Can you tell us about your education at VU Amsterdam?
In 2008 I started the Master in Accounting & Control in combination with working at EY. I very much enjoyed the degree and the job potential and prospects for employment it provided. It was also important to me that I was able to continue studying for the post-master degree to become a Register Accountant, while continuing to build my career at the same time.
What’s typical working day for you?
My day-to-day work involves supervising teams and I am also the point of contact for my clients. Together with my teams, we work on checking the annual figures and the underlying transactions of various companies. At EY, we work for many different types of organizations, from medium-sized businesses to listed corporations, and both for-profit and non-profit organizations.
We focus on checking that all the figures are correct, but we also have to understand the activities of the company and the market strategy of our clients. In addition, I have discussions with the management of the company, the CFO or CEO, to discuss financing, accounting or tax issues, for example. I also make recommendations about the quality of internal controls in the company and discuss the results of the audit with the management of the company.
Within EY, I am not only an auditor but I also have the role of counsellor, perform quality assessments and the first point of contact for our recruiter.
What makes working at EY so enjoyable?
The company dynamics and the opportunities offered within EY. The kind of work changes every year, because every year your role and position change. That means your responsibilities are constantly evolving and developing. In addition to my role as auditor, I also have other roles, performing quality assessments and a more HR-oriented role. I find this combination very interesting and educational. Furthermore, EY as a company is very considerate and attentive, caring about their employees and clients, making sure everyone is well looked after. I also enjoy the potential to continue to grow in my career, and I feel that my effort and commitment is appreciated.
What’s it like to work for a big company like EY?
I always had the intention to become a Registered Accountant. Therefore, I figured that a Big Four company was a good fit for me. Of course EY is a corporate company, but it is also divided into sub-divisions, which means that, as far as I am concerned, there is no corporate culture. Each department actually has its own organisation with a focus on a specific market and clients.
Career choices are very personal, but I would certainly recommend other students to start at EY. They offer endless opportunities for personal growth and the possibility to discover what suits you best, because organisations like EY have all types of companies in their portfolio. In addition, big companies often have well-established professional training and coaching programmes to help you with your career development.
