In what ways and by how much does life at EY differ in London compared to other office locations?

In terms of what ways they are different, London has sector specialism built in because audit is split into departments. There are also a lot more people there. You will also have people in London from not just assurance but across all the service lines. For instance, Southampton only has Government and Public Sector (GPS) Audit, Corporate audit, Pensions and Tax so is a Assurance only office.
The audit departments across the London offices are split as follows:
- Energy
- TMT (technology, media and telecommunications)
- RHC (real estate, hospitality and construction)
- CPR (consumer products and retail)
- Financial Services

There’s GPS as well but this is run from the Luton office.
Given I work in a regional office we do not have the sector splits and get to work with clients across a wide range of sectors. So I have never worked in London for an extended period of time. I imagine there are differences and thus pros and cons associated with both.
London is a amazing city and comes with sector specialism but has its own challenges e.g. high costs of living and a longer commute typically.
Clearly you get paid less in a regional office but because you don’t have sector specialism in my opinion you obtain a more well-rounded experience as you work with clients from across a variety of sectors. I think this makes it an amazing place to train. I have really enjoyed working in a smaller office and benefitted from the familial nature of Southampton because you get to know almost everyone in one way or another.
I think someone would enjoy either but it is down to personal preference.
I hope I have answered your questions but if anything needs clarity, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.