Discover EY Review

I found the insight to be very valuable. EY had a variety of individuals, from different levels of the business, who gave detailed overviews of the different service lines within the company. On top of this, I got to engage in team-based activities, and the additional competitive element, certainly made things more interesting.

During the day, we got to meet an array of employees, and I found all of them to be very friendly and welcoming. I got the sense that they very much wanted me to have a great experience that day, and this was highlighted in the diverse activities we got to engage in, as well as fantastic refreshments available throughout the day.

During the insight, I felt there was an appropriate level of support available. First, there were the main event organisers who were always at hand to help if anything was required - whether that be directions to another part of the building or a query about the company. Secondly, each table was assigned an EY employee whose role was to guide us through the day's events - something which I found very useful having not been familiar with certain terms that were used by presenters.

The diverse tasks that I got to participate in helped develop a number of key skills. We were put in tables of 5-6 people, and these tables acted as 'teams'. Throughout the day, we took part in different tasks and had to collaborate to come up with solutions to these tasks. As well as team-building, there were several opportunities to network with EY employees and other students. I feel networking is a skill that is often overlooked, so I was very grateful to gather more experience in that particular area.

The insight was very well structured from start to finish. We were given a schedule of the days activities prior to the event, so we knew what to expect. On the day, the organisers started off with a welcome and gave another overview of what to expect. Following this, they moved through the different speakers and different tasks, almost seamlessly, before finishing more or less on time.

The atmosphere at EY was very exciting, but also, friendly. The venue in Canary Wharf aided this to an extent as we were positioned on the top floor so had a lovely view of our surroundings. In addition, I found the employees I networked with, as well as those presenting on EY-related topics, to be very passionate about what they did. This has ultimately reinforced my desire to join EY in the future.

EY held a variety of different tasks to help stretch those who were attending the event. For instance, the teaming aspect helped develop team-building skills while other tasks sought to address decision-making skills and creative thinking (ie. we had to make a special 'barn' out of lego!). Finally, towards the end of the session, we were given the opportunity to present so all in all, I felt the company invested a lot in us with regards to personal training/development.

The insight gave an idea of what a full time role would be like in 2 key ways. Firstly, there were EY employees presenting about different service lines within the company. These helped me to get an idea of day-to-day activities within certain roles, and the type of skills that would be required for them. Secondly, the atmosphere created by the employees gave an idea of the 'family-like' values of the company.

Got the sense of 'play hard, work hard' from EY's employees

Since I was exposed to the different service lines at EY, I got an idea of where my skills may be best utilised. I also learnt that certain roles were a lot more immersive than I previously assumed so I was pleasantly surprised! Moreover, my experience of the programme as well as hearing about the experiences of EY employees, has strengthened my desire to join the company.

I had the option to, but I chose not to.

Were plenty

Very useful and gave a good idea of what to expect should I work for EY in the future.

Employees all mentioned about other activities in a dedicated talk - they were wide-ranging and interesting.

I would most definitely recommend the Discover EY program to others! It was a very insightful and valuable experience where you get the chance to network with many EY employees from the various different service lines and sub-service lines. You also get to learn more about the different types of roles, and you get a better understanding of which ones you may be more suited to. On top of this, there are a variety of tasks through the day which target key skills such as presenting, collaborating, and creative-thinking.