- Home
- Insights
- Industries
- Services
- Careers

Choosing where to start your career is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. This site gives you a brief insight into life at Ernst & Young – how we’ll help you develop your career and why you’ll enjoy working here.
Use the tabs on this page to find out more about the application process and how you can make sure you have the best chance of success.
There are seven steps to complete before we can welcome you on board. This process will help you make sure you are applying for the right role and give you the opportunity to get to know us before you begin work here.
Take a moment to visit Your role here to learn about our service lines and identify your area of interest. You can then apply for the relevant opportunity in Assurance, Advisory, Transactions or Tax.
Find out which program suits you and then Click on Job search and look for openings in your chosen area of interest. You’ll find more information about specific requirements in the job descriptions.
This is your opportunity to give us as much information as possible about yourself so that we can make sure that you’ll be successful at Ernst & Young. We ask all applicants to complete the online application form to ensure everyone is assessed fairly and objectively, and a member of our recruitment team reads each application. If you need to you can save your application and complete it at a later time.
After you have submitted your online application, you may be invited to complete a short online situational judgement questionnaire. This will give you the opportunity to learn more about what it would be like to work with us and to help us assess your suitability for a position with Ernst & Young. You will receive an email with detailed information about this test so please ensure you check your emails regularly.
Once you have passed the online application stage, we will invite you to attend our Recruitment. During the day, we are particularly keen to find out about you as a person – your strengths and attributes, and what you’re interested in.
In preparation for the Recruitment Day we recommend you think about your hobbies, leadership positions and extra-curricular activities, as well as any work or other experience you’ve had that you think may be relevant to Ernst & Young. It’s also useful to think about what questions you’d like to ask your interviewer.
The Recruitment Day will include a number of exercises such as a case study, an interview with someone from the Business Unit you have applied to as well as a verbal and numeric reasoning test. You may also have the chance to meet some of our recent graduates who will share their Ernst & Young experiences with you and are happy to answer any questions you might have.
The exact structure and content of the Recruitment Day will depend on the program you apply to, as different roles require different skills. We’ll give you more information when we invite you to this day.
We always aim to let you know the outcome of your final assessment within 48 hours. To help you get the most from your experience with us, we’ll also offer feedback on your interview. If you’re successful at this stage, we’ll make you a formal offer.
You’ll find a large community of people at Ernst & Young ready to welcome you. In the months before you take up your position, you'll have a chance to meet your peers and new colleagues in one of our keep in touch events. We encourage you to take advantage of these occasions to help prepare for your first day at Ernst & Young. You will also receive our Ernst & Young newsletter to ensure you’re always up to date with what’s happening at your future workplace!
There are a number of criteria we look for in our employees. If these describe you, you can relax in the knowledge that you’ll feel comfortable within our working environment.
We’re not only looking for high academic achievers, we want you to demonstrate leadership through extra-curricular activities and community involvement.
We want you to have a clear sense of personal and professional accountability and to show you are committed to doing the right thing.
We look for people who recognise the value of different backgrounds and points of view. By respecting these differences we enrich our perspectives, which helps us build strong relationships and enhance the services we provide to our clients.
We look for evidence that you are good at listening, learning, sharing, developing and working with others, including those that are different from you.
We want you to be passionate and excited about the opportunities at Ernst & Young, your future and achieving your potential.
What can you expect in the interview? How can you best prepare to make a good impression? We offer you a number of hints and tips to give you confidence on the big day.
With offices in 140 countries around the world, Ernst & Young embraces diversity & inclusiveness. Our goal is to provide an environment where individual differences are celebrated. Building an inclusive culture and developing a diverse workforce is a pre-requisite for business success in today’s competitive landscape.
If you are an international student and interested in commencing your career with Ernst & Young, we encourage you to apply to our Graduate Program. You do not need to meet the below outlined criteria if you are an Australian Permanent Resident, Australian Citizen or New Zealand Citizen.
Unfortunately, we can't fully or partly fund applications for permanent residency or sponsor students on the 457 visa. Also, we're unable to provide advice on or supporting documentation for your permanent residency application. At this stage, we only accept applications from international students for our Graduate Program.
If you don't meet the above criteria we encourage you to visit www.ey.com for opportunities in our overseas offices.
There's no substitute for getting to know us in person, so make the most of our events on campus. We'd welcome the chance to say hello, answer your questions and find out about you.
You'll meet some of our young professionals as well as fellow students who've been on one of our programs. It's an ideal opportunity to discover more about our organisation and explore what's on offer.
To learn about forthcoming events, speak to your university or high school careers advisor.
We look forward to saying hello and getting to know you in 2012.
