EY Interview Prep

What were EY's latest revenues?

$40 billion with over 300,000 employees in 2021 Services: - Assurance - Tax - Consulting - Strategy

"Go-to" stories:

- Accepted into Burkenroad Report, worked with great team to predict acquisition - Managed clients through claims reporting. negotiated with carriers to find optimal coverage options for clients. Built excel spreadsheet with all carriers and contacts for firm. Saved time and improved efficiency. - Client reported 3 claims at once, had to move him to anther carrier while maintaining coverage benefits. - Senior teammate (Anthony) left, I had to fill his role. His responsibilities were passed down to me. - Forefront: Met with partners in BlackRock to facilitate business relations. - Constructed artificial corral reefs to help restore coastal Louisiana - Financial modeling, excel spreadsheet and forecasting - Python & R programming

Walk me through your resume

- TU Grad, majors and interests - Clark Dodge - Forefront - Burkenroad Reports - PLCSI

Do you have any questions for me?

- Why did you choose EY? - What's your favorite part about working at EY? - What does a great employee at EY look like? - Can you describe the attributes of a highly effective EY employee? - Can you explain to me the next steps in the interview process? - What kind of challenges have you seen arise in this position? - How have people adapted to the changes with the pandemic? - *Always ask one question based on something that has come up. - I recently heard that EY is now carbon negative, wanted to say congratulations, leading by example

What have you been doing between jobs?

- Working for my mom - studying for the SIE Exam

Tell me about a goal you had and how you achieved it.

A goal I had while attending college was to help reconstruct my local community. I did this by serving as an integral part in many clubs and extra curricular activities. Some of what I did was reconstructed properties damaged by hurricane Katrina with Habitat for Humanity. I participated in Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana by constructing artificial coral reefs. I also supported local education through YLC RECreate. - Bring in new clients at my previous position. - Made 50 calls per day and eventually was able to bring in 10 new clients and 5 or so cross sold policies.

Tell Me About a Skill You Have That You Haven't Yet Talked About.

Although very team oriented, I am self-managed and independent thinker. That being said, I'm a problem solver.

Describe a challenge you had at work and how you dealt with or overcame it and what you learned?

Client submited a claim that was previously reported, i deliberated with the carrier, the carrier ended up non-renewing the client and my team had to work to move the client to a new carrier while maintaining coverage benefits. I learned that conflicts do arise, its how you handle the conflict and work towards the goals of the client and organization that defines long term success.

How would you handle conflict within a team?

Conflicts are very present in everyday life, so its important to know how to manage conflict within a team. I like to take a direct approach when addressing conflict within a team. I will work with the parties involved in order to reach a compromise that will benefit both parties as well as the organization as we work to accomplish the task at hand. (STAR) Situation Task Action Result

Current event at EY

EY Helix GLAD, GL anomaly detector (outliers), part of assurance to help audit more accuratly and prevent fraud. https://www.ey.com/en_us/better-begins-with-you/how-an-ai-application-can-help-auditors-detect-fraud Carmine Di Sibio was on CNBC as part of the Milken Institute Conference. He spoke about ESG and its increasing importance to be rooted in the strategy of corporate planning.

Why do you want to work for EY?

EY is a clear leader within the financial services industry, and with so many years of experience, the company has always done things the right way. Such that you are at the forefront of innovation. Your success has been built on strong leadership and impressive contributions from the men and women around the world who make up the EY organization. I also want to work for an organization who's values and ethics are in line with my own. I am someone who always acts with integrity and will always carry out my duties with the team goal in mind, while adhering to the relevant standards and regulations. And finally, to be an employee if EY is something that I would be immensely proud of. - great team environment - great work-life balance - looking for a challenge

What can you tell me about the company?

