Anthony’s insights into securing an assurance associate role with EY

We recently caught up with Anthony about how he secured an associate assurance role with EY, his top tips for the application process and how Bright Network helped him secure the role.

What stood out to you about EY?

I think EY stood out to me because, firstly, they had a great reputation and the clear quality of training shone through for me. I think this made me certain that it would be a great place to start my career. I also thought that having a large cohort of people in the programme would help me to adapt to working life quickly and I liked the idea of having lots of people to network with. Thirdly, their messaging on social media managed to feed through to me and it made me feel engaged with the company which really attracted me to want to work there. 

How did you make your application stand out?

First of all, when it came to my CV and initial application, I was open about my skills and clear about what experience I had that would be relevant to the role specifically. Secondly, I made it clear that I was a well rounded person with different interests. I don't think any employer wants somebody who is just going to focus on work the whole time. Finally, during the later stages of the process, I ensured that I came across as myself and as a team player that I know I can be. I thought that was really important in the later application stages. 

What part of the application process did you find the most challenging?

I think the final interview was challenging. The experience day (similar to an assessment centre) was quite a nice day as there was a mixture of written and verbal assessment which I felt I could portray my skills well. Whereas, the final interview, of course you can prepare, but the follow up questions are challenging and you need to be ready to think on your feet. However, a general understanding of the role and of the company as well as the industry did really help me. 

How did Bright Network help you secure this role?

Bright Network phoned me up both before the experience day and the final interview. Before the experience day, they gave me some tips about which exercises would be involved. I think that Bright Network particularly helped for understanding how the group exercise would work and what to expect, making sure that I was polished up before the day and didn’t go into it blindsighted. 

Also, I think that Bright Network looked at my skill set and my previous experience and used that to influence the advice you gave me which I thought was really helpful.  Before the final interview, I had somebody who knew about EY itself to speak with so they were able to advise me on articles to look at to prepare for questions surrounding commercial awareness. Overall, I thought it was really valuable advice that not many people could give. 

What top three tips would you give Bright Network members looking to follow in your footsteps?

1. Be transparent with the employer and Bright Network about your skills as well as what you are working on improving. No employers are looking for the finished product yet.
2. Don’t portray an image during the application process. If you try too hard during interviews to put on a front, it comes through. It’s best to just be yourself and think on your own two feet.
3. Speak to your peers and as many other people as you can to get that breadth of knowledge about the role and industry you want to go into. There is no such thing as speaking to too many people when it comes to jobs and starting your career.