ABSS Careers Evening - University of Adelaide
Event location: The Hub (NEXUS 10 – Marjoribanks Wing)
Event date: 26 July 2012
Event time: 6:30pm-9:00pm
ICAA Employment Evening
Event location: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Cnr Merivale and Glenelg Streets South Brisbane
Event date: 22 August 2012
Event time: 5:30pm – 7:00pm
ANU AFEC Careers Day
Event location: Melville Hall on the ANU Campus
Event date: 31 July 2012
Event time: 11:00am-3:00pm
Deakin University Vacation Work and Beyond
Event location: East Dining Hall, jb1.103 Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus
Event date: 25 July 2012
Event time: 12:00pm – 2:00pm
University of Melbourne
Event location: Wilson Hall
Event date: 1 August 2012
Event time: 12:00pm – 3:00pm
Monash University Careers Festival
Event location: Clayton Campus, Monash University
Event date: 2 August 2012
Event time: 11:00am – 1:30pm
RMIT Work Experience Fair
Event location: Storey Hall Auditorium, 342-348 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Event date: 3 August 2012
Event time: 10:00am – 4:30pm
Curtin University Experience Works Fair
Event location: Bentley Campus, Curtin University
Event date: 20 July 2012
Event time: 11:00am – 2:00pm
ICAA Employment Evening
Event location: City West Function Centre
Event date: 13 August 2012
Event time: 5:00pm – 8:00pm
UNSW Vacationer Careers Fair
Event location: John Niland Scientia Building
Event date: 24 July 2012
Event time: 11:00am – 2:00pm
ICAA UNSW Vacationer CareerConnect Lunch
Event location: John Niland Scientia Building
Event date: 25 July 2012
Event time: 11:00am – 1:00pm
ICAA UWS Vacationer CareerConnect Lunch
Event location: Parramatta Campus
Event date: 2 August 2012
Event time: 1:00pm – 2:30pm
University of Newcastle Vacationer Recruitment Fair
Event location: Callaghan campus, Brennen Room
Event date: 6 August 2012
Event time: 12:00pm – 3:00pm
University of Sydney Vacationer Recruitment Fair
Event location: Great Hall, University of Sydney
Event date: 7 August 2012
Event time: 12.00pm-3.00pm
UTS Careers Expo
Event location: Level 4, UTS Tower
Event date: 8 August 2012
Event time: 1:00pm – 4:00pm
University of Wollongong Careers Fair
Event location: Exhibition Space, Level 1, Building 11, UniCentre
Event date: 9 August 2012
Event time: 10:00am – 1:00pm
ICAA UTS Vacationer CareerConnect Lunch
Event location: Aerial UTS Function Centre
Event date: 14 August 2012
Event time: 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Macquarie University Work Experience Expo
Event location: Macquarie University, E7B Indoor Courtyard
Event date: 15 August 2012
Event time: 11:00am – 3:00pm
Depending on the office in which you're interested in working, you may be eligible for the Career Compass, Cadet, Internship Year, Vacationer or Graduate Program. You can join us from school or university as a cadet and combine work and university study. As an Intern (Melbourne only) you work with us for 9 to 12 months before completing the final year of your degree. As a vacationer, you gain between two weeks and three months work experience with us in your penultimate year of uni. As a graduate, you join us as a permanent employee following the completion of your university studies.
Regardless whether you start as a cadet, intern, vacationer or as a participant of the Career Compass Program, all have the potential to become full-time positions. Go to Student Programs to learn more about the opportunities available.
Familiarise yourself with our eligibility requirements. If you meet these requirements you can complete the online application form. You'll need to attach an electronic copy of your academic transcript. If you're an international student residing and studying in Australia, we'll ask you to submit a copy of your IELTs scores. We're not accepting applications from students based outside Australia at this time. Applications for all of our programs can be submitted through our website.
You can apply to our Graduate Program within 18 months after you finished university at the time of application. Lodge your application once we've opened the process, which we do each year, normally in early March. Check our website for the exact dates.
Yes. Our Graduate Program is open to international students. Find out more about our requirements. At this time, we are not accepting applications from students based outside Australia.
As a global professional services organisation, we tackle diverse and challenging clients and projects. Developing excellent relationships and delivering effective business solutions requires specialists from many different subject areas – not just accounting or commerce. These include human resources, information systems, information technology, computer science, engineering, law, science, environmental studies, actuarial studies, economics, finance, maths, arts and psychology. If you have a bachelor degree in a discipline other than accounting and you're keen to pursue a career in chartered accounting, we'll support you to complete Deakin University's Graduate Certificate of Chartered Accounting Foundations course. In 2012, international students must by studying for an accounting or IT degree recognised by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. To be considered for a graduate position, candidates must meet the requirements to obtain a positive skills assessment of the relevant authority for an occupation on the Skilled Migration Occupancy List.
