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

newgrad_neil (Primly starter) · 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 (Primly starter)

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 (Primly starter)

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 (Primly starter)

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 (Primly starter)

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.