Application Tips

Whether you’d like help weighing up your options, building the skills employers want or putting your best into the application process, we’ve got you covered.

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As a University student, we understand you are busy. There are essays, exams, group projects, maintaining your lecture/life balance, and more. So, we’ve redesigned our application form so you only give us the information we need.

Before you apply, we encourage you to choose the programme you would like join by reviewing our student opportunities. In addition, if there is a specific area or team that peaks your interest, you can let us know via your application form!

Once you click apply, all you need to do is register your detiails and take a few minutes to answer some questions to help us process your application. From here, you will need to upload your CV and any supporting documentation you would like to add, and you are ready to click submit. 

Academic requirements:

  • You have a minimum of a 2:1 qualification or equivalent in your Bachelor's degree – attained or expected
  • All degrees and disciplines are welcome to apply to any programme
girl with glasses sitting working on laptop

    Top Tips

    Want to impress us throughout the application process? These are some of our top tips when applying to a graduate programme at EY.  Above all, we’re impressed by candidates who are authentic and honest in their answers.

    • Update your CV and fully proof read it before you apply.
    • Study the EY Ireland Careers website as much as you can before you apply. In particular check out our undergraduate programmes , graduate programmes and of course our blogs section which will give you a real insight into what it's like to work at EY.
    • Look at your skills and your career aspirations to figure out which service line and graduate programme suits you best. Want to become a Chartered Accountant? Focus on Assurance, Tax & Strategy and Transactions. Please note that you can select two programme preferneces when applying!
    • Next up, the all-important 'Why EY?' question. This is your opportunity to really stand out. What attracted you to apply to EY? Tell us how you think EY’s different to our competitors. Be creative and think outside the box here. You could mention some of the types of clients we work with, the industries we work in, or even the professional qualifications you can work towards at EY.
    • So this will sound obvious but make sure to complete the application in full! We’ve seen many candidates start the application, save it as a draft and forget to actually submit it. They could be the strongest candidates but miss out because of an incomplete application.
    • As they say, the early bird catches the worm! We review as we go, so the sooner you get your application submitted, the sooner we can let you know if you’ve been successful and put forward to the interview stage.

    Get ready for the workplace

    Starting your first job? Whether you’re a school leaver or college student, we’ve got tips and advice to help you get ready for the world of work.

    • Get the most out of college

       

      We asked some of our students and graduates for their best advice on achieving their first career goal – getting their ideal graduate job. With the graduate marketplace becoming increasingly competitive and ‘employability’ being the buzz-word of the day, the extra qualities that make a candidate stand out are more important than ever. But what exactly does that mean? We spoke to the people arguably most familiar with this topic – students and recent graduates – to get their advice on how to make a lasting impression.

      Attend careers fairs and events with the right attitude

      One for the first-year students: don’t think that the careers events happening on campus are only relevant to second or third years, make sure you get out there as early as possible! You’ll find that many employers are actually keen to speak to first years, and are particularly impressed when they meet one who shows a real interest in their organisation.

      If you’re in your middle or final year, don’t get too distracted by your mounting workload, these events are excellent opportunities to engage with employers and find out more about the roles that are available.

      Do your homework and get out there as early and as much as possible. If you’re feeling brave, you could even ask for representatives’ business cards (so you can get in touch at a later date with any questions) or ask to join their mailing list.

      Definitely go to your university's career fairs and company sponsored events to get a feel of what they are like and what they're looking for. You could make some good contacts as well.
      Second-year student

      Try out a lot of different activities and make sure you stick with a few

      Balance is the key here. If you’re anything like most of us, you’ll have eagerly signed up to the mailing lists for a huge number of different societies in Fresher’s Week, only to find that your workload and other commitments make it challenging to keep up with all of them. Your time at university is incredibly valuable and while focusing on your studies, you can still be involved with a society or two without getting swamped.

      This is a fantastic opportunity for you to gain ‘CV points’. Getting elected to a committee, or being involved with planning events and budgets will help you develop key skills and gain experience that sets you apart from other candidates with equally good results. It can also be lots of fun.

