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EY new grad / entry level interview: how to prep when you have almost no experience

newgrad_neil · 4 replies

Okay so I got through the EY entry-level technology interview as a 2025 grad with basically a CS degree and two internships. Writing this because when I was searching, almost everything I found was for experienced hires.

First: EY hires new grads into a few different tracks. The campus consulting track (Technology Consulting Analyst) is different from direct-hire software development roles. I was in the Technology Consulting Analyst path. The interview experience is probably different if you're going for a direct tech role.

What the TCA process looked like: Online application through campus portal HireVue video interview: 3-4 behavioral questions, recorded, no live interviewer. You get a prompt and 2 minutes to answer. First round: 30 min with a recruiter, then a short competency interview Final round: two back-to-back behavioral interviews, about an hour total

The HireVue questions I got: Tell me about a time you worked on a project with people from different backgrounds. A situation where you had to learn something new quickly. Why EY specifically.

That last one matters more than you'd think. Generic 'Big 4 is great' answers probably don't move the needle. I talked about a specific EY report I read on digital transformation in financial services (sounds nerdy but it was real). Made the conversation much more specific.

For the behavioral rounds: STAR method, basically required. They're structured interviewers. Have at least 4-5 solid stories ready because they ask follow-ups and you don't want to recycle the same example twice.

What I wish I'd done differently: prepped more case-adjacent examples. EY is consulting, even on the tech side. Stories where you figured something out for a 'client' (internal or external) go over better than 'I built a cool feature.'

Timeline was roughly 6 weeks from application to offer for the fall recruiting cycle. Offer came mid-September for a January start.

4 replies

visa_vik

Did EY sponsor H1B for the new grad role or was that US citizen/PR only? I'm on OPT and trying to figure out which Big 4 tracks are realistic.

bootcamp_bri

Thanks for being specific about the HireVue questions. I freeze up in those recorded things. Knowing what categories to expect helps a lot. Did you do practice rounds before the real one?

newgrad_neil

Yes, I set up my phone to record myself answering questions with a timer. Sounds excessive but watching myself stumble through the first 3 takes was actually the most useful prep I did. You catch a lot of filler words and you notice when your answer goes way too long.

content_cole

The 'why EY specifically' question is so easy to phone in and so easy to do well if you spend 30 minutes actually reading something they published recently. I did the same thing at a consulting interview years ago. The interviewer lit up because almost nobody does it.