Discover EY - Women in Transactions 2020 Review

I felt this insight was an invaluable experience. It provided me with an in-depth understanding of the functions within transactions, informative sessions about career planning, personal branding, sponsorship, applying for internships and the EY Women's network. We were also given the opportunity to ask questions to a panel of inspirational female leaders.

I felt extremely valued during this insight day. It has highlighted to me how much EY care about their graduates. They were able to provide us with an alternative option to the original format for the day - through a virtual MS team meeting, which many other companies have not been able to offer. EY staff also recognised that attending the day was a significant achievement.

The EY team provided us with top tips for applying to their summer internship programmes, which I regard as invaluable. The team answered all of my questions and guided us through each sub-sector of transactions. They also covered topics such as building confidence and resilience to help us achieve our potential.

The insight day has made me consider what forms my personal brand, my strengths and areas for development. These all reinforce developing being able to self-reflect. This is an important skill for my degree and my career, as it forces you to continuously improve yourself. The information presented has shown me the multiple options available at EY and highlighted where I am most interested in working and where I may fit best.

Considering EY had to quickly adapt the format of the day in light of COVID-19, the event was extremely well structured, and ran seamlessly. Lunch breaks and rest breaks were structured in. The day stuck to timings and there were no technical difficulties. There was a good balance of listening and interaction.

The general atmosphere was relatively informal, which allowed me to feel relaxed. The EY team came across as engaged, approachable and genuinely wanting to help me succeed. I feel it would have been nice for each student to quickly introduce themselves, so that it felt a little bit more realistic.

No training was provided on this insight day, but that was expected. I thought the presentations were very thought-provoking about my personal development and how I could achieve my career goals. I think simply going ahead with the insight days during these unprecedented times, shows how much EY is invested in nurturing graduates.

The insight helped me understand the different functions within Transactions, the support mechanisms EY has in place for their employees e.g the Women's Network, and what employees think about working for EY. Many of the employees we listened to had left EY and then returned, I feel this shows how excellent the culture is at EY.

It helped me understand the company culture a lot. I feel the employees best reflect the company. They were all extremely positive, engaged, inspiring and seemed passionate about their work. They highlighted that EY really strive to help their employees achieve a work-life balance, through flexible working hours, working at home or in different offices. EY also have all the support networks, one could need, for example their inclusivity networks, buddy scheme, mentoring and councillors.

I felt the content was very valuable. I am strongly considering a career at EY. I feel they have an excellent career pathway, from discover EY programmes, to internship, to grad scheme and then internal progression.

As this was a virtual event, I did not have any expenses to be reimbursed on. The original format of the day included travelling to EY London Brdige office which transport and expenses were going to be provided. I think it's also important to highlight this was purely an insight day listening to EY employees talk about their experiences and offer advice, therefore it did not need to be paid.

Because it was a virtual event, there was no opportunity to meet other employees that were on the call. We also couldn't network over the lunch break for example.There was also no opportunity for us to network with our peers either. I do think this is an important part of an insight day.

We did not have any opportunity to do this.

Yes. Outside work, EY employees get 2 days to spend volunteering. EY also have their own charity, "EY Foundation". Some of the employees spoke about volunteering and the fundraising events they host. Employees can also get involved with activities through the networks, like the Women's Network, where they can attend events. EY also host social activities for teams.

Yes I would