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EY Launches New GenAI Tax Assistant

Ernst & Young rolled out an AI-powered assistant to streamline tax prep and reduce manual review during filings. It’s now being tested internally across several global offices. EY is already familiar in their AI use as they announced the launch of EY.ai back in March in collaboration with NVDIA. It’s designed to drive transformation across multiple sectors, including tax, risk, and finance domains.
Why it matters: Big 4 firms are investing heavily in AI not to replace jobs—but to reshape how entry-level staff work. The new edge? Knowing both tax codes and how to use the tech.

Tip: Show curiosity about how tech is used in practice—not just in theory. Ask recruiters or alumni how their team is adapting to AI tools.

Consulting Firms Shift Toward AI & ESG Strategy

Keeping with the trend of AI, McKinsey, BCG, and Bain continue expanding teams focused on AI implementation, sustainability reporting, and transformation consulting, especially for mid-market clients.

Student Takeaway: The lines between strategy, technology, and ESG compliance are blurring. “Generalist” consultants are being trained to speak AI, risk, and regulation. In case interviews, expect prompts related to AI cost-benefit analysis, carbon credit markets, or digital transformation metrics.

Definition: The utilization rate is the percentage of time a billable employee (usually in consulting or professional services) spends on client-facing work.

Formula: Billable Hours / Total Available Hours
Example: If a consultant logs 30 billable hours out of 40 total hours in a week:

Utilization Rate = 30 / 40 = 75%

Why Utilization Rate Matters: Firms monitor this metric closely — low utilization can signal overstaffing, poor project flow, or underperformance.

Recruiters and interviewers don’t just want to know that you can build a DCF model or calculate EBITDA—they want to hear how you think. It’s not enough to know the steps. You need to connect financial outputs to real-world decisions.

For example, instead of saying “I built a 3-statement model” say:

“I built a 3-statement model to assess whether the company could afford a leveraged acquisition without breaching debt covenants or hurting free cash flow.”

That subtle shift—from what you did to why it mattered—can set you apart in interviews. This kind of “strategic thinking” is what makes someone a good analyst, not just a good student.

Pro tip: Start asking yourself in every project: What’s the business decision this analysis is helping solve? Whether you're looking at margins, revenue growth, or ROIC, your ability to explain the why behind the what is how you stand out in finance interviews.

Bonus: Use this approach on your resume and during behavioral interviews. It makes your experience feel more real and impactful—even if it was from a class or club.

Whether you're recruiting for audit, advisory, or consulting, the best candidates understand both the technical and strategic sides of business. Keep your stories sharp, your resume tailored, and your energy consistent.

Remember: preparation isn’t just about practicing interviews—it’s about knowing where the industry is going and how you can bring value.

Lastly, to add onto learning to speak the “Why” behind the numbers, fully understanding and comprehending why numbers behave the way they do in finance will make studying/learning 10x easier. Learn to read in-between the lines of formulas

Welcome to Campus Capital. Each week, we’ll break down the finance world in 5 minutes or less.
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My name is Braunsen Bax, I’m a honors finance and accounting student-athlete at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois (45 mins outside of Chicago). I graduated from Walton High School in Marietta Georgia. Outside of the classroom I compete in the throws events for the Track & Field team, 35 time NCAA DIII national champions. I’ve had a love of finance and the business world since my sophomore year of high school and started Campus Capital to share that love with my community and like minded individuals in a similar position, with similar goals. My mission is to help people like me shape their futures to ensure they reach their goals while being up to date and educated in the Finance industry.