Business Trainee Review

My job title is Business Trainee (although this is expected to change for new hires going forward). I am a third year school leaver at EY and I work in Restructuring, specifically in insolvency. My daily tasks involve managing cases with little input from the manager unless needed, dealing with stakeholders such as creditors, banks, lawyers etc. I work on several small projects. However, I have worked in a project management role on big projects previously, which was a great experience in terms of interaction with the client and working in a big team.

I am currently working towards my ACA, and plan to do a dissertation at the end to get a degree too. We are provided with lots of internal training, specific to our work, but also for our personal development (e.g. I recently went on a Confidence with Clients course which was really useful). I have learnt how to manage large caseloads, as well as learning a lot of the statutory requirements necessary to do my job

I generally enjoy the work. However, it tends to be the case that the more interesting work also comes with more stress. I have done some very interesting jobs but they have been very high pressured and I have felt that it has been too much for me at my age. However, I am aware that such projects have put me in a very good position career-wise. I did a rotation in two teams and then chose to stay in the team that I found was more friendly. This is important to me, as the other team was very large and I didn't feel nearly as happy there.

This varies a lot from manager to manager. We have a recognition awards system which allows managers to give a £50 voucher for going above and beyond in your job. This is really good and makes you feel valued for the work you put in. However, I would say that our annual appraisal system doesn't do as much to make us feel valued as it is very competitive. On a day-to-day basis on jobs, my managers give me informal feedback and recognition when due. However, in the appraisal system, this good work often gets forgotten and other factors seem to be more valuable (e.g. relationships with senior members of the team)

The scheme is very well structures. We had a week's residential induction, followed by a service-line specific induction. We received regular training in our first year, as well as informal training from others in the team. The firm pays for our college tuition. However, we have to use annual leave in order to have enough time off to revise and pass the exams (which is difficult when taking 4 exams a year). We don't have a very well used mentor system, this would be helpful. The team hierarchy is very well structured and it is easy to know where we are situated in this.

We go to Kaplan Financial for our tuition. I have found Kaplan to be extremely supportive with lots of good study materials. The tutors are friendly and helpful, and are always available (in person / via email) to answer any queries. There are lots of support materials online such as knowledge checks, revision videos and advice for how to go about revision. I enjoy going to college and find Kaplan really good as a tuition provider.

I have had no contact with the HR team. I have a "counsellor" who is somebody assigned to keep an eye on my career progression / is involved in appraisal discussions etc. As this person is assigned, they are not necessarily the person you would choose to speak to about issues at work. The quality of counsellors really varies. I tend to find that I speak to my counsellor purely about practical issues, and choose other managers to confide in with regards to other things. This is because I feel much more supported by some other members of the team,

I have to live at home as I cannot afford to move out and save on my salary. However, I feel that my salary is appropriate for my qualifications/experience. I am able to cover my travel costs and try to keep my daily costs to a minimum. I bring my lunch in every day as I can't afford to buy it. I don't feel deprived socially - I feel I am able to afford to socialise as I wish. Working in London is expensive but I believe I am paid appropriately as mentioned previously. Our pay rises each year, and I believe this is in line with our development.

There are lots of internal networks to get involved with. These networks have lots of events to attend. The firm is heavily involved with charities, particularly the EY Foundation for which we do several fundraising events. I attend two religious meetings a week, one of which is on a weeknight after work and requires me leaving on time. My managers are aware of this and are very supportive of me leaving on time. Managers are flexible about people going to the gym at lunch, so long as work is not neglected.

Yes

EY has a lot to offer in terms of career and personal development. I would definitely say that it is not for everyone, but if you want a successful and exciting career, it's a really good place to be. Being part of a worldwide firm with huge global clients opens up lots of opportunities and can lead to a very exciting career

Make sure you have done your research about a) EY, and b) the service line to which you are applying. Make sure you know what job you are applying for! See if you can speak to somebody to find out what the job would actually involve so you don't go into the interview blind. The assessment days are really competitive so make sure that you have a voice and participate lots. Make sure you can talk about lots of things you have done that would make you a great employee (e.g. if you've had a job before, you can demonstrate that you're not afraid of responsibility). And always say yes to a glass of water in an interview ... it can be used as a good stall opportunity if you need more time to think about an answer to a question. Just take a sip, compose yourself, have a think, and then answer.