What it does: One of the ‘Big Four’ global professional services organisations
Staff stats: 300,000 spread across more than 700 offices in 150 countries
The good bits: Opportunities to learn, network, grow and move around within a huge company
The not so good bits: Long hours, especially during busy periods, bureaucracy
Hiring grads with degrees in: Business & Commerce, Engineering, Maths, IT & Computer Sciences; Finance, Accounting, Economics & Business Administration; Law & Legal Studies; Sciences; Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences; Medical & Health Sciences; Property & Built Environment; Teaching, Education & Human Welfare.
The EY story
EY started off in 1849 with the founding of Harding & Pullein in England. Since then, EY has gone through several iterations. In 1989, Ernst & Whinney, a descendant of Harding & Pullein and the world’s fourth-largest accountancy firm, merged with the world’s fifth-largest accountancy firm, Arthur Young, to create Ernst & Young. (In 2013 the name got shortened to EY).
EY’s main service lines are Assurance, Tax, Strategy and Transactions, Consulting and Core Business Services. In contrast to its three major competitors, EY is not centrally managed. Rather it is organised into four regions: EMEIA (Europe, Middle East, India and Africa), Americas, Asia-Pacific and Japan. Each region has the same business structure and its own Area Managing Partner. EY believes this arrangement allows it to more effective service its global clientele. The company has annual revenues in the neighbourhood of US$40 billion.
The culture
In 2020, EY came in at number four on GradAustralia’s list of Top 100 Graduate Employers. Over the years, EY has won a trophy cabinet worth of awards for being a great place to work from publications such as Forbes, BusinessWeek, Fortune and ComputerWorld. It’s also been lavished with recognition for its initiatives to further gender equality, disability inclusion and LGBTI advocacy.
In 2018, EY Australia won employer of the year at the annual Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) awards and is now listed as a Platinum Employer.
Social contribution
EY has a well-earned reputation as a good corporate citizen. It backs programs such as Entrepreneurial Winning Women and Strategic Growth Forum that, respectively, provide encouragement to high-potential female entrepreneurs and facilitate entrepreneurs from around the world meeting up to share their experiences. It also supports education and mentorship programs and environmental efforts. EY’s people are encouraged to engage in skills-based volunteering with this classified as a “key professional development experience”.
The recruitment process
EY seeks to recruit talented people from diverse backgrounds.
You’ll require a bachelor degree in an appropriate discipline with at least a pass average. EY recruits students from many different disciplines, including accounting and finance, business, commerce, economics, engineering, IT and information systems, law and science. Those with psychology and HR degrees are encouraged to apply for the People Advisory Services team.
The process begins by going to the company website to fill out an online application and undertake cognitive and behavioural testing. The next step is to attend an assessment centre to undertake a group activity and interview (expect to have to deal with case-study scenarios and demonstrate industry knowledge). Before applying, you will need to choose to work in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Darwin or Sydney.
Remuneration
Remuneration is on par with the other ‘Big Four’ graduate programs, with salaries in the $50-70,000 range. There are attractive leave arrangements, including generous parental leave, the ability to purchase up to six weeks of extra annual leave and the option to take three months’ unpaid leave to enjoy a ‘career break’. There are flexible working arrangements and discounts on an extensive range of goods and services. EY will pay for or subsidise training and professional memberships. It also has a well-resourced health and wellbeing program that includes free flu shots and cheap gym memberships.
Career prospects
Senior people are encouraged to mentor less experienced people and there’s no shortage of formal and on-the-job training. Although you’ll have to stay in Australia for the duration of your graduate program, there are opportunities to work with people from around the world. Given the size of the business, there are always job opportunities coming up both domestically and internationally. EY sees its greatest asset being “high-performing teams”. If you’re a high performer you can expect to rise through the ranks from a graduate, to senior manager to partner.
The vibe of the place
Being one of 300,000 people in one of the world’s largest businesses means you have to deal with bureaucracy. That noted, EY does what it can to make its people feel valued, in particular by providing the training and coaching they need to advance their careers. It’s a high-performance culture but teamwork is encouraged and most people find the workplace friendly and supportive.
Overall satisfaction rating among grad employees: 3.8 stars
From the Employer:
Why choose your organisation?
We're change agents and entrepreneurs. Performance improvers and problem solvers. Data scientists and game changers. Risk managers and confidence builders. Disruptors and visionaries of tomorrow. We’re 300,000 global perspectives ready to welcome yours.
Here at EY, you’ll build a legacy. You’ll grow your skillset and expand your mindset. You’ll ask better questions to get bet answers. You’ll focus your intelligence and imagination on the most crucial, complex issues facing business, government and society today. And every day you will help build a better working world. With access to on-demand learning, formal training, coaching and real time feedback to help shape your career and prepare you for the future.
The EY exceptional experience. It’s yours to build.
Cadet
As a cadet, you’ll accelerate your development as you combine work with study to get the best of both worlds. Always learning and reaching higher, you’ll be the centre of a supportive team, working on client projects and gaining experiences to help accelerate your studies. Transform your energy into opportunity and by the time you graduate, you’ll be streaks ahead of your peers.
Game Changers Club
You know there’s more to studying than just understanding theory. It’s never too early to look beyond the theory and start exploring how your skills could build into your future career. As a member of the EY Game Changers Club, you’ll be invited to attend events throughout the year and learn about the world today and beyond that, you won’t get from a textbook. You’ll network with business leaders and EY professionals who’ll share insights and stories about the decisions they’ve made in their careers.
Career Compass Program
How can undiscovered opportunities help you discover your best self? Discover your direction with the EY Career Compass Program. During our structured learning sessions, you’ll learn how to evaluate your career options to make smarter decisions for your future. The Career Compass Program experience is designed to give you a first-hand experience of EY, so you can find out as much about us as possible about EY people, culture, how EY teams operate and provide services, and most importantly, how we can help you to build your future. Demonstrate that you’re a high achiever, and you may be invited to interview for the EY Vacationer Program.
Vacationer Program
You want an internship that’s more than a line on a resume. You want an experience, a challenge and a launchpad for lifelong relationships and career growth. You can find that here.
Throughout the program, you’ll hit the ground running with dedicated on-the-job training, coaching and technology onboarding. You’ll work alongside EY professionals on real clients – right now. You’ll get the opportunity to be immersed in EY culture, network with EY people, and experience the transformative work done for EY clients. Plus, the best bit is, if you impress us we’ll offer you a permanent position after you graduate.
Graduate Program
Where do you start if you want to change the world? You start right here. Join us full-time as a graduate and we’ll help you achieve your career goals with continuous support, learning and experiences. We’ll propel you forward so you can start to build the future you want immediately. You’ll enjoy early responsibility, expand your network and build your skills. Just imagine the confidence you’ll gain through new experiences with leading clients in different industries. You’ll get to work with experienced professionals who’ll guide you to be your best. After all, we want to help you be the best you can be, because when you shine, we do too.