EY is a professional services firm and one of the Big Four, the others being Deloitte, KPMG, and PwC. EY was founded in 1849 and is headquartered in London England. EY helps organizations capitalize on transformative opportunities and solve their toughest challenges. What sets you apart from the other four is the Globalization, you have four global regions and each has its own independent management structure, as opposed to the other competitors which are more centralized. There's four parts, Tax, Assurance, Consulting, and Strategy and Transactions. 1. Tax: business tax, international tax, transaction tax and tax-related issues associated with people, compliance and reporting and law. 2. Assurance: comprising Audit, Financial Accounting Advisory Services (FAAS) and Forensic & Integrity Services - address risk and complexity while identifying opportunities to enhance trust in the capital markets. Help protect and promote sustainable, long-term value for stakeholders 3. Consulting: building a better working world by realizing business transformation through the power of people, technology and innovation. By placing humans at the center, leveraging technology at speed and enabling innovation at term-44scale, our clients are transforming to realize long-term value for people, business and society as a whole. 4. Strategy & Transactions: enables clients to navigate complexity by reimagining their eco-systems, reshaping their portfolios and reinventing themselves for a better future. With global connectivity and scale, we drive corporate strategy, capital allocation and transaction advisory through execution to enable fast-track value creation. We support the flow of capital across borders and help bring new products and innovation to market. In doing so, we enable our clients to build a better working world by fostering long-term value. - "Building a better working world" - CEO: Carmine Di Sibio --> encouraging ESG in corporate strategy at Milken Institute Conference - Entrepreneur of the year award - Fortune 500 company - HQ in London, England

What interests you about Ernst and Young?

EY's investment in the community. And vision to help organizations reach both their short term and long term goals with the well-being of their stakeholders in mind.

Structured Finance

Financial law that manages leverage and risks. Strategies may involve legal and corporate restructuring, off balance sheet accounting, or the use of financial instruments.

Finance Transformation (FT) Service

Financial services organizations must decide now to improve the function's current capabilities and outcomes to bring better insights and P&L impacts to internal decision-makers and external stakeholders. help clients stay on top of industry trends, drive value creation and enable growth, while concurrently maintaining regulatory compliance and promoting efficient processes and results. - Dynamic planning and profitability improvement - Regulatory reporting - Controllership and finance operations - Finance strategy - Emerging trends (ESG)

If you joined the team here at EY, how would you build relationships with those that you would be working closely with?

From my first day on the job, I would take the time to break the ice with my colleagues by introducing myself and setting up an individual meeting with each person. In the past, I've done these meetings over lunch or in an office where I've had questions prepared for me to get to know the person both personally and professionally. I want to ask my colleagues what they expect from me and what I can expect from them. I've found that these conversations really help to open up doors for working with each other moving forward. Being the new person on the job can be a very high-anxiety time for some people, but I love the opportunity to break the ice with my coworkers by making that first contact. I think it's important to get to know each other personally because we spend so much of our lives together in the workplace. Beyond that first ice-breaking conversation, I then focus on developing positive work relationships through demonstrating a consistent work ethic and helping others on my team to show that I am a true team player

So you were recommended by Jenni. How do you know Jenni?

From school, also know Greg M, Michael Aberman...

Government & Public Sector (GPS)

GPS provides a full range of consulting and audit services to help our Federal, State, Local and Education clients implement new ideas to help achieve their mission outcomes

Tell me about a time when someone asked you to do something unethical.

Had a client, one of my smaller accounts, ask me to write him proof of coverage for his brother who did not have an active insurance policy in place. I believe I handled this role professionally as I respectfully told my client that that was out of the question as it would have immense legal repercussions.

Who are E&Y' s Largest Clients

Hewlett Packard Verizon General Motors AT&T Walmart Lockheed Martin Coca Cola Updated for 2021. I want this job sooo bad.

Tell me about yourself and why you'll be a good fit for this position with Ernst & Young?

I am a very hard and determined worker who always puts the goals and objectives of my employer above everything else. I have developed into an individual who can work under pressure given deadlines in order to reach targets. I am also a solid team worker with competent communication skills, I can deal with difficult clients and stakeholders, and I always ensure the work I do is accurate and error free. I am someone who will build the right relationships with your clients; I will always do things ethically and in the correct manner; I will always work energetically as part of a team to achieve the goals of the organization; and finally, I will definitely step up and take the lead when a situation required me to do so.

