About Akansha Yadav:

I'm a BSc Zoology honours graduate from Delhi University and currently pursuing MBA from SIMS Pune with Marketing Major and International Business as Minor (Batch 2018-2020). I have done my schooling from KV Air force academy, Hyderabad. I'm the senior coordinator of an ISR club called Yoddhas which works for cancer awareness and have mentored in Inspire Internship Programme by the government of India in graduation. I secured merit in Biology in 12th boards and got 75th rank in National Science Olympiad in 2009. I am an athlete and secured 3 golds in athletics and 2 in swimming at the regional level and silver in kho kho zonals. I have also registered for stem cell donation.

About the Internship

  • Company - Ernst & Young
  • Duration - 8 Weeks
  • Location - Gurgaon
  • Industry - Consulting
  • Role - Research analyst

How was your overall experience?

My 8 weeks of summer internship with EY commenced on 8th of April 2018 and we were given a formal and warm welcome. The first week was dedicated to learning wherein we attended seminars, lectures and learned how to use various tools and databases of the company. By the end of the first week, we were assigned our respective mentors and they guided us throughout the project. I was specifically given the healthcare group and was assigned a live project with my mentor. The work culture of the company was good and the employees were very supportive. The overall experience in the company was enriching and it made me come out of my comfort zone and explore various other domains. It taught me the importance of good research in any project and strengthened my fundamentals of research approach and analysis. I also developed new interests while working with EY and it will surely open doors to new opportunities for me in future.

How was the selection process conducted? 

The selection process of EY was very smooth and was conducted in stages. First one being the essay writing test and then the technical and HR interviews respectively. It was fair and transparent.

What was your project and how did you execute it?

My project was “Reengineering Indian Healthcare” and I was working on it with my mentor. We worked as per the client’s demand be it making a storyboard, a ppt or just consolidating raw data in an excel sheet. We did extensive research on the current situation of primary healthcare in India and how the breakthrough primary healthcare reforms across the world can be replicated in India. The role of public-private partnerships in primary healthcare was also an area of focus.

How was the work culture at E&Y?

Work culture was good. Timings were flexible and employees also got “work from home” whenever they needed. Despite having a lot of workloads and strictly adhering to the deadlines, employees took out time to relax and take a break. There were no strict dress code rules and restrictions regarding seating space in the office.

What were the key challenges that you faced during your internship?

Coming from a non-technical background, working on the advance MS Office was the most fundamental challenge for me. Initial apprehension in making client calls was also an issue for me which I could overcome with my mentor’s help. A little hesitation in asking doubts when you are stuck can cause you a great deal of damage. I learnt it the hard way but luckily my mentor was very supportive in clarifying even the smallest of the doubt.

What were the key learnings of your internship?

Getting out of my comfort zone and working on things that I haven’t done before was the most important learning from my internship. I got to know the basics of doing research. I learned how to work under pressure. I also understood the importance of networking and communication in an organisation and how teamwork can help build a strong relationship with the employees and ease out the workload.

Any memorable moments from the internship?

The workshops and feedback sessions with the SIP head were very interesting. They were light-hearted and insightful at the same time. He took criticism positively and always worked on the issues we had. We had the best time working under him.

Any tips you would like to share with our juniors?

Do not miss the opportunity of getting into EY. It is one of the “Big- fours” and you will know why once you work there. It will give a good start to your career and putting EY in your CV will make you stand apart as well.
For any other queries, you can reach out to Akanksha @Linkedin and @Instagram