Assistant Associate Review

The role in the first year is that of an assistant associate at a large, successful professional services firm. The day to day tasks are a variety of analysis and testing of financial data (at the offices of a client, with a team), finance and administrative projects in the firm's UK headquarters, holding discussions with finance team members at client sites and studying for the ACA qualification. As you progress through the scheme, responsibility for projects and client work steadily increases, along with the difficulty of the course study and the length of hours expected of the school leaver.

One real strength of the scheme is the level of professional training and qualifications offered. All school leavers study for professional qualifications alongside the scheme with tuition fees, exam fees and resources all paid for by Deloitte. In addition, some personal and technical skills sessions are provided during the scheme.

One real strength of the scheme is the level of professional training and qualifications offered. All school leavers study for professional qualifications alongside the scheme with tuition fees, exam fees and resources all paid for by Deloitte. In addition, some personal and technical skills sessions are provided during the scheme.

The scheme is well organised and provided excellent opportunities to study and develop skills in the world of professional services. The team around the school leaver is likely to vary, however the particular team members that I have been involved with to date have proven to be genuine, kind and highly skilled colleagues. Unfortunately, the sector as a whole appears to expect long hours of all employees and the culture at the large firms is one of championing those who work long hours rather than those who work intelligently and efficiently within a reasonable working week. This has an impact on how much I have/have not enjoyed the scheme.

The company is very large and the number of new employees joining at the same time is in the thousands across the UK. This can mean that appreciation from management, encouragement from those around you and a sense of value in the company do not come naturally.

Each school leaver is assigned an appraiser whose responsibility it is to be available year-round to answer questions and deal with issues. The appraisal system is a mixed bag, with some appraisers taking on the role of a genuine mentor and others taking a back seat.

The overall attitude of those in management is supportive when issues arise but too busy for most of the year to take time to encourage and invest in those who have recently joined the company. Again, it is worth noting that those who run the scheme itself are supportive but, contrastingly, the company culture appears to be profit and long hours over support and morale.

The package for the first year of the scheme is a stretch in terms of living and travel costs, but after a year a pay rise is almost guaranteed. The second year onwards the package comfortably meets costs.

One particular highlight of the first year on the scheme was the social scene around the department. This included sport, events, parties, meals and trips to London landmarks. Each of these took place in a evening after work and were fully paid for by the company.

No

Excellent training opportunity

The application process is difficult. However, if you have a friend who has been through a similar process, ask their advice at each stage and practice interview answers with them. Read around the application processes online for hints and tips. If you have been unwell or have extenuating circumstances which have resulted in lower grades, Deloitte take these into account admirably, so don't be concerned.