How A Fresher Bagged A PPO From EY - Sharad Wankhede, IIM Ranchi

Hello readers, let me introduce you Sharad Wankhede. He has completed his undergraduate in Electrical Engineering from SGGSIET, Nanded. He went on to pursue an MBA in HR from IIM Ranchi. He was fresh out of college, aka a fresher. In this interview, Sharad has shared some of his key learnings and strategies that helped him bag the PPO from EY. Without further ado, let's begin.

Mahantesh: Tell us in brief about how you prepared for summer placement interviews?

Sharad: My primary mode of preparation was the placement preparation material that was provided to us. Mock GD and PI conducted by our seniors were helpful. A book called '201 Knockout Answers to Tough Interview Questions' came in handy.

M: What is the summer internship process like for EY?

S: The process involved the following steps:

1. Aptitude test: The test had questions on Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Ability, Data Interpretation, MS Excel, Email writing and few general aptitude questions with the specific cutoff for each section.

2. PI shortlist came based on Aptitude test scores

3. Personal Interview: The interview was a two-step process.

a. Functional Interview: The candidates were assessed on their technical knowledge and analytical skills.

b. HR Interview: A senior HR leader interviewed to evaluate the candidates on their behaviour and consulting skills such as communication, problem-solving etc

M: What are the reasons you think you cracked the interview?

S: I can not attribute it to a few specific reasons. It is the culmination of many factors. If I had to put it in simple words, it would be - a clear understanding of the Fundamental Concepts in Human Resource Management, knowledge of the Consulting Industry and my communication skills.

M: Tell us about your day to day work as an intern at EY

S: The day typically started at 10 am. An hour was spent in responding to the Emails and setting up the agenda for the upcoming day. The next 2-3 hours were spent on Skype calls, meetings, training sessions and review sessions with the manager. After a brief coffee break, the next 4-5 hours were reserved for the individual deliverables. The day concluded with some group tasks called strategic initiatives that we were assigned in addition to the regular projects. Occasional strolls in the beautiful office campus and the fantastic food court were things that I enjoyed.

M: What did you do right to achieve the PPO from EY?

S: Well, as I said before, it is always about the compounding effect of multiple factors. I developed a clear understanding of the project. After this divided the entire project into weekly tasks. I got my work periodically reviewed by the manager. Incorporated the changes suggested as swiftly as I could. I went beyond the scope of your work. I tried to take some additional responsibilities. I built connections with the right people who in turn helped me when I faced my challenges. I used the Learning Portal to acquire the relevant skills and knowledge of tools
Last but not least 'Ask the mentors'. They are the ones who can provide you with insights.

M: What are the most cherishable moments of your internship?

S: There were so many. If I had to pick a few of those, it would be the following: We were given a group task wherein we had to determine the future of our business vertical and suggest some innovative solutions. Our team came up with an ingenious solution. So, the team was allowed to present the solution in front of the Partners and Senior Leaders of EY People Advisory Services.
I was allowed to represent the Workforce Advisory Team in the People Advisory Services Sports Fiesta. It was a fantastic experience to be a part of the Organizing Team. And finally, my most cherishable as well as critical days are the Mid Review and Final Review. These two days were one of the most stressful yet most fulfilling days of my internship.