Company: EY
Date: 2016-05-06
Overall rating: 4/5
Employment status: former

Not a bad place to start out
Pros: 1. Good immediate peer group if you start on a grad programme (i.e. audit). Everyone is in the same boat.

2. They pay for your (expensive) accounting exams, but beware the strict failure policy!

3. It is reasonably straightforward to build a wider network, by getting noticed on projects and attending training events etc (of which there are a decent amount).

4. Due to point 3, you at least have a shot at working on projects and moving internally - which is more than you get at other places.

5. Scope and variety of work is decent, there is often overlap between divisions (i.e. you could be in audit and you may end up doing some consulting too).

6. Most people are friendly and knowledgeable.

7. Good name to have on your CV.
Cons: 1. Occasionally you will get a workload beasting from your middle managers, who may have mismanaged a project.

2. Some senior managers (i.e. Dir/partner level) are only bothered about the bottom line. So you get a beasting from them too to work longer for less.

3. Due to points 1 and 2, people have a habit of not caring about the client, which leaves the latter dissatisfied. This is embarrassing and disheartening for EY employees when it happens (i.e. bad client feedback).

3. The salary is ok, although not enough to make up for the big hours (if you are doing them).

4. Zero variable pay...the usual 'the economy is rubbish' excuses are used to limit payouts.

5. You will meet some utterly stupid people (who are often the most political/back-stabbing too).