Yes, we do. We employ post-graduates with a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences who have completed Honours, Masters, MBA and Graduate Diploma courses into our Vacationer and Graduate Programs, and consider them for experienced hire opportunities.
It is not just based on academic performance. We are looking for well-rounded candidates with good communication, analytical and interpersonal skills. We also want someone who will work well in a team and who is enthusiastic and motivated to learn.
All our offices require the same high standards of academic qualifications, competencies and personal qualities. However, some offices recruit higher numbers of graduates, giving you increased opportunities to apply and interview. Go to Job Search to review the opportunities on offer in your preferred location(s) and apply.
There are several ways to find out more about our process and programs. You may wish to talk to your lecturers campus careers advisors or peers who've been on one of our Vacationer, Career Compass, Cadet or Internship Year Programs. You'll see us on campus, at school or at our offices so you have an opportunity to ask us questions. It's worth checking out our Facebook® page - Ernst & Young Careers - Australia. It provides more information and insights that will help you make an informed decision about pursuing a career with Ernst & Young.
As soon as we receive your application, we'll send you a confirmation email. If your qualifications meet our requirements, we'll then invite you to attend a recruitment day. For helpful tips on how to prepare for an interview, click here.
Ernst & Young is a global organisation made up of member firms in 140 countries. Each member firm is owned by its partners and they have operational control of their business. However, in order to maintain the same high standards of service quality and delivery in each of our locations, we have a global governance structure. This consists of four geographic Areas, each with an Area Executive that works in close partnership with our Global Executive, headed up by our CEO, Jim Turley. To support our efforts as a global organisation, we also have a global entity, Ernst & Young Global, which works strategically with each of our Areas to support consistency and excellence in all of our activities around the world.
Ernst & Young has 167,000 people working across the world in 140 countries. Take a look at our Location map.
The right choice for you will reflect your area of interest and specialisation. Have a good look around our website to get a feel for who we are and the services we offer. Then speak with your lecturers, recruiters, campus careers advisors, friends and family to gather all the information you need to understand where you may best fit. Ernst & Young is growing and expanding in new and exciting business areas, so there are lots of opportunities for you to consider. Invest time now to research the possibilities, so you can make an informed choice later on.
The requirement for Chartered Accountancy qualifications depends on the Service Line you're working in. Some groups require their staff to complete the CA Program . We support this qualification through study leave, mentoring and financial support. We also offer students who don't have an accounting background an online bridging course to convert their degree to meet the CA Program requirements. This online course is done via Deakin University.
You are able to apply for any open positions you see in any one of our 140 countries that hires graduates. Your eligibility, however, depends on the hiring country's qualification requirements, employment laws, work permit and/or visa requirements.
We're committed to helping our people succeed professionally and personally. We have a pragmatic approach to supporting individuals in meeting commitments in and out of the office. Through discussion and negotiation, we work together to agree on a framework that meets the needs of our business, our teams, our clients and those of our people. It's an approach that allows you to manage family commitments, or pursue personal passions outside of work. We're proud that some of our people have participated in the Olympics, written novels and recorded albums alongside pursuing a career at Ernst & Young. Review our staff benefits.
We don't currently offer work experience placements but during your final year at school you can apply for a cadetship in New South Wales or Victoria. If you're in the penultimate year of your degree, you can apply for our Vacationer Program. Please go to student programs for more opportunities. We also recommend checking with your school careers advisor or university career services for more information.
If you're looking to jump-start your career, participating in our Vacationer Program will give you valuable experience and insights. If you're a top performer, you'll be offered a position with us upon completion of your studies. Take a look at the different programs available in the location of your choice and apply now.
Vacationers work with a team just like every other new graduate staff. Your experience will differ depending on the service line you join. However, the Vacationer Program is designed to give you a taste for what a full-time position would involve so you will gain exposure to different managers and businesses, be involved in collecting and analysing data, helping prepare presentation and participate in meetings. . Rest assured you will also receive intensive training to help get you started and extensive coaching from the advisors on your team along the way.
The International Intern Leadership Conference is an annual event held in Disneyland, Orlando, Florida. It's the largest event of its kind and is attended by over 2000 interns and vacationers from all over the world. IILC gives vacationers the opportunity to meet and greet our global leadership and learn about our vision and strategy. The conference is by invitation only and is a reward to the best performing vacationers. If successful, you'll learn from our top leaders, participate in seminars on current global issues and get involved in team activities. It's a great way to build your global network and your vision of what your future at Ernst & Young might be.
We're committed to your ongoing learning and development. We take your individual strengths and learning requirements into account to provide the right blend of experiences, learning and coaching for you. This approach will help to accelerate your progress and support your career goals and aspirations. We call this approach EYU (Ernst & Young and You) and it reflects a mutual commitment to your development. You're responsible for articulating your needs and aspirations and we'll provide the tools and opportunities you need to fulfil them.
