We are committed to creating a people culture that stands out by including, developing and engaging every individual at EY and fostering a high-performance environment. That’s how we continue to attract and keep the best people.
 
We always remember the first day – whether it’s the first day of a well deserved holiday or our first day at a new job. The “first” usually shapes our impressions and bench marks our expectations of things to come. But at EY, the first day is not really the beginning – it is in fact the end result of months or in some cases years of nurturing, preparation and relationship development for each new trainee by the graduate recruitment team. It is the graduate recruitment team that have invested their time and effort into each new trainee to ensure that they feel they are part of EY right from the start.

We identify and recruit students from as early as grade 12 to students in their Honours year. We have dedicated members of our team that oversee our schools programme and our university programmes and they attend various university career days and school visits throughout the year, around the country.
 
The transformation from an ordinary student to an EY Ambassador is made after a successful interview and assessment process has been conducted and the student accepts a training contract offer and signs on the dotted line. An EY Ambassador is someone that we feel represents who we (EY) are, it is someone who identifies with our culture and shares our Firms values and in the future will be able to achieve their potential and add value when they commence their articles with EY.
 
An Ambassador is our face on campus. Therefore it is vital that we keep close to them to ensure that they are happy, motivated and dedicated to completing their degree and subsequently joining our business. Becoming an EY Ambassador benefits a student in more ways than one – not only do they have our support and encouragement along the way but they also secure a place at one of the best professional service firms in the country.
 
Visits are made biweekly to the main universities in JHB where we touch base with our Ambassadors. Being an Ambassador is a rewarding task - social functions are held twice a year. The functions are usually themed and involve entertainment.
 
Ambassadors are given the opportunity to network with other ambassadors and existing EY staff.
 
It is our goal to build a strong pipeline of Ambassadors to ensure that only the best 100 students join EY every year.
 
When day one arrives – it is hopefully  a sense of belonging and familiarity that our Ambassador is overwhelmed by knowing  that they have successfully made that transition from a caterpillar to a butterfly.
 
Find out more about careers at Ernst & Young (South Africa): http://www.ey.com/ZA
 
For information on Ernst & Young visit: http://www.ey.com