Name: Brayleni Castillo
Graduation Year: 2018
Major: Accounting
Where and when did you Intern: Ernst & Young (EY) (Summer 2018).
Describe your role.
I started working with the firm on July 12th, 2018 as a Tax Staff Intern. In the case of Tax, new staff members do not have a specific role within the firm; we are all automatically enrolled in the “Diversify Staff Group” (DSG) during our first two years at the firm. The DSG program is designed to give new employees the opportunity to learn about the various divisions within the tax practice before having to choose a specialty.
What was an average day like?
Launch Internship: The average day of a launch intern can vary substantially. Launch interns have the ability to rotate through each major service line within the firm, such as tax, audit, and advisory. Therefore, your work location, team, and assignments can vary depending on your rotation for the week. Similar to the client serving interns, Launch interns also have the opportunity to attend many of the firm events happening during their internship.
Tax Internship: Depending on your engagement you may be working in the office or at the client site. In the case of my intern class, most of us were usually in the office and would often share a conference room. This was very important because it gave us the opportunity to truly get to know each other beyond the workplace. By the end of the internship, they had become my first family within the firm. In addition, other EY employees would often go out of their way to introduce themselves and tell us about their experiences within the firm and the many reasons they enjoy working at EY. Lastly, interns have the opportunity to attend many of the firm events happening during the internship regardless of their service line which gives them the opportunity to build their networks and, more importantly, to become familiar with the people they will potentially work with in the future.
What was the best memory you had interning?
My favorite memory as an intern was attending the International Intern Leadership Conference (IILC) in Orlando, FL. During the conference, we had opportunity to learn about the company, its culture and everything EY has to offer to it employees. We also had the opportunity to meet interns from all over the United States, as well as from other countries! The IILC gave us an insight into EYs view of current economic and social issues, and taught us about the importance of trusting your team and being dependable.
What have you learned from this experience?
My experience at EY has taught me the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone and having a positive mindset.
What is one skill you feel as if you’ve improved upon while at your internship?
Excel, Excel, Excel! Both of my internships at EY helped gain a better understanding of the software, its functions, and the many ways it can be utilized when performing data analysis. Regardless of you service line, Excel will always be a major component in completing your assignments.
Do you have any advice for anyone who is applying for an internship?
My best advice is to build your resume and research the firm. These two components are perfect conversation starters and demonstrate you have a genuine interest in the firm.