qualification site.

The employer provides a lot of support at many different levels, this is through a counsellor (who is a manager), a buddy (who is a second-year) and the seniors on whichever team you are on. Support is extremely accessible at EY, as your counsellor/buddy is always happy to discuss any issues with you. It is also helpful that you can change your counsellor if you feel you have not been supported enough.

Support from the training provider is also very accessible as you have the numbers and emails of tutors whomst you are taught by. The tutors are extremely helpful and approachable. However, the fact that the courses are within very short durations means you can be overwhelmed with a lot of study, which you are generally juggling with work. The tuition provider also sets deadlines in regards to your study which means you do have to 'cram' a lot of the time on top of long work hours.

The qualification helps the deeper understanding in my auditing role. A bulk of the practical learning is on-the-job and through coaching from seniors on your team. However, the theory and understanding of the role and why specific procedures/methods are in place become much clearer through the courses provided by the training provider as part of the qualification.

There are plenty of social events set up at EY, which you can attend outside of work hours. Teams can also set up events between themselves which can help you get to know each other. Our office currently has may events being put on as we have been split into four 'houses' and are competing for points. There are also various networks which you can join, which furthers EY's culture of acceptance & diversity.

Yes

EY's open and diverse culture makes it very easy to feel accepted and appreciated in the work place. The opportunity to work with a range of people from various professional backgrounds can be very beneficial and help in your own professional development. The variety in the job can also be interesting, as you are not always on the same client, in the office, or even working (if you are on study leave).

During the application and interview processes, make sure to be honest and open, as EY prides itself in its diverse and accepting culture. These processes can also be quite intense, so make sure to be prepared and ready, read through/action all emails/documents sent to you by the Talent Team. The onboarding process can be overwhelming as there is a lot of new information to take in, but you are very much supported throughout. Again, make sure to read through/action all material sent to to you from the onboarding team to ensure a smooth start. When starting, there are plenty of opportunities at EY, which you can volunteer for so you can build your network and make a difference. Also, make sure to understand the importance of work-life balance, as hours can be long and it is important to avoid burn-out.