Junior Associate Review

I am a junior associate, currently on a Anti Money Laundering project, working with a high street bank. I more specifically am doing transaction monitoring which entails going through flagged accounts and their activity/transactions in order to determine whether there is any concerns that need to be escalated further. Alongside this I am attend different meeting where I voice my opinion on certain matters and put forward ideas I have to improve it.

From this programme I have further developed my time management skills, as I am required to balance both work and university studies. By doing so I am able to prioritise and work efficiently to meet targets and quotas. From working in the office I have learnt how to run meetings and give presentations to large audiences which I believe will benefit be majorly in the future.

I very much enjoy this programme, since joining my network of friends has grown significantly, furthermore I've been able to take part in external functions such as School talks and recruitment where I got to meet a wide variety of people. Furthermore in my office we have dress down Fridays which allow us to donate one pound to charity in order to dress more casually and comfortably.

I believe my programme is extremely well organised. One thing which as being significantly useful is the study day allowance. This is a set amount of days which we can have outside the office in order to work on an assignment, there is an allocation of one study day per assignment with a couple extra days if required, this has been extremely beneficial in relieving pressure face by any deadlines.

Support at EY is immense, every person has a counsellor/mentor, this is a person who is more senior and have worked longer. This allows me to bring any questions or issues I have directly to them and they can offer guidance from experience, from my experience they are always happy to help, and even when they are busy they have made time to see me.

They have been very supportive with my qualification, holding meeting during the day to talk through it and answer any questions, along side this there are monthly workshops to go through the programme as a whole and to discuss how we are feeling about it, ensuring that no one is struggling.

I have been able to take large amounts of skills and knowledge from them, into the office. It allows me to understand the global business functions and structures which gives a new and useful perception of why companies do what they do and the importance of the work I am doing.

In my office there is also activities outside of work with people in the office, such as football, which is a great way to socialise with colleagues and have a good laugh. Along side this there are also many opportunities to get involved with volunteering and helping around the community through EY.

Yes

It offers an opportunity to widen your horizon for future careers, having three years experience and a degree and qualification puts you far ahead of your peers (who attend university). EY itself is a very diverse and friendly place to work. They offer support to any and all of their employees and ensure that you not only develop your self but also make your time and skills feel valuable.

Ensure you understand what EY does, and work your hardest through the recruitment process as they want individuals who stand out, are team player, and show initiative and motivation to better themselves, as they understand that those who are self motivated produce the highest quality of work. And of course, be yourself.