My Journey into Forensics & Integrity: Insights from a Graduate

Forensics & Integrity Uncovered: Emma’s Journey as a New Graduate into the World of Investigation

Before I started as a Graduate Consultant in Forensics & Integrity Services in August, I can be honest when I say I had no idea what to expect. I had just graduated from the MSc in International Business & Politics at CBS, and all I knew was that I was about to enter the world of accounting and compliance (without having much experience in it). And while this brought on a classic case of imposter syndrome, I have come to realize that it was completely normal to feel that way. But rather than viewing my lack of certain experience or knowledge simply as “I don’t know”, my journey into EY has taught me to say “I don’t know – yet”.

So, let me tell you what you don’t know – yet – about being a graduate in EY’s Forensics & Integrity department. Of the many impressions that the first months have brought, there are two aspects of the program that have made my experience unique:

The social experience:

When you start as a graduate in Forensics & Integrity, the social experience is emphasized to a degree higher than anything I have previously experienced. You instantly become part of a larger network of diverse, and ambitious individuals. I started alongside nine other graduates from different departments, which has made my journey into corporate life an enormously fun, and enriching one. We have bonded over a series of professional events, the most memorable being our trips to both Jutland and Sweden on “EY retreats”, where we learned what it means to work at EY, and what the profession of consultancy brings (spoiler alert; lots of case work, acronyms and consultant lingo!). Work aside, our graduate group has also bonded in more “relaxed” settings, be it at our Friday bars, strategy day or over homemade Indian food and a (competitive, but friendly) game of charades.

The learning experience:

In the Forensics department, there are countless types of projects and knowledge to be gained. There was therefore, and naturally so, many concepts or projects I had not worked with before. And while the learning curve is steep, it makes it all that more rewarding when you finish projects – especially when you read about them in the news!

In terms of projects, I have been staffed on variety of them. The projects include examining cases of social dumping, researching how EU cyber policies can be implemented in companies, and writing reports on the financial risks of certain companies. And these are just some of many examples, which make up the tip of a larger Forensics & Integrity iceberg. The breadth of options, in my view, also builds upon the mantra of working at EY, which is that it is your career to build. And the really great thing is that you can decide yourself, what that looks like. To support this journey, another feature of the program is that you are designated both a buddy, and a counsellor. Your buddy is responsible for your day to day questions or concerns, while your counsellor will help you guide your overall career. Together, this help sets you up in the best way possible, and makes you ready to develop in the corporate world!

If you are considering the graduate programs at EY, the piece of advice that I would give would be to be proactive and curious. These two qualities will get you very far, and in my experience they are the foundation blocks of a great career at EY!

I hope you now know a little bit more about what it means being a graduate. But if all this blog did was create questions, then I encourage you to seek the answers by applying to the graduate program yourself!