Training is a core element of EYU. With our award-winning learning and development programs, you receive the formal training you need through a variety of approaches in the classroom and online. You'll also receive valuable informal training through new experiences and on-the-job coaching and mentoring. See EYU for more information.
Yes, we provide you with assistance to pass the Institute of Chartered Accountant's Chartered Accountant (CA) program and the Graduate Certificate of Chartered Accounting Foundations course. We provide:
We also support the Masters of Tax, Securities Institute of Australia (SIA) and other relevant business, financial and professional courses.
We're committed to offering our people international experiences. Once you've spent some time with us, you can apply for a short- or long-term secondment or international mobility program. You'll need a strong performance record to qualify. Speak to your counsellor and he or she will help you identify any suitable opportunities to enhance your career development with some international experience.
You own your career at Ernst & Young but developing it is a mutual commitment. You're responsible for articulating your development needs and aspirations. We provide a supportive learning, teaming, high-performance environment that will help you become a highly competent and successful professional. We offer plenty of career options and, wherever possible, we allow flexibility, so you can balance the demands of work and personal life. In return, you take responsibility for your professional and personal growth and for performing at your best every day.
Regardless whether you join us as an intern, vacationer, cadet or graduate, you're not expected to know your job inside-out on your first day with the firm. Your development will start on day one, where you'll partake in our firm-wide induction and training. Your development will continue progressively throughout your first year - and throughout your entire career with us.
Graduate positions commence in the new year, usually between January and April, and some divisions offer a mid-year start which is generally in July. Depending on the needs of the business we may be able to offer you some flexibility in terms of your start date. Vacation employment varies in each location but is typically over the summer vacation period running from December until February with a break over the Christmas and New Year period. Our Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide offices also offer a Winter Vacationer Program in June/July.
Our core hours of work are either from 8.30am to 5.00pm or 8.45am to 5.15pm depending on which state you work in and our work/life policy states that mandatory meetings cannot be scheduled before 8am or after 6pm. However, your hours will vary according to the work or engagement in which you're involved. Occasionally, there may be some weekend work, particularly during busy periods. We encourage teams at all levels to work flexibly and discuss and negotiate how to meet the demands of each engagement. By communicating regularly with your team and counsellor, you'll be able understand their expectations and plan your time effectively.
In addition to the training, development and support you receive during your career, we reward you for your commitment and potential through performance based remuneration, flexibility and a range of benefits.
We know your salary isn't the most important thing but we know it's important. That's why we spend a significant amount of time reviewing market salary data to ensure we offer you a salary that is attractive and commensurate with our competitors. And, this continues throughout your career as we review market data on an ongoing basis.
Our office dress policy is contemporary business wear. However, we're providing a professional service to our clients and they expect us to look the part, so formal business attire is appropriate for meetings with clients. The exception to this rule is when you're based at client sites, in which case you may adopt the client's dress code policy.
Here, you'll find individuals representing a variety of backgrounds, opinions and perspectives but united by a shared set of values. This means that there are plenty of groups and networks built around shared issues and interests. These range from hobbies, sports and creative or intellectual pursuits through to support and volunteer opportunities. They also include groups such as working mothers. Regardless of your background or areas of focus, you'll find colleagues who share your interests.
We're committed to creating an environment where all people feel valued, are part of the community and are able to perform at their best. Diversity and inclusiveness are about everyone. It's about welcoming and harnessing diverse viewpoints, and about how this leads to making better decisions for us and for our clients. It's also about operating in a way that helps people to achieve their potential and make a difference, wherever they come from and whatever their characteristics. We believe in developing our people's cultural awareness and skills, including helping them to be aware of their own assumptions, frames of reference and behaviours. To us, diversity and inclusiveness make business sense: it helps us to engage with clients and teams in a global economy. And in a world of shifting demographics, it allows us to navigate efficiently across boundaries.
We recognise that we have a corporate responsibility to the environment and believe in making it possible for our people to contribute on an individual basis. As an organisation we've implemented various strategies. For example, developing carbon neutral buildings; reducing the need for overseas travel through the use of video and teleconferencing; and sourcing green energy suppliers wherever possible. As an individual, you can participate in one of the eco-teams in our offices that promote responsible practices or you can contribute your time to a charity or organisation that benefits the environment.
We understand that success is broader than what you achieve at the office. That's why we support one another in attaining life balance, in reaching our personal goals and keeping our personal commitments. Some of our people have participated in professional sports, written novels, recorded albums and achieved a host of personal initiatives while working with us. The key to balancing your professional and personal commitments is communicating often with your team and supervisor and remaining flexible.
Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of 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.
