Employer profile: EY, one of the 'big four' accounting and consultancy firms

What does it mean to work for an accountancy firm - and is it the place for me? In this guide, you’ll learn all about working at EY and how you can apply if you’re keen.

Nathan Agyekum, who is an Apprenticeship Coach at EY, tells us what it’s really like to work for the company.

What does EY do?

EY is known as one of the top four professional services companies in the world. We have 21,000 people working for us across the UK. There are 17 offices in the UK alone, from Aberdeen to Southampton.

Simply put, EY helps businesses and clients be better. That might be through helping them with their finances, helping them implement new technologies, or finding ways to make their business more efficient.

Where is EY based?

In the UK our Head Office is in London, and we also have offices in Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, Reading, and Southampton! 

But we're an international company, and outside of the UK we have offices in countries from South Africa to the US, Australia to Canada. Across the world, over 365,000 people work for EY.

What is EY’s work environment like?

At EY there’s a real emphasis on wellbeing, which is why we offer flexible working. So you can choose to work either from home, from the office, or from a client's site. For some employees, during their busy season where they have to meet lots of client deadlines, they might be expected to work longer hours. But on the whole, we want to make sure employees don’t take on too much work. 

On the social side, there are lots of societies you can join, including a women’s network, LGBTQ+ network, and faith and race-based networks too.

What does a typical week at EY look like?

At EY, the variety of roles means each week is different for everyone, but you'll always be building your skills. For example, on a Monday, your email management skills come into play as you respond to client and business partner inquiries. On Tuesday, you could be building relationships in client meetings. Wednesday may showcase your presentation skills. Thursday offers the chance to collaborate with colleagues in the office. Finally, on a Friday, you could be studying towards your qualification or wrapping up tasks and preparing for the following week. 

What kind of entry level roles are there and what do they look like?

There are two entry level routes available at EY. One is a one-day or two-day work experience opportunity, called Career Starters, which can be based in an office close to you. This is open for students in Year 11/S4 and Year 12/S5.

Our Career Starters programme gives you on-the-job work experience, including shadowing employees so you can get a sense of what their work involves. Plus, you’ll build up your business skills. On our Career Starters - Financial Futures programme, you’ll learn about our teams in assurance and tax and what life as a business apprentice is like. And on our Career Starters - Female Tech Futures, you’ll hear from some of our inspiring women in technology and get a head start on our digital degree apprenticeship.

If you work hard and impress on the Career Starters programme, you could be fast-tracked onto an apprenticeship programme. So you could potentially start your career straight after school or college with an offer of an apprenticeship.

The other entry level route is through our range of apprenticeships, which we offer in finance, business and technology. We offer these at level 4, level 6 (as a degree apprenticeship), or our level 7 Business Apprenticeship in Accounting and Taxation.

What opportunities for progression are there?

We like to put you in charge of your progression at EY. At the end of your apprenticeship, you'll continue to be a valued member of the team EY. So you could work your way up to become a senior associate, or move to a different area of the business.

What are the entry requirements for these roles?

First of all, it doesn’t matter what you’re studying at sixth form or at college - so don’t worry if you’re not studying business or ICT, for example. As long as you’re studying A levels, BTECs, or Highers, all subjects are welcomed.

For apprenticeships, you’ll need to be studying three A levels, five Highers, or their equivalents. We ask for around 112 UCAS points, but we measure these alongside your scores in our online assessments. So if you do well in the online assessments, you might not need this many UCAS points.

For the Career Starters, you also need to be in Year 11/S4 or Year 12/S5, studying three A levels, five Highers, or their equivalent.

What skills does EY look for in applicants for entry level roles?

At EY, we’re looking for applicants who can show these skills:

• Adaptability
• Learning agility
• Curiosity
• Resilience
• Collaboration
• Motivation
• Integrity
• Relationship building

Aside from this, we’re looking for people who keep up with the news, so they know what’s going on in the world; and have passion and enthusiasm.

Related Unifrog skills:

• Adaptability / Personal effectiveness
• Communication
• Initiative
• Inquisitive / Engaged
• Knowledgeable / Scholarly
• Numeracy
• Observation / Attention to detail
• Responsibility
• Staying positive / Resilience
• Teamwork

What is a top tip to help an entry level applicant succeed at your company?

One top tip is to show your passion about business and technology. If that’s you, it’s a good idea to keep up to date with what EY are doing, as well as being aware of what similar businesses are up to.

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