Ernst & Young: Why You Want to Work Here

In the dim light of the recession, Ernst & Young is still burning brightly. Not only is the global professional services firm currently hiring in the thousands in North America, it's doing so with an eye toward diversity.

Recently, Minority Recruit interviewed Ernst & Young recruiter Ken Bouyer to find out why candidates should apply to the company. Here are the top five reasons, from our perspective:

International Travel. Particularly among Millennials, the possibility of international travel can be reason enough to take a job. Given Ernst & Young's worldwide presence -- the company has offices from Albania to Zimbabwe -- there are plenty of opportunities to travel, says Bouyer. "We also have programs that send people abroad for a longer period of time. Given the right background and experience, an employee could have the opportunity for a two-year residency at one or more of our global locations." The company has multiple offices in more than 100 countries. See locations.
A Minority Mentorship Program. In the early '90's, Ernst & Young became committed to developing programs to promote minorities, says Bouyer. Like most companies, there's still work to be done, he says. "Our mentorship program, Career Watch, gives high-performing minority professionals opportunities for mentorship by executives. We want you to become a partner or executive director; we want you in a very impactful and influential position."

A Culture That Listens to You. Ernst & Young is in that league of companies that realize diversity is not just a corporate strategy, but a philosophy. "Beyond diversity of gender and ethnicity, we also support diversity of thought," says Bouyer. The company encourages the opinions of all employees, he says, including those who are younger and entry-level. "We encourage independent thinking," Bouyer says. "We not only want to hear your ideas and opinions, we expect to hear them."
A Full Ride to Graduate School. Ernst & Young's Masters of Accounting program, developed in partnership with the University of Notre Dame and the University of Virginia, enrolls 100 plus students every year, covering their full tuition. In return, students agree to employment at Ernst & Young after graduation.
Twenty-five Percent of Employees are "Boomerangs." One sign of employee happiness is a high percentage of employees who leave, but come back. Twenty-five percent of Ernst & Young's current employees are boomerangs, says Bouyer.

Despite the recession, Ernst & Young is hiring. "We're looking for both entry-level hires and experienced professionals," he says. When applying to Ernst & Young, entry-level candidates should highlight leadership, communication, and presentation skills, says Bouyer. "With a college graduate, we want to see any leadership experience, whether that's vice president or president of a student or professional organization. We look to see if the student worked during the summer time. We want to know: Are you motivated? We want to see people who are busy, active, and building their skills."

Ernst & Young also hires many of their interns. The company begins their internship process early, so students should check with their campus career center for dates and deadlines. "An internship is a great way to test drive the firm," says Bouyer.