Internship Spotlight: Isa Baron, EY

Isa Baron BSBA ‘24 (Operations & Supply Chain Management and Environmental Studies) was a Climate Change and Sustainability Services Intern at EY in Atlanta, Georgia.

What was the process for getting this internship, job, or summer experience?

I actually applied for a different Launch Internship for Consulting with EY first in November. I went through the interview process, but ended up hearing nothing back. I was confused, so I reached out to my original recruiter (who I met at Eller Expo!) and she said was confused too, but connected me to someone recruiting specifically for Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS). This recruiter sent me a direct link to the CCaSS Launch Intern position. This was beyond exciting for me because I had scoured job boards for that exact role. I applied, interviewed (with an Eller alumn!), and hear back a few weeks later!

What was a typical day like?

Typically, I would wake up early to get a couple of hours of work done. Then, I would go into the office mid-morning and get lunch with some colleagues! Sometimes it was other interns, other times it was professionals on my team. I usually had a few meetings in the afternoon or I would be working on a deliverable, but EY hosted lots of professional development trainings for interns throughout the summer! We covered topics from personal finance to making career changes. After work, we had an intern event organized by EY almost every week! Every day was a little different but I appreciated getting to structure my day how it worked best for me.

If you worked on a big project, please describe it below:

Throughout the summer, I participated in an internal competition called the Intern Sustainability Challenge where we were asked to provide a solution that creates value for EY and its clients while furthering sustainable business practices. With some friends that I made in the internship, we formed a team. I was the only person on my team with sustainability experience, so it was a cool opportunity to lead and explain the importance of sustainable business operations. Our solution ultimately made it to the finals, and we had the opportunity to present with Americas leadership! It was a very exciting experience and something I'll always remember about this internship!

What did you learn?

Everyone I have met in the professional world has been overwhelmingly willing to connect with me and tell me more about what they do. I spent a fair amount of time reaching out to professionals at EY in the CCaSS practice to get my name out and learn more about what people are working on. So many great connections, opportunities, and conversations came out of this. But you don't have to be in a company to network with them, I was already connected to EY professionals before I signed my offer letter and I actually met my Senior Manager through a coffee chat before I was put on her project!

What advice do you have for other students looking for a similar experience, or advice for future students to be successful?

Go to the career fair! Post on LinkedIn! Connect with recruiters and professionals and build your network NOW! Above all, always ask for what you want and advocate for yourself because no one else is going to do it for you.

How did Eller prepare you for this experience?

Experiences through EPO have helped my resume and getting connected to recruiters at Expo was critical to getting this position!

Did you feel supported by the company or organization you worked with?

100%. I LOVE EY!