Hi Jack! I have had the lucky opportunity to work at PwC, KPMG and EY so far! I would say all the firms are very big and excellent in their own way but for me, EY had a big focus on diversity which was important to me. Also, I felt that the 'people culture' here was great compared to my other experiences. Everyone is very friendly regardless of level in the firm and there are countless opportunities no matter how new you are!

13 February, 2019 17:01

Hi, I was just wondering which company would be best suited if I wanted to go into chartered accountancy?

13 February, 2019 17:07

Hi Sumail, You mentioned EY has a focus on diversity. Can you elaborate more on diversity at EY?

13 February, 2019 17:11

Hi Christina, there is a big Diversity & inclusiveness agenda at EY. That agenda consists of amazing things such as 'Smart futures' which provides opportunities for people who are coming from backgrounds such as living in an area where going to university rate is very low. In terms of diversity, EY are very open and amazing when it comes to accepting people across all backgrounds and cultures.Walking around the firm you often meet people from all cultures which really stood out to me and was important.

13 February, 2019 17:15

My pleasure!

13 February, 2019 17:17

Hi Sumail, thank you for answering.
What is the ACA qualification and which year will I need to complete it? I am currently in year 12.

13 February, 2019 17:18

Hi Amina, if you are looking to join the EY School Leaver scheme then you start studying towards your ACA qualification as soon as you leave school. This will consist of studying and working your day-to-day job. The ACA qualification is essentially what you need to learn and study to become a qualified chartered accountant under 'ICAEW' . Here is a link to learn more https://www.icaew.com/learning-and-development/aca.You would complete this in 4.5 years from the age you join. Here is a link to the school leavers scheme https://ukcareers.ey.com/students/programmes/apprenticeships. You will need to apply to this in year 13. If you want to join as a grad then the scheme is 3 years for you to be fully qualified,.

13 February, 2019 17:21

Is the course for 4.5 years or 3 years? Alongside that, after I receive my qualification will I need additional work experience in order to reach the highest paid bracket for chartered accountancy?

13 February, 2019 17:25

4.5 Years if you join as a school leaver. So essentially if you join straight out of school and you are 18- you will be fully qualified by 22.5. Where as if you join as a grad, you would then qualify at the age of 24 given your university course is 3 years. Hope that makes sense!

13 February, 2019 17:28

Thank you, which one would you recommend to do?

13 February, 2019 17:30

Depends on what you want, to be completely honest. If you want to have a degree and want the university life then by all means go to uni! Personally, I wanted to be a chartered accountant as quickly as possibly, so for me it made sense to come as a school leaver. The benefits for me were that I would qualify 1.5 years earlier than anyone my age. I would have earned a good salary across my 4 years compared to being in debt if I went to uni. Also the apprenticeship is considered to be 'Level 7' which means that it is equivalent to a 'Masters degree'. So it just made sense for me personally but depends what you really want Amina. One thing to note is that no one treats you differently if you are a school leaver and not a university student. You both end up at the same place ultimately.

13 February, 2019 17:34

Haha. I completely understand. Took me a couple months to choose. I would recommend you sitting down and just making a quick advantages vs disadvantages list for Uni and the School Leaver route. Be open minded and just think about what will work for you more. Do let me know if you have any questions about being an apprentice.

13 February, 2019 17:38

I'm still in year 12 so I guess I have more time to think about it. Do you mind telling me what the average salary would be if I got a level 7 degree and wanted to go into work straight away. What was the pay which EY offered you for the years of apprenticeship with them?

13 February, 2019 17:39

If you are on the school leavers programme then you essentially already have a job. The scheme is a mix of work and study. The salary for London is £21,800 for your first year. Goes up every year but once you qualify, it is £49,000. Not sure about regions out of London.

13 February, 2019 17:41

So once I am out of work and can work as a chartered accountant, is my highest salary £49,000? Sorry I searched it up and thought the final outcome from it would be higher.
Since I am in year 12, I am currently doing maths, economics and geography. Do I need AAA to join EY?

13 February, 2019 17:43

Hi both, just responding on here regarding salary. As you work through the programme, your salary will be reviewed against your performance, so although typically it will increase as you gain experience and knowledge, salaries are also subject to market conditions too.
At this stage, we're unable to commit to what that figure will be at the end of your programme, as it will depend on a number of factors but the starting salary for apprentices is up to £21,750, depending on location.

Amina- regarding our entry requirements, we ask that you have gained 3 A -Levels, five Scottish Highers or equivalent by the time the programme starts.

13 February, 2019 17:48

Hi, I worked at a large general insurance firm for several months before joining EY.
Compared to my previous employer, I would say that EY has a greater collaborative environment. For example, as a department, we have frequent meetings to share knowledge on hot topics. These allow us to build our commercial awareness and provide greater insight to our clients. We also have groups who each focus on a certain area of actuarial work, such as Reserving and Audit, Capital and Transactions. As long as you have an interest, anyone is able to join.
Furthermore, in my experience, EY places a significant emphasis on personal and professional development. Every quarter, within my project team(s), we have goal setting meetings and both provide and receive feedback. We each get a counsellor too, whose role is to help us get what we want out of our career.
Lastly, in my opinion, EY has a much faster-paced environment compared to my previous company. I’ve been placed on multiple projects at the same time, worked towards tighter deadlines and have had to juggle this along with side-of-desk (extra-curricular) work.

03 April, 2023 21:03