Company: EY
Date: 2016-10-20
Overall rating: 1/5
Employment status: former
Experience level: Junior

Terrible Graduate Programme
Pros: Name on CV - it's a decent (if unremarkable) place to start.
Cons: It's not a rotation programme, it's a job recruitment agency where you've surrendered all your choice (including on location). My colleagues, especially some of the bright ones, were put into menial jobs (mainly secretarial ones) in very low level banking operation departments. I found myself working below people younger than me and without degrees in a small back office of Lloyds in the middle of nowhere with no chance of moving. 

The atmosphere soured on the scheme almost immediately; there is constant discussion about when the graduates are going to leave and there will be a mass exodus after the obligatory 2 years. I've been told that those who dared to leave before (and there are already quite a few!) and break contract were subjected to punitive financial measures unbecoming of a large organisation. 

EY throw out the necessary 'jargon' of the day, particularly in regards to digital technology but please note that EY is actually more bureaucratic and hierarchical than any company I've ever worked for. I feel alienated at work, although I've barely been into the office as I've been outsourced as a contractor to Lloyds Banking Group since day 1.