Tax analyst Review

I am a trainee tax advisor, meaning I am working whilst also studying for my professional exams. Work changes daily, but typically I may research some legislation, write a report, use a spreadsheet to do calculations or draft client correspondence. I don't currently interact with clients directly very much, but will likely do so when I am more senior.

As I am doing professional exams with the ICAEW I will often be sent on training courses. These are a mixture of online self-study and traditional classroom training. Deloitte provides me with plenty of study leave, meaning I don't have to study too much on evenings and weekends outside of exam season. I also go on internal training courses several times a year which focus on new tax legislation.

I have mixed feelings towards my programme. On one hand, the study leave and associated training has been very good and I have received the appropriate support and have had excellent tutors. However, I do find the office-based element of it lacks variety and I do not feel intellectually challenged. I also think the work-life balance could be improved.

The initial programme structure I was given did seem to be very well organised. However, the learning team has undergone a reshuffle and things have become more difficult since then. We have only been given course dates and hotel bookings at the very last minute for example, and there is no longer a reliable point of contact for exams.

My employer provides sufficient support for my exams. I am given ample paid study leave as well as having my training courses and learning materials paid for. My employer also pays for my exams and my student membership of the ICAEW. The one thing I feel is slightly lacking is emotional support to help me cope with exam stress.

Due to the support from my employer I have not needed much support from my training provider. Kaplan does have many access points to contact its tutors when required such as an online web chat and the ability to request a call back, so I know I would've been able to access academic support if I'd needed it.

My qualification is teaching me various elements of accounting and tax. Tax is the most directly useful to me as I am in a tax role, so learning new elements of the legislation is very useful. However I have also found the accounting knowledge to be useful when looking at company accounts and similar.

There's not really much in the way of extra-curricular activities in my office. There are some minor sporting activities but nothing that really appeals to me. We organise informal social activities as a group but that is not employer-sponsored. There is also an accounting students' society which has networking events, but again that isn't employer-sponsored.

Yes

Despite my issues, if you are looking to get a professional accounting qualification then Deloitte is a very solid choice. The training and support you get will be much better than at a smaller firm simply because the training budgets will be higher. I have also made some good friends here.

Be clear on why you are interested in a specific role, rather than just Deloitte as a whole (although you should still say why you are interested in Deloitte). Have a number of strong examples you can use to show how you meet certain competencies eg. teamworking, problem solving, communication. Examples could be as simple as a project at school or being on a sports team, or could be from a previous job.