Bachelor of Business students treated to real-world experience with a Top 4 firm

EY is one of our Bachelor of Business (Professional Practice) program supporters and is fully integrated into a core subject of the degree.

Students were invited to the EY Melbourne office late last month to take part in an Interview Workshop in the form of mock interviews and mock case studies.

Grace, a second-year business student, highlighted the importance of seeing the inner workings of a big company saying, “it’s a good way to get your foot in the door, gain some experience and participate in activities.”

“I definitely recommend taking part in offsite learning if the opportunity comes up as it’s a lot more fun and interactive.” 

Ashley, another second-year business student, enjoyed hearing about the experiences of past EY staff members.

“Getting the opportunity to see inside a big four company made it seem more personable, and less standoffish,” she said.

Meeting people today, it was quite nice to see that everyone had similar experiences, it adds value to see that the people you are working with are in the same shoes as you.

Program Manager for the Bachelor of Business (Professional Practice), Dr Simon Thornton highlighted the benefit of the students taking part in the EY Morning Tea. 

“Students discussed interview techniques, how to pitch to clients and problem solve in teams,” he said.

“A small army of young EY Business Partners kindly shared their experience and insights with students on what has works well and the general do’s and don'ts of corporate life.”

Gabriel is studying a Bachelor of Business majoring in finance and his biggest takeaway from the excursion was meeting a senior consultant whose early career achievements had a great impact on him.

“She gave me some great insights into putting your career passions first so you’re more set for the future,” he said.

Gabriel also said being able to see how a company is run made his career aspirations feel more real and achievable.

“You could actually envision yourself being in that environment, because you were there, surrounded by other people doing things you’re passionate about,” he said. 

“It was really cool.”

Zach is also in his second year of studying a Bachelor of Business, felt like the workshop at EY gave him a good firsthand experience of the real world outside of the classroom.

“Today really opened my eyes to the fine details of taking part in an interview in a corporate environment, something I had not experienced before,” he said.

“After I graduate, I would love to work at a company like EY, in the human resources field... I think that would be perfect for me.” 

Excursions to EY’s Melbourne office are offered as part of the College of Business and Law’s Bachelor of Business (Professional Practice).

Find out more about the Bachelor of Business courses here.

See more about our students’ experiences on their excursion to EY on the RMIT Instagram.

Story: Sheridan Van Gelderen