Business Academy Intern Review

The Business Academy was a 3 day internship with EY which was virtual dues to the corona virus pandemic. We attended a number of sessions throughout the days which educated us on what EY do, what they can offer in the apprenticeship scheme and gave us the opportunity to get involved in some fictional projects of our own. We all attended on the same online meeting and had different speakers through the days, including Recruitment Specialists and Partners.

We had two learning sessions on 'Building Confidence & Resilience and 'Business Writing & Presenting Skills'. This was really useful as we had people talking to us who were experienced and specialised in those areas. They gave us realistic and applicable tips to take away to improve our skills. They always encouraged us to have a pen and paper to write down and practise all of the things we have learned. Particularly the Business Writing session was useful to hep us tome into our professional lives more easily, as we were educated on how to write emails and communicate with more experienced professionals or a client.

It is a shame that it had to be virtual due to the pandemic, however the team really did make the best of it! All interns in the UK were able to be on the same meeting which offered a new benefit which we would not have been able to do if it was face-to-face. We created a group on LinkedIn and I still speak to some of the people from around the UK that I met, weeks after the internship which is great. The team who ran the event were so lovely and always kept the meeting chat open so if we had any questions or issues they could help us out immediately which was brilliant. The sessions through the day were easy to understand and interesting. It surpassed my expectations for the virtual experience.

The work experience was very very well organised. They ensured we had sessions throughout the entire day which were short but interesting to keep us engaged. They took out time for us to ask questions too. Before the internship they sent us a document with all the possible technical issues we could run into and solutions which was ideal and helped the sessions run smoothly. Our set schedules for each day were varied and communicated clearly with us. The support was also great in the chat function as when we had questions or issues they were able to answer us immediately.

Throughout the entire internship there was a theme running through about the culture within EY. It was one of the main things that I was impressed with because there was so much emphasis on the people, the support and the flexibility. We even had yore chance to speak to/ask questions to apprentices who were in ou position a couple of years ago, which was great as we could ask about the support offered on the scheme. We also had smaller group meetings with people who work in our most local offices were we could ask about the social side of that office as well as the culture there which was ideal. It sounds great!!

This internship definitely opened my eyes to another option for me in my future career. It is quite different to other work experience/school leaver schemes which is great. It gave me the chance to actually try out the work for myself and get an idea of whether I would be good at it or not. I was also educated on how my future career would look if I carried on with the apprenticeship scheme with EY which was great. The partner who spoke to us was so lovely and it made a career in EY look so interesting and attractive.

Yes. We were paid for this experience which was great because it gave me a taste of how it is to work and earn my own money with a top firm - definitely something I would love the opportunity to experience again! Including tax etc, I received £92.66 for a three day virtual experience. This was something I really appreciated considering how much work they had put into giving us the best experience possible and the biggest learning curve as possible.

Something that the organisers stressed throughout the entire internship was that we should set up LinkedIn profiles if we hadn't already and connect with each other and anyone from EY that we had speeches from. This was really great as we had the chance to learn more about the people we met and their previous experience. Considering it was virtual, this meant that we were able to meet even more people. We also had an online meeting with a group of people in our most local offices were we were able to have a more informalities chat with them which was a great networking experience.

Yes

The culture was so great - the people were so lovely and helped us out with any issues or questions we had. The session held were so educational and I learned so much. They also removed the stereotype of accounting being' boring'. The work we had the opportunity to do ourselves was interesting and I was able to use my analytic skills. We also received feedback on the work we had done which was great. I was also surprised by the fact that we spoke to a number of partners in EY as they actually cared and wanted to give us advice on how to progress with EY. I really enjoyed myself.

To anyone applying to EY, I would say be yourself!! They are looking for people who fit into EY, and if you act unlike yourself you may end up being unhappy and not performing in the best way possible. I would also recommend doing your research about EY. It is so important that you understand as much as you can about the business as possible as this will show that you match the business well and are enthusiastic about working there. This is exactly what an EY interviewer is looking for. Finally, I would recommend writing down all of your notes that you learn in the Business Academy, remembering them and keeping them,. they give you so many transferrable skills and so much knowledge, so try to absorb it all as much as possible and use it to your advantage.