EY
39 opportunities
Australia
Isobel
Bachelor, Commerce
Consultant, Strategy and Transactions at EY
My name is Isobel and I’m a consultant in the Strategy and Transactions service line and part of the Turnaround and Restructuring Strategy team. I studied a Bachelor of Commerce with a double major in accounting and finance at the University of Western Australia, graduating in 2020. I joined as a graduate earlier this year after completing the Vacationer Program.
What’s a typical day for you?
Our team works with companies from every industry who face an array of difficulties. The challenges business might face can be macroeconomic or geopolitical changes, competitor innovation or changing stakeholder expectations. We work with companies to review their financial position and operations to then form a strategy to restructure or wind down the business whilst preserving value for creditors such as employees.
Every aspect of a company needs to be considered when looking at their position. We work alongside banks, lawyers, key stakeholders and directors to understand the businesses and the challenges they’re facing. We also work with creditors, suppliers and government bodies such as the ATO and ASIC to get an overall picture of the businesses position.
A day in our team might consist of drafting correspondence to government bodies, creating and maintaining a cash flow, reviewing litigation matters and liaising with lawyers or working with the business to understand operations.
Describe the culture at EY
EY understands that people have commitments outside of work and actively encourages work life balance and flexibility. Working from home is available in my team and service line. EY has so many opportunities outside of day to day work. There is volunteering with EY Ripples, sponsored further education and secondments to EY offices around the world. These opportunities create a culture where you are encouraged to develop both personally and professionally.
What’s been one highlight to date?
My first networking event at EY was with lawyers from an organisation we work closely with, we played beach volleyball! It was a great informal way to break the ice and get to know them better whilst being in the fresh air.
What’s a tip you would give to incoming graduates and vacationers?
Be open to any opportunity you’re given and make the most of what’s on offer at EY. This might be working with another team or attending professional events. Every experience will be an opportunity to meet people and learn something new.
Catherine Ma
My name is Catherine and I started at EY as a vacationer in November 2022. I’m now working in the Finance team under FSO Consulting and I studied a Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics, majoring in Economics at UNSW.
What was the biggest surprise transitioning into a graduate role from a vacationer role at EY?
The biggest surprise for me transitioning from a vacationer to a graduate role was finding out about all the different learning opportunities available at EY. The internship definitely provided me with a glimpse since I had the chance to complete an EY Bronze Learning Badge and also sign up for a Ripples initiative, however once becoming a graduate there were just so many more, including learning guides, Udemy, Coursera and training specific for certain applications.
Describe a typical day for you in EY in your team.
There really isn’t a typical day for me, and it’s one of the main reasons why I love consulting so much. In the finance team, we could be working on accounting and reporting, data analysis, business analysis, finance architecture and systems, gap analysis, implementation processes, or even sustainable finance, just to mention a few. And we use a multitude of applications too, including Excel one day, PowerPoint the next and anything in between. I’ve worked with PowerBI, Anaplan, ARIS and a multitude of other applications!
What do you enjoy the most about work at EY?
Definitely the diversity of projects and people. Having the opportunity to work on different projects and with other teams really keeps the work interesting and presents lots of great learning opportunities. And because of EY’s global reach, it’s always really cool when you get to connect and work with people from all over the world.
If you could go back in time and give your university self some advice, what would it be?
Work hard, play hard! This would be some general advice that I think always works well, but it’s especially important to strike the perfect balance which essentially comes down to each person as an individual. Everyone knows how hard they work and play so just always checking in and seeing that both elements are being taken care of to the right degree.
What is your top tip for incoming graduates or vacationers at EY?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and contribute your ideas. It can be really daunting at times, and imposter syndrome can sometimes be a real challenge, but the team is always there to support you. Be brave, be proactive and it’ll really pay dividends.