      Keep on top of industry and general news

      This is a simple tip but one that many neglect. Read the newspaper, watch the news, and subscribe to any specialist publications and trade press for the industries you’re interested in. Firms expect applicants to understand the wider context of the industry they want to work in, and having a good general understanding of events beyond the world of university will help to prove that you’re the right candidate for the role.

      Raise your commercial awareness (fancy term for read the newspaper)! Make connections between what you’re studying and how it applies in the real world.
      Third-year student

      Don’t neglect your studies

      With all of your event attending, newspaper reading and activity doing, it can be tempting to forget about the main thing you’re at university for – to study. With a saturated graduate jobs market and more and more qualified people searching for roles, the bare minimum many firms look for is a 2:1. Some will even specify a 1st. Having good grades isn’t everything but they do make it a lot easier to get through the door at the most competitive graduate recruiters.

      Start building your network
      You know you should be networking and you have peers who seem to be naturally gifted at it – they always know somebody who knows somebody who works at a place. But how do you actually do it? The fact is that everybody can be a useful connection.

      Talk to students who are thinking of going into similar career areas to you, find out which companies they’re applying to and why. Build good relationships with your tutors too. They’re the people who can give you that brilliant reference or recommend you in a couple of years’ time. Once you realise that there’s really little difference between your ‘career network’ and the people you know in day-to-day life, networking becomes a little easier to understand.

      If you join an internship, make sure you go on socials and get to know people outside of the office. I got the best advice from my seniors on nights out and during coffee runs. Keep in touch with people when you go back to university, too. Be genuine and make genuine connections, you can never have too many friends.
      Third-year student

      It’s never too early to make a start

      This one sounds like a cliché, but it really is true: it’s never too early to start working towards getting your ideal graduate position. Start looking at careers sites and scope out what undergraduate opportunities there are for first and second years, to make sure you’re prepared when it comes to securing that graduate role. Read as much as you can on application processes, assessment centres and interview techniques, practice online aptitude tests and get into a more commercial mind-set. It all adds to your employability and value to a potential employer.

      Get the most out of your university careers services
      This is probably the most common thing that students fail to do. Your university has freely-available services dedicated to helping your job search. They also have years of experience in helping to guide students into their preferred industries as well as advising them on what else is out there.

      Find out what help is on offer and take advantage of it. You may even find openings that are only advertised through specific university careers services.

      Get experience
      The single biggest thing that most students lack when they start looking for work is experience. It’s tempting to see this as a catch-22 because you need to do the job to get experience, but you also need experience to get the job.    

      The truth is you don’t need to have experience in the role you are applying for because we all have transferable skills, so any job experience is relevant. You can be creative in how you categorise it. A part-time retail role in the summer holidays may have given you some useful commercial nous, and being captain of your university sports team will no doubt have tested your team management skills. Make the most of the opportunities available to gain experience and insight into an organisation via internships and placements. Don’t worry if you’re not sure about the industry or role just yet, apply for the roles that interest you and narrow down your options later. Experience can be useful even if it’s not directly related to the field you end up applying to.

      Do some volunteering. It’ll look good when applying and will improve skills like confidence and punctuality.
      Second-year student

      Smarten-up your image

      Getting suited up in appropriate business attire for attending networking events and interviews is essential, of course, but be aware that your image extends beyond this. It’s well-known that employers frequently look at potential recruits’ social media profiles, so now is as good a time as any to make sure you have a presentable picture and double check your privacy settings. Beyond that, you can use social media proactively to create a favourable image.                                                                                                                        

      In the age of social, everybody can be their own publicist. The first port of call should be LinkedIn. Get a profile, if you don’t have one, and make sure your description reflects your experiences, skills and career aspirations, as well as what you are currently studying. Use Facebook and Twitter to keep up-to-date and connect with the employers you’re interested in. This can be a useful way of engaging them directly, for example by asking questions during a Q&A session on Twitter.

      Relax, have fun and learn how to balance your time
      Finally, remember that employers are usually looking for well-rounded people, not just workaholics. University is a great time to learn the vital skill of time management that could end up getting you through the busy working weeks of years to come. As well as your studies and extracurricular activities, make time to socialise – you’ll make great friends and have a lot of fun in the process.

