Discover EY Attendee Review

As a whole, I thought that the Discover EY was a very well thought out program. I was very well organized, catering for a group of around 67 students. In just two days, we were thrown into the service lines and all speakers had made very informative and interesting presentations. It was nice to see that a lot of senior management had taken time out to participate in a first years programme, that too with enthusiasm; which was very contagious.

We not only had the opportunity to speak with and question partners and other senior management but in fact were encouraged to network. We were provided with an exclusive opportunity to do so, over a nice dinner in Canary Wharf. This was a successful attempt into the glimpse of the EY work culture; very inclusive.

On the second day, we had a group client presentation activity, for which we were split into 6-7 students per group and had to pitch to a client. For this, each group was given a moderator; who was there to help if we had any questions. Because there was one moderator per group, we could seek support at any time, with the moderator fully aware of the context.

As an Accounting student, the assurance part gave me valuable insight into the application of my studies in the real world. Although the Tax element was very well focused on, and a genuine consideration for a future career, I think its relevance with my degree isn't that great- as compared to the assurance part.

Very well thought out. We were given a detailed PDF which answered every single question we, as first years, could have before coming to the Insight Programme; which was emailed to us weeks before the programme. Within this packet, it had very a very detailed day to day schedule; which surprisingly was followed!

For the majority of the programme, we were given presentations and panels that threw information at us. However, each presentation was personalized and so well thought of that you were rarely bored and always kept engaged; so the day would be over before you even knew it.

Although there were no informative skills sessions to make us aware of tips and how- to - dos, in the extended group exercise, we were able to really develop our group working skills- especially due to the feedback received at the end. I found that the real life situations trained our skillset more than any skills session could as we were learning in a more proactive way.

This element is perhaps a little lacking, and could be improved with more work shadowing elements. However, for the 2 days we did have, we got to see a lot of employees and the way in which they interact with each other when they have a task to do. On top of that, we were told that our busy schedule was aimed to mirror the life of an EY employee!

It actually did a really good job as we were met with not only EY London employees but employees that are on an abroad rotation; which highlighted the real travel opportunities and brought experiences from their global network. Similarly, the family-like bond that speakers and hosts shared truly had a personal impact; something EY is known for.

More valuable than I had initially considered. I went into the program nearly certain I would like a career in Assurance. However, after all the interesting seminars, Tax became a real, interesting consideration. So, this insight day made me more open minded, albeit I am a little confused now!

EY took a lot of care of the students. Personally, it was just travel expenses, but other students were flown in from Scotland and given overnight accommodation; which may have even included food. We were reimbursed after around a month.

Excellent. At each point in the day, there was someone new in the room that you could go and network with. At every lunch and even the EY dinner, it was filled with enough EY employees that you could go and have a chat with; and they were quite inviting and friendly! Sometimes, you had to go a little more out of your way and make the initiative, but that's expected.

For just a 2 day programme, the dinner was a fantastic opportunity to network well with the employees as we were in a more relaxed setting. This meant you could really get to know the employee; which resulted in more meaningful and personalized responses to your questions and queries. I would perhaps recommend another dinner on the last day, as an extra socializing opportunity.

Yes. We were briefly told about the fun activities employees do together, like Charity runs. However, there wasn't much emphasis on this element, nor on EY sports teams etc. There could have been more focus on the extracurricular activities employees participate in together, as I barely even remember.

Yes! It was a fantastic opportunity to get involved with one of the professional services firms! In just 2 days, I feel like I learned a lot with regards to my career and personal development. The program overall was very well organized and a very easy to remain engaged throughout the duration of the program.