Hi Tayyaba,

The best bit of advice I can give might sound cliche, but that is because it's true - be yourself! I found that most of the online assessments focused less on accountancy/audit knowledge and more on your general skills and qualities that would transfer well to a career in assurance. For any questions that have written answers, make sure you definitely answer the question and try to give examples of where you have demonstrated those abilities. There are some numerical questions in some of the online assessments - I would say don't panic, make sure you leave yourself enough time to answer everything, and review your answers before you submit.

The assessment centre is probably the most unique part of the application process. When I did one a few years back, it involved a group task and an individual task. The individual task was similar to the online assessments, so everything I've said above still applies. I found the group task a bit more challenging - it can be really tempting to try and stand out to assessors. My advice would be to focus on working effectively with your group members - communicate well, make sure you complete your tasks, and try to support others if they need it. Remember, one of the key aspects of working in assurance is being part of an audit team - showing you can work alongside others is the most important aspect of the task.

My interview involved a brief presentation, some follow-up questions, and then some standard interview questions. There were a choice of three questions for the presentation topic - if I remember correctly, they were less about your technical knowledge and more about your knowledge of (and ability to research) your chosen service line. Again, do not panic if something goes wrong - I couldn't get my camera to work during my interview, and yet I was still successful because I managed to deliver my presentation regardless. There was only one question about technical aspects of an audit, so don't stress if you don't have any accountancy experience. In my most recent engagement, my manager was still stressing this to me - EY have so many resources to help you learn how to do an audit; it's far more important to demonstrate the right attitude and willingness to learn than to know how to audit accruals on your first day!

Best of luck in your application - for what it's worth, reaching out to us via this platform already demonstrates a curious mindset and willingness to learn: two aspects that are essential for a successful career in assurance!

24 February, 2025 12:50

Hi Tayyaba,

Thanks so much for your question. Since university, I have had a passion for audit and have been interested to learn more about the profession, so I love that I now have the opportunity to work on real audit clients and see how the audit process actually works in practice. Since starting at EY in September, I have had a great experience and have loved working on various audit clients who operate in numerous different sectors, which has given me a wider insight into these industries and how they work. I believe that working at EY, no day is the same. You will be working on various different audit engagements, and different tasks within each, which is great to widen the breadth of your audit knowledge. I have also found it very beneficial coming into the office three to four times a week as I can communicate in-person with my team and also socialize with my peers. However, EY have a flexible working policy which is also beneficial.

With regards to top tips, I would reiterate what Ross has said above and just be yourself. When you come into this job, you are not expected to have lots, if any, audit knowledge as you will be taught everything you need to know from scratch. Instead, qualities which will make you stand out include communication skills, problem solving and having a curious mindset. This will highlight that you can work well both individually and in a team - vital for a successful career in audit!

I wish you the best with your application and if you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask 😃

14 March, 2025 11:24