Where do you see yourself in 5 year's time?

I hope to see myself as an expert in my field and continuing to learn and develop new skills within the industry.

Tell me about yourself.

I love goooooolllddd. and numbers.

How would you deal with a difficult client while working for EY?

I understand that I will be representing a professional and value driven organization. I will act with professionalism, honesty, and integrity at all times. It will be important for me to listen to them, get to the bottom of any concerns they may have, and then find a solution to any issues that were preventing us from moving forward. In the end, I would take lead and be confident and resilient in my actions, and focus purely on the end goal and what it was we were trying to achieve.

Tell Me About a Time You Disagreed With Someone's Point of View And How You Managed That.

I would get in disagreements all the time with clients regarding reporting claims. My clients would be skeptical to report minor incidents to the insurance company. They would worry that this would cause a spike in their premium. I would assure my client that being transparent is the best way to stay protected if something were to come from the incident. The carrier would not cover an incident if the client withheld the information from them. Because of this, I know that its important to provide my professional opinion to help them make the best choices for their business objectives.

How do you manage multiple conflicting tasks at once?

I would strive to prevent conflicting tasks by planning ahead. But in the event of a multiple tasks conflicting, I would work smarter, not harder. And stay longer with the team if necessary. I would also focus on the business and client impact of each tasks and address them as such. I operate with raw determination and grit, so I would have no problem getting a lot of stuff done. In fact I have been in many situations where I have faced such an issue. Its important to keep a level head and stay focused on whats most important.

Give an example of a challenge you faced and how you overcame it.

In my last position, a colleague of mine, who was with the company for over 5 years, made the decision to leave the firm. With that, I was given much of his daily responsibilities and was handed down all of his client accounts. I over came this new workload by being transparent with my new clients. I worked through them one by one as needed to introduce myself and let them know that I was to be helping them going forward. I assured them that they would received my full attention and to contact me with any questions or concerns. I learned that when facing a challenge its important to stay calm and confident in providing services.

Give me an example of a time when you were working in a team, and a team member wasn't meeting their responsibilities (and how you handled it.)

In school, I was working with a team over the duration of the semester. One of my teammates was not pulling their own weight. They were very unresponsive when responding to emails and text. We eventually made the decision to address this teammate regarding his work ethic by explaining that his actions would negatively effect the entire team. From then on he was much better at working collaboratively and we actually ended up performing very well in the course.

Give me an example of a time when you were in a moral dilemma and how you handled it.

Leaving my previous job without having anything lined up. Handled it with confidence as I knew that this was my best decision going forward. I wanted to shift my career and at the same time focus my efforts to finding a company where I saw my self long term.

What factors would you consider as part of an organization's long-term liability?

Long-term liabilities are an important component for measuring a firm's financial leverage. I always calculate a firm's ratio of long-term debt to assets and a ratio of long-term debt to current liabilities to get an assessment of a firm's overall financial health. Examples of long-term liabilities that I look at are long-term bonds, of course, as well as long-term loans, capital leases, and any credit line that's greater than one year.

Forefront Wealth Management

Managed risk of client portfolios by exploring various asset classes. Performed investment research on equities and alternatives. Created investment presentations for upper management. I also frequently met with clients to facilitate business relations.

Describe a Time You Contributed to a High-Performing Team.

Perform very well in team environments. Love working with people and hearing their perspective on particular projects to best go about achieving a goal. Burkenroad report - served as an analyst as well as team spokesperson, managed team communications - Eventually lead to the accurate prediction of the firms acquisition

PLCSI

Professional liability consulting service. Managed client accounts, negotiated with underwriters, and handled the renewal of client policies while ensuring accuracy and adhering to appropriate regulations.

Golf Club

Recorded receipts and promote products and set up events with LSU at Audubon course.

