Trainee Tax Advisor Review

I work as a trainee tax advisor in the financial services sector in a team called customer operational tax and technology (COTT). My daily job allows me to gain excel skills on a regular basis as I am involved in tasks such as tracking budgets. I also help out with QI health checks and CRS and FATCA reporting where I have been able to get involved with new technology which the firm has been working on.

I have gained excel and powerpoint skills as well as recieving internal training on tax audits and various other training. I have also attented college at Kaplan where I studied for 7 days for a certificate level accounting exam which i will be taking next month. I will also be returning to college at the end of the year to study for more exams.

I enjoy working at EY very much, all of the staff are very friendly and are always happy to help you if you get stuck on anything. There are always a number of opportunities to get involved in different projects at EY which makes working here so exciting as you never know what you'll be working on each day.

I feel that working at EY it depends what role i am playing in each project as to how valued i feel. For example, if i am working on something that is vital to a project i.e the budget and working out how much money we have left i feel as though the team really appreciates this. However, if i am just changing a few slides on a powerpoint i feel as though these tasks are valued less. Overall though the team does make me feel as though my contributions are valuable and they always listen to any ideas that i have.

I think we could have more internal training on the processes within EY such as how to complete an MMT or pace as i have been working at the firm for 8 months now and i still am unsure on how to complete both these tasks. However, apart from this the i like the structure of the programme and i feel very well supported especially being able to speak to a counsellor if i have any concerns.

The tutor is always available via email if we need any help throughout the study period. This is extremely helpful as if i get stuck on a question and i am unsure on how to work it out the tutor is on hand to guide me through it. Aswell as this there is also online training which has helped me enormously in the last few weeks in preparation to my exam.

I feel that my manager and counsellor always listen to any concerns i have and will always help me come up with solutions. For example, recently i have started to get a little anxious about having time to study for my exam as well as working. However, i have spoken to both my manager and counsellor and they agreed to let me take a day off before my exam and have said that where possible they will let me leave on time so that i can study.

Overall i feel as though the salary package is fair however it depends on where you live. For example, my train fair luckily is only £1,300 a year however, one of my friends has to pay £4,500 a year which doesn't leave her with very much at the end of the month. In regards to my living costs i think that this amount of money is substantial and i am able to go out and enjoy myself every other weekend.

There are a number of clubs within EY to make friends quick and easily from the very beginning such as the Triathlon Club, Cycling Club and Football club. Aswell as this there are always a number of socials which my team organises on a fortnightly basis. Finally, EY also organises a summer and christmas party.

Yes

EY is a very friendly and welcoming place to work and so far i have enjoyed working here. I have been able to get involved in a number of different projects which has allowed me to gain skills in a number of different areas. Aswell as this i have been lucky enough to travel with EY where i went to Glasgow to meet a client and do some work for 3 days.

I would recommend making sure they read about EY and the aims of the company, especially the 2020 vision. I would also suggest to take practice tests online before doing the isometric tests in the application process. Finally i would suggest not worrying about the assesment centre, it is not as bad as everyone thinks it is! Also to enjoy the process!