Summer Intern Review

Overall I really enjoyed this internship! I was given a lot of opportunities to really involve myself in the department - whether that was drafting client emails/letters, attending internal meetings and taking notes, shadowing a partner for a day or being involved in client meetings. I really enjoyed getting to know the other interns who were all incredibly friendly which meant there was also such a social aspect to my time at EY.

I was surprised as to how valued I felt by my colleagues. I didn't expect for my opinion to be valued as much as it was and I was always encouraged to give my interpretation on the situation. I really felt part of the team, probably because I knew that whatever task I was completing, was integral to the overall functioning of the work being undertaken.

I was assigned a buddy who emailed me to introduce herself before I even began at EY. This gave me the opportunity to ask any questions and feel that I already had someone to go to during my internship. I was also assigned a counsellor who helped me with goal setting as well as feedback from the different teams I worked with. In terms of support, this was mainly from the graduates as they could relate to me the most. However, in certain teams, seniors and managers were incredibly supportive and took time out of their busy days to explain concepts to me or check my work.

This was completely dependent on the team that I was assigned to for the week. I always had tasks to do, but their urgency was dependent on the team's deadlines. Furthermore, when teams were less busy, I was given more admin-type tasks such as writing up drafted notes or checking through documents for clarity of expression and spelling. During busier times, I was able to draft documents for clients or complete calculations.

I feel that I was given a fair amount of responsibility during my internship. During busier times with deadlines I noticed this the most. For example, after attending a client meeting, I was allowed to draft an action point summary table which needed to be sent to the client as soon as possible.

I believe that I have developed many skills during my time at EY. In terms of my degree studies, I feel the commercial awareness I gained will help me in my Management Masters. Furthermore, general skills like presentations and time management will be applicable for any business-related job. Lastly, I think the most important skill I developed was managing others expectations with regards to how busy I was and the time-frame within which I could achieve the task they required.

The general atmosphere in my office was very friendly - everyone was always willing to help and explain things to me. The fact that there was hot desking meant that you could be sat next to a graduate or a partner which gave an inclusive feel to the office. I was also surprised as to how relaxed the office was - I was expecting it to be a lot more intense.

With regards to social events for interns and graduates, contact with counsellors and buddies and ways to gather feedback from people you had worked for, these aspects were all well set up. I think the actual work tasks set were very dependent on the team. In some teams in my department, I would be asked by all levels from graduates to directors to complete tasks; however, in other teams, I wasn't always exposed to the same variety of challenging tasks.

I do believe that the company really invested in my personal training and development. There was always the opportunity to discuss how I was performing and the areas which I needed to work on which will really help me to develop in the business environment. There also seemed to be many opportunities to complete training modules and gain a broader understanding of different topics relating to the business.

Personally, future employment prospects are very appealing within EY. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the office, felt that I could make a difference within the teams and that there were good opportunities in terms of promotion for the career ladder. I think there are good support networks and challenging tasks to complete.

The social scene was really good amongst the other interns. I was in the Canary Wharf office and we met up across departments and with other interns from the London Bridge office as well. Furthermore, the graduates organised some after work drinks for the interns in my department and on the last day, we all went for lunch with our buddies.

I cannot comment on the cost of living myself as I commuted in from home, however, the impression I got from other interns is that living in the area is fairly expensive. Meals and drinks are similar to the prices in and around London, so again fairly expensive but to be expected.

The Nightlife was good in Canary Wharf and also in the surrounding areas. There are a wide variety of bars and clubs to go to which means it's quite an exciting place to work as there are so many places to explore. Overall - it's really quite a social place to work.