    • How to choose the right career

      How to get the information you need and make a good impression at the same time.

      Asking people about their careers is one of the best ways to learn about the kind of career you could one day enjoy. A common problem I see young people coming up against when trying to work out what career’s right for them, is not really knowing where to start. I’ve seen school leavers attend careers fairs with hundreds of employers present, and they don’t make the most of the opportunity to get the best information about how industries compare or which companies are a good fit for them.

      To help you avoid falling into the same trap, I’ve divided the questions into three key categories:

      1. Questions to ask when networking and meeting new people

      What do you do?
      Most people enjoying talking about themselves and the elements that make their role interesting so use it to your advantage by asking them what they do. The best way to gain an insight into an organisation, industry or specific role is to ask the right questions of the person in that position. Understand what the job really entails and what a typical day looks like.

      What does that mean?
      Quite often you’ll find that a job description is wrapped in lots of technical jargon or a grand title – don’t be afraid to ask what all those flowery words really mean. Don’t be caught in the cycle of being another ‘noddy dog’ i.e. the people who just keep nodding even though they have no idea what the person is talking about. Asking questions, being honest about what you know and being inquisitive isn’t a sign of weakness – it’s quite the opposite, and people will likely be impressed by your honesty and enthusiasm.

      What do you most enjoy about your role and what would you like to change?
      Ok, I’ve cheated a little bit as that’s technically two questions… but they’re both relevant because to really get into what that career choice means, it’s important to know what the good, bad and the changeable look like.

      2. Questions to ask at a Careers Fair

      What is this type of firm or business and who are your clients?
      Or to use EY as an example, ‘What is a professional services firm and who are your clients?’

      This is similar to the question you might ask an individual. Often large multinational organisations like EY use titles that you may not have heard of before, or if you have you may not know what they actually mean. So, ask what the company does, who its customers are, what the staff do to help in the organisation’s ambitions, what the workplace culture’s like, and so on.

      I’ve had plenty of conversations with recruiters who complain that not enough students ask them questions and just come up for the free goods and the odd leaflet – they’d rather see an enquiring mind.

      If I decided to join your organisation, what does your graduate/undergraduate programme look like?
      I’ve seen it happen time and time again, where students go to careers fairs but are too shy to ask the questions they need to know. You absolutely want to know what the programme is like – does it offer a rotation? What does the future look like in this organisation? What does my career in your organisation look like in 5-10 years?

      What do you look for in the candidates you recruit?
      This is the question all students should be asking of potential employers during careers fairs. This little gem - if asked of the right person (usually the ladies and gents at careers fairs are recruiters for the firm) - should give you the guidance you need to write an excellent application. Remember in any job search the company has a problem – the problem is there is a vacancy and all they are looking for is the solution. So why not ask how you can become that solution?

      3. Questions to ask in an interview

      How are people in this organisation supported in their career growth ambitions and personal development?
      This shows you are interested in a future in the organisation and that the time and money they invest in you won’t go to waste. Also, if you have an extracurricular interest that may be valuable to the organisation this may be a good time to share it and explain why it’s relevant to your personal development.

      What are you looking for in the ideal candidate? 
      This question is so important. It allows you to throw the ball back into their court towards the end of the interview and get them telling you what they look for. It also acts as a tick box exercise – they tell you what they want and you can work out any opportunities you may have missed telling them about, and tick the other boxes.

      Have I answered all of your questions to your satisfaction?
      If you haven’t and they tell you, this is your opportunity to correct or reaffirm what has been said. It might seem like a silly question that breaches interview etiquette but really, it’s a smart way to get an idea of how you’ve performed while you’ve still got a chance to do something about it.

      How do you find working in this organisation?
      The interviewer has been listening to you the whole time, give them an opportunity to talk about themselves (where relevant).

      What are the next steps?
      This helps to clarify when you will hear from them next and how the process works.

    Apply for a student programme 

    Whenever you join, however long you stay, the exceptional EY experience lasts a lifetime. 

     

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