Discover EY - Women in Business Programme Review

The Discovery EY Women in Business Programme was really insightful and useful in providing participants with a comprehensive overview of the different types of service lines that EY offers, with a particular emphasis on tax and assurance. The staff were all really friendly and helpful in answering any queries we had.

EY constantly sought feedback from the audience, and tried to engage the participants as much as possible. Everyone’s opinion was respected during group discussions, and even when there were discrepancies in ideas, we managed to get to a common ground eventually. EY really made me feel like I was a part of them by reaffirming what we had to offer.

There was a table host assigned to each table who guided us during our discussions and answered whatever questions we had regarding EY. Her support led us to think from different perspectives and expand our analysis, which was very valuable. However, the table groups could be smaller so that there was more opportunity for each participant to express her thoughts and views.

On the second day, we engaged in group discussions about a case and gave presentations afterwards. I felt that these exercises helped me get accustomed to working in teams and preparing me for assessment centers which would place us in similar settings. I could also develop my presentation skills by obtaining feedback and seeking advice from the EY staff.

The insight was rather well structured, and we knew exactly what we should be doing at any point in time. The hosts introduced the agenda at the beginning of each day and made a conscious effort to stick to the schedule so that the programme could go according to planned and eventually end on time.

Everyone was really friendly and inclusive during discussions and sharings. The team made a constant effort to make us feel comfortable and relaxed by providing great refreshments and ample break time when we could interact with fellow participants. The staff who talked to us were all very welcoming as well.

As this was a relatively short two-day programme, there was not a lot of opportunity for EY to provide personalized development and training to every participant. However, they did share with us the various development opportunities (such as supporting the obtaining of qualifications) that graduate employees and even summer interns get.

The programme included a speed networking session which was particularly useful as it allowed us to talk to representatives from all the service lines in order to give us a full picture of all the services that EY offer. The staff that we spoke too also gave introductions of their day to day work and what their roles and responsibilities entailed.

We were given a basic introduction to all the service lines in EY, which made me realise that starting my career in these professions can give be very beneficial for my future career journey. Previous misconceptions about certain service lines were also discarded. However, there was not enough time to learn about each service line in greater depth in terms of the different sub service teams.

The speed networking session was a great opportunity to talk to the EY employees and get to know about the work they do. They answered our questions readily and gave me a better idea of how it is like to work at EY. There can possibly be more networking sessions.

We learnt more about the women’s network which introduced to us the different initiatives that they came up with during the international women’s day. It was really interesting to hear about the volunteering opportunities available outside of work as well. We also learnt that EY people had frequent social gatherings, which was great for building teamwork.