Every year, EY holds an annual conference called the Ernst and Young Emerging Leaders Program. During the program, students learn about the inner workings of EY. They also learn about the roles available in their area.

Students compete for a spot through a video interview and then move onto an on-campus interview. The competition is competitive, and typically, students need to be enrolled in an undergraduate business or accounting program and be interested in pursuing their CPA designation. The successful student applicants must be available for a summer internship or a full-time opportunity the following year.

Recruiters look for mature candidates who show enthusiasm for a career with Ernst and Young. If you are one of the individuals chosen to attend the Emerging Leaders Program, it's a great sign that the EY Recruiters see you as a top-notch potential candidate for their firm.

EY's Emerging Leaders' Program is considered an 'externship.' An externship program is commonly offered by all Big 4 firms, as they are a 1-3 day opportunity for students to gain exposure to the firms and learn about the firms' culture and the expectations of carving out a career with the firm. During the program, you will also learn how to advance into an internship and eventually a full-time offer from Ernst and Young.

You are not limited to attend only EY's externship. Big 4 firms fully expect that you will explore other opportunities. While EY has the Emerging Leaders Program, PwC holds an externship program called 'Elevate,' Deloitte's externship is 'NextGen,' and KPMG's program is called 'Leadership Edge.'

If you were an EY Emerging Leaders Program participant, be prepared to talk to the interviewers about what you gained from their externship. When discussing this experience, let your enthusiasm for an internship with EY shine through!