[davidpearce89]

Hi,

I am about to begin my application for EY but i was wondering how people went about answering these questions or any advice that would help.

1. How do you support others in a team situation? Use examples that show this.
2.Do you seek out challenges to stretch yourself? Use examples to show why.
3.Why can other people rely on you? Give specific examples to illustrate.

I understand the questions have changed quite a bit from the previous year, which has made it difficult answering these.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[Inflation]

Use 2 examples on each one, makes it easier to answer.

Q3 is hard, does it mean can other people rely on you to do work or can people rely on you to help them, maybe both.

[davidpearce89]

hi,

thanks for the reply...ye im okay with the first one but not sure about the challenges bit or what to suggest.

i think for question 3 it would be good to mention both if possible....have you sent off your application?

[Inflation]

Yes I have.

Q2 you could talk about sports teams, or at work?

[davidpearce89]

ye thats a great idea...i could mention a football team i joined....good luck with your application....how long do you reckon they take before the respond back?

[Inflation]

Few days,

[nelsaw]

Hiya I'm also applying to EY. I was wondering if anyone had tips on how to justify missing the consultancy A-level grades by 10 points. I studied my A-levels out of the UK in 9 months and worry that they may not see it as a good enough justification for not meeting their requirements. Although when I called they said to state in my application. Don't know how to though

[stan88]

@davidpearce & inflation, I can confirm that EY's response to your application is 1 to 2 days max I think.
I applied Friday night, heard back Monday afternoon.

[teriaki]

Just applied to E&Y and I must say they have the most awkward application form of all the companies I have ever applied for.

Anyway, with the competency questions I decided to put 1 thorough and long example for the first two and two slightly shorter ones for the third. However I was rejected (even though I got past the initial screening with the other Big Four and onto interviews, exactly like last year when I was applying for an internship).
E&Y is a little bit weird in my opinion....

[stan88]

They employ this strange "strength" -based recruitment which is a bit of a mystery. I guess u just have to fit right with them otherwise they reject you straigtaway. I was rejected and I even attended their business game event which I thought would enhance my application but no...straight rejection.

[spunkym0nkey]

I really liked the strength based interview (although obviously wasn't so good at the competency based ones). Everyone I spoke to at the assessment day (me included) thought we'd flunked it. But we all were bitterly truthful to the point that on last few questions I was down to examples as bad as walking my dog. Think the idea of the quick fire questions is almost a test of honesty maybe. Good luck with ur other applications.

[spunkym0nkey]

Oh and yes agree application process wasn't easiest to fill out/understand. Dont remeber it being that hard last year...

[montyr]

I thought it was alrite, it was the one I've found the easiest and most straight forward so far, including the tests, quite enjoyed it actually.

[Ernst & Young]

Hi there,
I wanted to address the issues surrounding questions on our application form to clarify things for everyone. We have recently moved away from using competency based questioning to using strengths based recruitment. The questions may seem a little 'weird' and more difficult to answer but the reason we have done this is to allow us to hire the best graduates with a variety of strengths. In the past we have found competency questions to be quite limiting in their response, and we now recruit on strengths as we realise that our people perform better when they are working with these and have time to develop other areas.
Steve

[montyr]

(Original post by Ernst & Young)
Hi there,
I wanted to address the issues surrounding questions on our application form to clarify things for everyone. We have recently moved away from using competency based questioning to using strengths based recruitment. The questions may seem a little 'weird' and more difficult to answer but the reason we have done this is to allow us to hire the best graduates with a variety of strengths. In the past we have found competency questions to be quite limiting in their response, and we now recruit on strengths as we realise that our people perform better when they are working with these and have time to develop other areas.
Steve

Hi Steve,

Had my Assessment Centre a couple of weeks ago and was supposed to be having a partner interview at some point after.

I am yet to hear anything about the Partner interview despite emailing HR (specifically the person who called to arrange the AC etc.)

Any ideas why that might be?

Thanks, Ryan.

[Ernst & Young]

Hi there, sorry to hear that.
Try giving our grad recruitment team a call on our freephone graduate recruitment number. I;m sure they haven't forgotten about you!

[montyr]

They called to arrange the final stage interview yesterday :-)

[Dcullen]

Hi Everyone,

I am just starting my application for Ernst and Young, I applied for an internship last year and didnt get past the first stage. I thought all my answers were good and included plenty examples of both work and uni (the word count last year was 1,000 so much more scope for answering).

I am applying again this year but dont know how to better answer the questions when I thought last years were good. Any advice anyone who has passed the initial stages?

[johndoe95]

(Original post by spunkym0nkey)
I really liked the strength based interview (although obviously wasn't so good at the competency based ones). Everyone I spoke to at the assessment day (me included) thought we'd flunked it. But we all were bitterly truthful to the point that on last few questions I was down to examples as bad as walking my dog. Think the idea of the quick fire questions is almost a test of honesty maybe. Good luck with ur other applications.

I'm applying for the internship this summer, could you give me a heads up on what to expect in the interview and assessment day

[johndoe95]

(Original post by spunkym0nkey)
I really liked the strength based interview (although obviously wasn't so good at the competency based ones). Everyone I spoke to at the assessment day (me included) thought we'd flunked it. But we all were bitterly truthful to the point that on last few questions I was down to examples as bad as walking my dog. Think the idea of the quick fire questions is almost a test of honesty maybe. Good luck with ur other applications.

This is for the year 12 internship btw