Analyst Review

I work as a corporate tax analyst. This is an advisory role where I give tax advice to corporate clients, often in relation to the tax implications of their commercial objectives, for example mergers, acquisitions and corporate reorganisations. The advice typically takes the form of memos or reports, so I work on these on a day to day basis, but I also take part in client calls and occasional meetings as these help us to understand the particular problem facing a client.

I study towards the ACA and CTA exams as part of my training contract. This develops many technical accounting and tax skills, and has significantly increased my technical knowledge given that I come from an unrelated background (maths degree). I also have developed on-the-job skills through writing reports and written communication, as well as through my involvement in client facing meetings and calls.

The work is generally interesting, and the advisory work is varied as we are solving particular business problems that clients have, and every situation is different. Admittedly, some of the tasks that juniors are involved with are relatively mundane but this changes as we gain technical tax knowledge and are able to start contributing to the more interesting aspects of the projects. The team and company culture has been good, and the firm seems to be increasingly promoting flexible/agile working policies, which is not necessarily what I had expected.

The training programme is well structured with regular training courses, as well as blocks of time spent in college studying towards the professional qualifications. We also spend time on residential courses gaining technical knowledge that is useful for our day to day jobs. It feels like the firm spends considerable time and money on our training.

It is easy to get support within the organisation. Staff are placed in small groups with a 'Coach' who is a good day to day contact for any problems, either work or personal, as well as 'People Leaders', who also provide support, and are the point of contact for more work related issues.

The training provider (Kaplan) have generally been good, and provide enough support and guidance so that most people pass the professional exams first time. Sometimes, they have been less organised than I would have expected, and the learning managers within my own firm have had to assist me in dealing with the training provider when things have not been organised correctly.

My day to day role involves using technical tax knowledge, and almost all of this knowledge comes from my time spent studying towards my professional qualifications. Whilst I do learn on the job, most of this learning builds upon the knowledge that I have developed as part of the qualification.

There are sports teams, regular social events, and other opportunities to network within the firm. An example of this is a cross-service line event I am attending soon where people who work in the same sector are attending a networking event and social - including tax professionals, auditors, financial advisors and consultants.

Yes

The firm genuinely focuses on training and development. Progression within the firm is quick with regular promotions, and there are regular discussions around improving within our roles and advancing in our careers. The working environment is also pleasant; teams are generally nice to work with, and there is currently a push towards flexible working, and finding ways in which we can become a better place to work.

Understand the role you are applying for, and why you would like to work at Deloitte. Other than that, be yourself, as the firm doesn't hire one particular type of person. People at Deloitte are hard working and enthusiastic, so try and come across that way in the interview by being keen and enthusiastic.