Stephen Galavan, Software Asset Management Consultant, EY

Degree subject Management Science & Information Systems Studies (MSISS), Trinity College (2015)
Job title Consultant-Software Asset Management-Advisory
Employer EY

How did you become interested in a
career with EY?

My journey to EY was a little
unconventional. I had applied for the
summer internship in my third year,
but hadn’t made the cut due to
numbers. However they invited me to
a weeklong programme in June called
the EY Experience Week, essentially a
concentrated version of the
internship. At the end of the week I
was given the chance to interview for
a place on the graduate programme.
And I got it! I now work on the
Software Asset Management (SAM)
team, which audits major technology
companies, carrying out software
license inspections. It’s a little like
being a TV License Inspector in
concept, except you’re dealing with
incredibly large companies and it’s a
lot more technical. What attracted me
to EY in particular was its client
portfolio. Everyday I’m dealing with
some of the world’s largest and most
important companies.

What does your daily role involve,
and what’s been one of the biggest
challenges so far?

Whilst there’s no typical day, my role
involves managing engagements and
consultations as organised by my
manager. Each morning I’ll begin by
calling these companies and this
means speaking to the CEOs, CIOs or
other senior managers within the
firms we’re auditing. Being given this
range of responsibility at this level of
my career has been extraordinary. The
biggest challenge was coming to
terms with my own role as a
consultant, and the level of
responsibility I had been given. Often I
thought, ‘why would a seasoned
business manager listen to me, a 23
year old just out of college?’ I found
the best way to combat these
thoughts was just to have confidence
in myself. I knew that I knew what I
was doing. Seeking extra credentials
also helped. My degree set the
groundwork for my experience, and
the extra training bolstered my
confidence. I’m currently looking at
pursuing the Certified Information
Systems Auditor (CISA) qualification.

What’s exciting about your job?

The SAM team is one of EY’s fastest
growing teams. This year they expect to
welcome 6 new graduates. There’s a lot
of opportunity for travel, as we’re
working within EMEIA (Europe, Middle-
East, India, and Africa). The trips are
usually only a couple of days long, so it’s
almost like a mini-working-trip. My last
trip was to Amsterdam, and now I’m
waiting to hopefully travel out to Saudi
Arabia to carry out an audit.

What advice would you have for
students and graduates?

Don’t be afraid about just jumping in.
The most important thing is to find a
job you’re comfortable in, and won’t
mind trekking into on a cold, drizzly
November morning. The only way to
find this out is to get involved. Apply
for internships, experience weeks and
graduate programmes. If you don’t
enjoy the job, don’t worry, you’re not
confined to it. I’ve been lucky enough
to love my job here in EY, which
means I want to stay. My degree
taught me a great deal of what I
needed to know to do my job here.
The MSISS degree was ideal, as it was
broad. It gave me grounding in the
technical aspects of computer science
through labs as well as giving me an
insight into effective business
management.

How do you hope to see your career
developing over the next few years?

Due to the size of our team, and its
growth, it’s been possible to progress
quickly. My managers ensure that I’m
given work that challenges and
excites me, whilst giving me room to
exercise real responsibility. Our team
is a diverse band of people and the
team spirit is really good. I’m
incredibly lucky to work here!