Burkenroad Reports

Selected to participate in securities research program. Worked within a team of 4 to develop a continuing coverage report on the local Louisiana bank holding company Midsouth. Ran valuations, projected cash flows, and interviewed management.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Strengths: - One of my greatest strengths is that I am extremely well versed in Microsoft Excel. I got into Microsoft Excel at a young age and made it a learning point during college. I took various financial modeling and accounting courses in order to become well versed in the subject. This also lead to my interest in programming and I learned how to run a script using Macros which introduced me to other programing languages for statistical modeling. I think this can be beneficial to EY as it presents a factually based way to approach situations. - Financial literacy - Team work - Work at pace: I understand it is important while working at EY to ensure the work being carried out is accurate and in line with policy and regulations. - Capital Markets Weaknesses: - A weakness of mine is my high attention to detail. Might spend too much time on any one particular task. However, this is something that I am aware of and am cognizant of when working on projects. - One of the weaknesses I'm aware of it 'taking on too much responsibility'. I enjoy helping others whenever I can and sometimes I'll maximize my work load. However, this is something that I am consciously aware of and actively work to improve. I have been working on this by being cognizant of my work-life balance. This is not to say that I avoid additional responsibility, but I will keep this in mind when accepting additional responsibility.

What are the EY's values?

Team work - People who demonstrate integrity, respect, and teaming - People with energy, enthusiasm, and courage to lead - People who build relationships based on doing the right thing Another thing you can mention about Ernst and young is their purpose. Their purpose is to build a better working world.

When was Ernst and Young founded?

The earliest founding date for a member firm of Ernst and young was in 1849. In that year the firm was joined by Frederick Whinney. He later named the firm Whinney Smith and Whinney in 1894. In 1903 Ernst & Ernst was established in the united states. Arthur Young found his firm in the United States in 1906. Ernst later merged with Whinney in 1924. Ernst and Whinney merged with Arthur Young in 1989 to form Ernst and young.

What does Ernst and young do?

They provide audit, tax and consulting services to the largest companies in the world. They make it their corporate effort to help their clients keep up to date with innovation, corporate strategy, tax reporting, and regulations. They are in the business of helping corporations. You also help promote growth within the surrounding communities by working with the organizations within them. *Building a better working world.

How well do you work in a team setting?

Thrive in team settings. Love meeting people and working with them. I received immense internal gratification from knowing that I worked collaboratively to help my team reach their goal in a reasonable and accurate manner.

Think back over your career up to today and tell me about the most difficult day on the job you encountered. What made the day difficult and how did you handle that situation?

Upon arriving to work in the morning after a rather intense storm, I quickly learned that our entire network was down, and we wouldn't be able to work within ACT or other programs that day. Many of my coworkers were visibly upset and questioning how we would be able to do our jobs that day. Rather than joining the crowd and freaking out about the situation, I huddled our group to discuss solutions to the workday. We had found out that the network likely wouldn't be fully up and running until the end of the week. While some colleagues called it quits and went home, I helped brainstorm how we could keep our phone lines open, and my boss was very grateful for my efforts that day. Looking back, what made this the most difficult for me was seeing how others responded so negatively over an issue that we had no control over. Looking back, I learned that on days where you have to break routine as we did then, that it was important to make a plan as early as possible.

How Has Your Experience Prepared You for This Role?

Well rounded individual, have a very diverse background. From professional consulting to wealth management. Financial modeling background. I have a wide range of experiences in the financial industry. My last role taught me professional client interaction and my various internships taught me how to work effectively in teams while having a solid working knowledge about how companies operate.

Clark Dodge Asset Management

Worked with a team to perform technical analysis on publicly traded equities. Presented trade ideas and recommendations to senior management.

Can you explain this gap in your resume?

Yes, absolutely. After being with my last employer for over a year, my boss wanted me to get licensed in P&C and I didn't see myself staying in the insurance industry even though this is something that I was transparent about. There was no room for internal growth and I knew I was faced with a difficult decision. After considering my options, I made the decision to leave the firm and focus my efforts at transitioning my career with an organization that I can see myself staying at until the foreseeable future. keep it very positive and forward looking. Hence the short gap in my resume.