My name is Meg Hocquard, and I joined EY Christchurch in September 2021. I am part of the Consulting team in Christchurch, and more specifically a part of Business Consulting. I joined EY as a graduate and started working early before the regular graduate intake in March 2022.
Describe a typical day
On a typical day, I come into the office and decide where I am going to sit for the day. Hot-desking means I can sit anywhere depending on how I am feeling and what I need to get done. I check my emails and calendar first, and often make myself a coffee or pop down to the local café for a quick takeaway. Working with global teams and in a global organisation means emails are received at all times of the day and night. From there, my day consists of reaching key project milestones to meet client service targets. I have regular meetings with my team, and we work together to balance client recommendations. My work consists of client data and working with this data in Excel and various other software that analyse large data sets. When it comes time to take a break, the lunch area is a great way to switch off and catch up with colleagues. Everyone loves to catch up and have a chat no matter what part of the company they are in, which is amazing.
Describe the culture at EY
EY is an amazing place to work. The culture is very welcoming, which makes it a great environment to be in from day one. Everyone is willing to help and there is plenty of support. The people are all like-minded and want to achieve the collective purpose of building a better working world. At the same time, there is so much diversity, meaning there is so much to learn. EY supports you in endeavours you might choose to take outside of work, and it’s a company all about its people. I have felt valued and supported from the start. Everyone has the flexibility to work from home or the office, which helps immensely with a work/life balance.
What’s been one highlight to date?
The exposure to the people within EY and the experiences you gain. The opportunities are endless and EY really cares about matching your work to what you are interested in, which is amazing.
What’s a tip you would give to incoming graduates and vacationers?
Make sure you are trying to find your passion and follow that passion. When you do what you are passionate about, it will make everything so much more enjoyable.