Moving to EY from academia

Isabel, a Senior Consultant in Data and Analytics, Technology Consulting at EY in Auckland, shares her experience of moving to EY from academia.

It all started with a pie graph

One day after work, my good friend and I were chatting when they asked me how I felt about pie graphs. Immediately, I began my rant that they should never be used with more than two variables, although they frequently are. My friend laughed and mentioned they had just met an EY colleague who worked in Data and Analytics who had said the same thing and thought we should meet for a coffee to discuss further.

At the time, I was working in Auckland for a university biostatistics department in research and helping with their data and analytics. I hadn’t ever considered working for an organisation like EY but was keen to hear more.

Adjusting to ‘corporate’ life

I was nervous about switching to a corporate role because there is the stereotype of everyone being very serious and formal. However, I found that EY people strike the right balance between working hard, and being friendly and informal when needed.

I was also pleased to discover that many people in EY teams have also come from diverse backgrounds. As a team, this gives us the ability to tackle problems from different perspectives, creating better work.

Coming from academia, I found the workflow different from the slow and steady pace I was used to; however, I really enjoy the structure and the push and drive to get things done at speed. The work is interesting and pushes me to think of new ways to solve problems. Each day, I know I will do something different from what I did yesterday or last week. There is a real sense of accomplishment that I didn’t have in my previous role.

Building great relationships

I have built strong relationships with my team. There is always support and a great sense of collaboration between us. We are not just colleagues; I feel like the people in my team care about what is going on in my life. It contributes to a great people culture and encourages us to look after ourselves and each other.

It is worth taking a further look into opportunities that might come your way. You don’t necessarily have to wear a suit.

EY teams are recruiting for Data and Analytics professionals. You can find out more about the breadth of careers in Data and Analytics here.