How to Apply for EY Internships in 2024
Updated January 12, 2024
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EY (formerly known as Ernst and Young) is a global professional services firm and part of the big four professional services firms along with PwC, Deloitte, and KPMG. The firm provides accounting, advisory, and consulting services to clients across all industry sectors.
As a large employer, EY recruits individuals at all levels of experience, including school leavers, those at university, graduates, and experienced professionals.
The EY Internship programme is popular for those still at university looking to gain paid work experience in professional services.
This article explores the different internship opportunities at EY, what the internship involves, and tips to help you secure a position on the EY internship programme.
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What Is the EY Summer Internship?
The EY Summer internship is a structured four to five-week paid work placement within one of EY's business areas. The internships run globally in each of the firm's business areas:
These include:
- Assurance
- Tax
- Advisory
- Consulting
- Strategy
Summer internships are open to undergraduates in their penultimate year of study, giving them an insight into the type of work EY does and a taster of what it's like to be in the graduate program.
Located in offices throughout the UK and globally, the summer internship programme enables students to build their networks within the firm and develop their commercial acumen in addition to the soft skills that EY looks for in its graduates.
This insight enables students to access EY graduate opportunities and potentially secure a graduate role before vacancies open.
All students on the EY summer internship are supported by a buddy or mentor and benefit from having hands-on experience working with EY employees at all levels of seniority.
For EY, the purpose of the program is to act as an early talent feeder. The summer internship programme helps EY identify top talent, recruiting these students onto the EY graduate programme before they return to university to complete the final year of their degree.
Which EY Internship Program to Choose?
EY runs internship programmes in all of its core business areas:
- Assurance
- Consulting
- Strategy and Transactions
- Tax
Each of these areas is further subdivided into specialist areas that provide specific services to clients.
EY Summer Internship in Assurance
The Assurance practice at EY offers summer internships in five areas lasting five weeks.
The summer internship role in each of these areas of Assurance enables students to develop their report writing, teamwork, and communication skills, as well as participate in a client case study.
Internships in Assurance give students an insight into financial audit, business transformation, and identifying and mitigating IT-related risks.
Candidates applying to the climate change and sustainability summer internship build their understanding of sustainable financial practices and the regulations that govern this.
Summer internships run in Assurance at EY run in the following business areas:
- Core Assurance (Financial Audit)
- Financial Advisory Accounting Services
- Technology Risk
- Climate Change and Sustainability
- Extended Assurance (Risk and Controls)
EY Summer Internship in Tax
There are four business areas running EY summer internships. These internships enable students to gain a greater understanding of tax and the implications of tax and regulations on EY clients.
Summer internships in tax are generally four weeks in length and enable students to network with specialists in the area they are working with.
Tax EY summer internships run in the following business areas:
- People Advisory Services (PAS)
- Tax
- Law
- Tax Technology & Transformation
EY Summer Internship in Consulting
Twelve business areas in Consulting run summer internship programmes. Each of these areas enables individuals to build their knowledge and understanding of the type of projects each area focuses on.
Summer internship students develop time management skills and participate in projects that build their consulting and people-related skills.
EY consulting internships run in the following business areas:
- Actuarial (Life) and Actuarial (Non-Life)
- Business Consulting
- Enterprise Risk
- Cyber Security
- PAS (Workforce Advisory)
- Technology Consulting
- Technology Risk
- Sustainable Finance Transformation
- Financial Modelling
- Extended Assurance
- Financial Advisory Accounting Services
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EY Summer Internship in Strategy & Transactions
With five EY summer internships in the Strategy and Transactions business area, students develop their business skills, financial acumen, and relationship-building skills.
Internships enable students to build specialist economic knowledge as applicable to EY clients, use their data analysis skills on projects, and develop specialist skills such as financial modelling.
This area requires individuals to have a high level of industry-related knowledge, meaning students build their commercial awareness.
EY summer internships in strategy & transactions run in the following areas:
- Economic Advisory
- Valuations
- Corporate Finance
- Transaction Diligence
- Turnaround and Restructuring Strategy
EY Summer Internship Deadlines 2024
All summer internship opportunities at EY start in early summer. Candidates entering their penultimate year of study can register their interest for EY summer internship vacancies here. These vacancies are expected to open in early Autumn.
How to Apply for an Ernst and Young Internship
EY runs a structured multi-stage recruitment process for all its summer internship vacancies. This process is similar to those applying for graduate and industrial placements with EY.
Step 1. Find Your Chosen EY Summer Internship Online
Find your preferred vacancy by searching for the open summer internship vacancies on the EY website.
Ensure you select a vacancy that meets your skills, interests, and potential long-term career goals.
Step 2. Fill Out the Online Application
Complete the application form attached to the vacancy you wish to apply for. Ensure you meet any job requirements and complete all sections of the application form. In addition, ensure you include up-to-date contact details and proofread your application before submitting it.
Step 3. Complete Assessments
Those successful at the application stage are invited to complete a series of online assessments.
