Interview tips

We want you to be the best you can be in your interview with EY. Use our interview tips to put your best possible self forward and show us what makes you, you.

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Be open to opportunities and experiences. With each experience, you’ll learn something new, make a connection, create a network and open up new possibilities that weren’t there before.

Anne-Marie Balfe

EY Global People Advisory Services Talent Leader; EY Global Managed Services Talent Leader

 

Where should I start?

Get to know EY. Explore the organisation to understand future growth plans, areas of focus, service lines and perspectives. EY.com is a great place to start, but you should also follow our social media channels for the very latest and best on everything EY. Many EY leaders are quite active on social media, as well, so take a moment to follow them on LinkedIn and Twitter, where you can explore their perspectives and read their thought leadership.

If you’re currently an undergraduate or graduate student, you may want to attend a campus event or career fair to meet us in person or visit your campus career services office. You can find all important campus dates here.

Use your existing network to speak to anyone you may already know at EY. If you’re a student, consider speaking to peers who have participated in one of our student programs, or professors who may have experience with EY. This will help you gain firsthand insight into individual experiences that online research can’t provide and help demonstrate your commitment to the role.

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Our interview tips

  • How do I search and apply for a role?

    Students can click here for job search, and experienced hire candidates can click here to search jobs by keyword or location. You can create and manage a profile in the EY system, upload your CV/resume and even track your submissions.

    Before you apply, remember to think of your application as a whole piece of work rather than just answering each individual question, to make sure you’ve captured a full range of your skills and experiences.

    You should submit a separate application for every role in which you are interested, as each position is managed separately. If you don’t find an opportunity right now, you can set up a job alert to receive notifications when roles of interest to you become available. Some service lines also have an option for you to submit an expression of interest, which will keep your details and CV/resume on file for when any relevant vacancies open up in the future.

    You can apply for any open position(s) you see in any of the 150+ countries in which we have offices. Your eligibility will depend on the qualification requirements, employment laws, work permit and/or visa requirements. All this information will be in the online job description

    When you submit your application online, we'll immediately send you an e-mail confirmation that your information has been successfully received. If your qualifications and experience match our requirements, a recruiter will contact you to discuss your CV/resume in more detail. Because we receive so many applications, we can’t make personal contact with everyone who applies for a position.

  • What if my application leads to an interview?

    If you’ve been invited to an interview, then you’ve already impressed us, and the next step is to get to know each other better to see if we’ll make a good match. Your interview experience at EY may be a mix of in-person, video and phone interviews, so that we have ample opportunity to engage.

    We want to attract the best talent to join EY teams, so our interviews are designed to be challenging. However, we also want them to be interesting and relevant to provide you with an exceptional candidate experience that helps you get to know us, too.

    We hire for our future success – and for yours.

  • Relax. We want the real you.

    It’s not always easy, but try to relax and be natural. The main purpose of the interview is for us to learn more about you, so be prepared to talk about yourself and your relevant skills and experience. We want to understand your personality and mindset as well as your skillset, so bear that in mind when answering questions and be authentic.

    Be confident. Be enthusiastic and positive, but focused – tell your stories succinctly, don’t ramble.

    Put yourselves in our shoes – what do you think we’re looking for in a candidate?

  • Listening is just as important as the answers you give

    Pay keen attention to the question being asked of you and ensure you fully answer it without getting side-tracked. While you’ll be eager to tell us about examples of previous projects and experiences that showcase your knowledge, skills and ambition, it’s important that you select those that are appropriate to what the interviewer wants to hear. This is an opportunity for you to analyse the question being asked and then help deliver a unique response.

  • Excite us

    Why is it a good idea for us to hire you? What makes you a great asset to EY teams? Highlight what makes you stand out and why we should be excited about having you join us.

    Talk about what you’re good at, the things you’ve done and what they demonstrate to us about your strengths and abilities. When something went well, why, and what did you contribute to make the outcome a success? When it didn’t go so well, how did you handle that and what happened? Give compelling, concrete examples, with facts and figures to back it up. It all helps us to really understand what you’re capable of.

  • You can never do too much research

    If you are well researched, your knowledge will not only show off your preparation but also enable you to communicate with us on a deeper level.

    In addition to your research on EY, make sure that you research who you will be meeting during your interview. Take a look at their LinkedIn profile and read up on any articles they’ve written and their past experience. This will give you the opportunity to make a connection with your interviewer and discuss topics that are most relevant. 

    Ensure that you fully understand the role on offer and the way in which you will fit into the organisation and its structure. This will give you a holistic view of EY, making it easier to communicate what attributes you have that suit the role’s needs. If you are applying to a new industry having worked in a different type of role previously, you’ll need to think of your transferable skills and how this relates to the position you are interviewing for. Also think about where the job might go in the future and what thoughts or questions you might have around that.

    We’re also interested in hearing your point of view on current key market trends, so it’s a good idea to be well-informed before your interview.

  • Think about what we’re looking for

    We look for people with the qualities we most value. That means people who actively seek new experiences, who want to define their own success and career journey. People who value diversity and inclusiveness. People who demonstrate integrity, respect, and collaboration. Who have energy, enthusiasm, and the courage to lead with purpose.

    In fact, purpose is the focus of our Transformative Leadership model at EY, which is how we develop leaders who are driven by purpose and bring out the best in themselves and others.

    Bringing out the best in yourself begins with continuous investment in your personal development so that you can then bring out the best in others by actively mentoring and coaching them. It means building trust, relating to others with integrity, authenticity and courage. And overall, it means being passionate about your team, business and impact on your community.

    Think about relevant examples from your own experience that demonstrate these qualities, to share with us at the interview.

    We also believe that your mindset is as important as your skillset. We look for people with global, innovative and analytics mindsets, so be prepared to show us how your mindset fits ours.

  • Video and phone interviewing

    Some interviews will be virtual or on the phone, but the same principles apply. Preparation is crucial. As well as preparing what you want to say, make sure that you’re in a comfortable, quiet environment for the interview. Find out how long it’s likely to last and tell people not to interrupt you.

    For a phone interview, use a landline if you have access to one for better reception. If you use a mobile, remember to turn off call waiting. Although you can’t be seen, dressing smartly may help you feel more confident, while standing up to talk can help you to feel more energised and focused.

    If we can’t see your face, how you sound becomes more important in showing your personality. Be upbeat and enthusiastic and try to smile – it really does show in your voice. It’s fine to take some thinking time. Before answering questions, but let us know so that we’re not worried by the silence.

  • It’s a two-way process

    Build a rapport with your interviewers by showing an interest in their roles or divisions. Ask questions about their work, experiences at EY, and the team you’ll be joining. It may help you to think about what you want to ask us and write down those questions before your interview.

    We’re proud of our values and the benefits offered to EY people, and we are happy to give you as much information as you need to be able to decide if we’re really the right place for you, so don’t be afraid to ask us questions too.

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