Associate Review

Audit Associate - involves doing testing on the financial statements of many different companies. Involves liaising with clients, as well as off-site delivery centres within Deloitte. Also involves a great deal of time in college training for the ACA exams through Kaplan, to certify and become a member of the ICAEW.

I have learnt a great deal of new skills. I had no background in finance or accounting, so through college I have gained a substantial amount of knowledge in these areas. I have also developed professional skills such as time management, project management, communication with colleagues and clients etc. I have furthered my ethics and scepticism also, as part of my training and job.

I am on an intensive pathway, whereby I have several months at a time out of the business to study for exams, and then return to the business for another block of time. I think this is well structured overall, but I feel that the time in college is very rushed and the teaching course is not structured as well as it could be - everything always seems to be stressful and behind schedule.

I receive a fair amount of support from my employer - we are given leave for college classes and when we are studying for exams. There are many dedicated teams to help with the process, and I have a designated Early Careers Coach who checks in regularly about how things are going.

I feel that the training provider support would be better if the time spent in college was not so rushed. We have a very short amount of teaching and preparation time before each exam, and there is a great deal to get through. Also, some tutors are not approachable in the way that I would like.

I feel that the knowledge aspects of my qualification are essential for performing in my role. I would not be able to complete the technical aspects of my job without the exams and tuition. However, I feel that other aspects of my apprenticeship (the broader skills and behaviours) are not that useful for my job, as much of this learning and training overlaps with the company-specific training that we all receive anyway.

There are plenty of networks, sports teams etc. within Deloitte. However, as a result of the pandemic I have not really been able to get involved with these since I have joined. There have been social events for teams I have worked with, as well as for my year group, which have taken place online.

Yes

I feel that Deloitte is a very caring employer. They have many resources devoted purely to supporting the wellbeing of their people. I also feel that, as such a huge firm, I nevertheless I am part of a smaller team and a community. The scale of the firm also allows Deloitte to be a very efficient and effective employer, with the resources to resolve any issues.

Be yourself and think about the diverse skills that you can bring to the firm. They are not looking for a particular type of person to fit a mould, but rather are interested in embracing diversity and employing numerous different types of people. So tell them what makes you stand out!