EY First Round Interview – Transactions Advisory Services​ Summer Internship

*** Report on interview questions and detailed answers from a Cover Letter Library member’s experiences. This is based on EY First Round Interview for Transactions Advisory Services Summer Internship in Singapore in 2021. There may be some variations depending on the offices or other new updates to the recruitment practice by Ernst & Young – so please use this for reference / preparation purposes only ***

Some first bits on the logistics

• • Who’s the lucky company?
    Ernst & Young (EY)

• • For which division at EY?
    Transactions Advisory Services

• • And for which office?
    Singapore

• • Which year was this EY interview?
    2016

• • What’s the formal title of the position you interviewed for?
    Summer Intern

• • How was you informed of this EY interview?
    HR emailed

• • Were you able to choose the time slot yourself?
    Yes

• • And this interview was therefore…
    In the afternoon

• • Was this a … ?
    phone interview

• • Which stage was this Ernst & Young interview?
    first round interview

Let’s talk about this first round interview in some details

• • How many separate interviews were in this first round interview ?
    1

• • How long was each interview?
    30 minutes

• • How many interviewers were in this first round interview in total and each interview ?
    1

• • How long was this first round interview in total?
    30 minutes

• • Were there any personal / CV-based questions? If yes, what were they?
    1. Tell me about yourself?
    2. Why EY? And specifically, why Singapore?

• • Were there any competencies questions? If yes, what were they?
    No

• • Were there any technical questions in the interview? If yes, what were they?
    Had a case based interview on a leading Singaporean movie theater chain’s growth strategy.

• • Any other weird questions we haven’t covered?
    How many tennis balls can fit in a Boeing 747?

• • What was the most difficult / unusual question among these? How did you deal with it?
    After giving 3 suggestions on ways for the chain to grow, the Senior Associate says – tried all three. Failed miserably. NEXT?

• • What was the most unexpected thing about this first round interview ?
    It was very chilled out.

• • Did you progress to the next stage?
    Yes

• • How long roughly did it take for you to hear back about this outcome?
    1 day

• • Via what means did you hear back about this outcome?
    Phone

• • Is there anything you wish you should have known or prepared for prior to this first round interview at EY?
    Gotten to know the department even more. I interviewed for the OTS sub division and didn’t know much to be honest.

• • Overall, out of 10, how would you evaluate your experience of this first round interview with EY?
    8

• Before you go, is there anything else you think will help other candidates ace this first round interview at EY?
  The company is a beast. It expects you to question any and every assumption. Learn how to build visually appealing presentations because as a junior, that’s about all you’ll be doing.

About EY

Website  :  www.ey.com
Headquarters  :  London, England
Size  :  10000+ employees
Founded  :  1989
Type  :  Company – Private
Industry  :  Business Service
Revenue  :  £5 to £10 billion (GBP) per year

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

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