These assessments include various tests such as numerical reasoning (depending on the EY summer internship programme applied to).
Candidates are also required to complete a virtual recorded interview.
Step 4. Attend the EY Experience Day
Candidates who meet the required benchmarks in the assessment stages will be invited to participate in the EY Experience Day. This session is usually held virtually and comprises a series of exercises.
Candidates will participate in a group assessment, presentation, or case study exercise, depending on their applied role.
These exercises enable students to demonstrate their skills and competencies as aligned to those required for the summer internship role they applied for.
Step 5. Attend a Final Interview
The EY final interview often forms part of the EY experience day and is held with a senior hiring team member.
Candidates will be asked questions on their motivations for applying to EY, their strengths, and how they can use these on the summer internship to make a valuable contribution.
It is also an opportunity for individuals to ask questions on the role and EY as an employer.
Step 6. Receive an Offer
Those successful at the EY experience day and interview are made an offer to join the summer internship programme.
It is worth remembering that EY is a responsible employer. Any candidates who require reasonable adjustments should notify the EY recruitment team with details of any adjustments they need.
Adjustments can range from additional time in assessments to variations in the assessment format. It is essential to notify the team well before attending any assessment so the most appropriate adjustment can be made.
Tips to Help With Your EY Internship Application
Competition for internships at EY can be fierce. Researching, preparing, and tailoring your application can make a big difference to your chances of standing out and securing your desired internship.
Here are some tips to help you make the most of your EY application:
Understand EY’s Company Culture and How It Aligns With Your Own Values
It is essential to research EY as an organisation. This means looking at EY's values, mission, and culture.
Personalise your research and be able to explain how and why EY's values align with your own.
This can include any specific initiatives, awards, or projects that demonstrate their commitment to particular values that are important to you, such as diversity and sustainability.
Build Your Knowledge of EY
Connect with current or former EY interns or employees on professional networking platforms like LinkedIn.
Develop your knowledge and understanding of the business area you have applied for and what a successful candidate in this area does.
Be Aware of Deadlines
Create a detailed schedule for the application process. Start early to avoid last-minute stress. Allow extra time for unexpected issues, such as technical issues.
Set deadlines for drafting your application form. Ensure you have access to any academic documents detailing your award dates and complete all required online forms and assessments well in advance of the deadline.
Tailor Your Application to the Role
Read the internship job description carefully to understand the skills and qualifications they're seeking.
Use specific examples from your past experiences to show how you possess the desired qualities.
Practise Online Assessment
Practising assessments helps give you confidence and familiarise yourself with the format and style of questions in a test.
Make sure you find out what types of assessments you will be asked to complete.
Practice these, such as the numerical reasoning assessment.
Refresh your memory of any concepts you may use in the numerical test.
Prepare for Interviews
Prepare for interviews by reviewing common interview questions. EY uses behavioural and situational questions.
Prepare examples aligned to the skills and competencies needed for the role that showcase your skills and experiences using the STAR technique.
In answering the questions, it is important to explain why you want a summer internship at EY and what it is about working at EY that appeals to you. In doing so, you demonstrate your commitment to the summer internship and to working with EY.
The EY summer internship commences in early summer each year. Exact start dates for each business area will be communicated to candidates after they have received an offer for a summer internship position.
The closing date for EY summer internships varies according to the business area. For details, check the EY website once the EY Summer Internship vacancies have opened.
To apply for EY internships, research EY's culture and apply for the role that meets your interests and career goals. Complete the application form, ensuring you meet the job requirements. Make sure to practice online assessments before taking any assessments.
If invited to attend the EY experience day and interview, ensure to prepare for interviews by being able to outline why you have applied to EY and what skills you can bring to the role.
The Ernst and Young internship varies in length depending on the business area. In general, internships last between four to five weeks.
EY recruiters endeavour to contact all candidates as soon as they can regarding the status of their applications. The exact timelines vary depending on the time of year and business area.
Candidates can check the status of their applications by logging into their EY recruitment account.
All EY summer internships are paid placements. Internship students are paid a competitive salary and have the opportunity to develop their skills and network with EY employees.
To secure an EY internship, it is essential to research the firm's culture and values. Tailor your application to the specific role, practice online assessments, and prepare for interviews. Ensuring attention to detail and alignment with EY's expectations are crucial to success.
Final Thoughts
EY is a large professional services firm offering numerous summer internship opportunities across its main business areas. Internships are open to those in their penultimate year of study.
The firm runs a thorough application process evaluating individuals through assessments including an application form, online tests, interviews, and the EY experience day.
Preparing for each stage of the process is essential to give yourself the best opportunity to stand out.
Ensure you apply to a summer internship that aligns with your skills and interests and make sure you understand what the business area you are applying for does.
Tailoring your application and practising the tests you will be asked to complete ensures you get through the early stages of the recruitment process.
Demonstrating your understanding of EY's values, and culture and how these align with your own helps your EY internship application stand out from other applicants.
