Associate Review

I am currently in my second year, with the job title of Associate, in the audit department at Deloitte Bristol. My day to day role is to interact with clients, obtaining relevant information in order to assess the figures in the clients financial statements. I spend most my time on client site, in a team of between 2 and 10 people. When I am working in the office I am usually performing similar work, except over the phone or without the clients help. I am responsible for certain areas of the audit depending on the size of the team, and this work is all reviewed by managers and partners. I am also studying towards the ACA so spend time in college as well.

I am studying towards the ACA, which is a chartered accountancy qualification. I have therefore learnt a lot more about accounting, as well as management information. I have also attended internal courses that help you develop presentation skills, as well as teamwork and being a leader of a team. I have learnt a lot in the past year that has massively helped me not only in work, but outside of work as well.

Everyone is so friendly and you feel like part of a team. There are always lots of social events within the office, as well as internal training courses that are with different offices, so you get to know so many different people. The culture at Deloitte is very much to get the work done to the right quality, as efficiently as possible in order to meet deadlines. This can mean that you do work a little longer than a standard 9-5 job, but the benefits that come with working for such a big company to compensate this. I think the job is as I expected it to be, except for the fact I have far more responsibility for things than I was expecting. I have definitely enjoyed my time so far.

Deloitte treat graduates and school leavers very well, if you go above and beyond what is expected from you, you will be rewarded, whether that's by the manager or at the end of the year when bonuses are reviewed. We also go for meals at the end of audits with clients sometimes, which is great as you get recognition from the client for doing a good job. I am always given the opportunity to get involved in various areas, and the thought within Deloitte is that you drive your own career, and they will do their best to accommodate you.

As the BrightStart programme is relatively new, there are still some learning experiences that are occurring within the programme, but we are often asked for feedback and it seems the programme is improving year on year. Studying and training is a big part of the programme, and there is opportunity to move exams to suit you (which has gotten better in recent year). The one difficult thing about the programme is that its managed by a central team in London, with the majority of BrightStart's in London, and so it seems there's a bit of a disconnect with what the regional offices need. There have been occasions where the programme has been to rigid, but the team have taken on some feedback we have given them in this area.

I study with BPP who are excellent, you are given contact details so you can ask questions at weekends/evenings, and provided with a lot of useful materials. Deloitte Bristol work with BPP to have guidance sessions outside of college time, so you can discuss any problems or ideas that you have in relation to your college time.

We work with different managers all of the time, but all are understanding when it comes to college time, and unavoidable important commitments that sometimes you are unable to stay a bit later. I haven't dealt with the HR team, but we are given mentors and appraisers that are always there to answer questions and help us reach achievable goals.

The salary is good given the age you are, with everyone being able to afford to socialise regularly. As I drive to clients a lot, I am reimbursed for the mileage which saves me a lot of money on travel costs.

There are lots of social events, as well as a community day each year that allows us to contribute. We also have links that allow us to volunteer at schools during lunch breaks. Deloitte often work with local business to give us discounts for the Gym and other leisure activities.

Yes

Its such a good programme to get you into the business world, with such a large company.

Make sure you are aware of what the job entails, and that it is definitely something you want to do. Be confident in all of your answers in the interview. You need to be polite and friendly, but still able to get to the point as you need to be someone that is capable of dealing with clients. Make the most of all opportunities you have, and remember what you signed up for.