Assistant Associate Review

As an audit junior I spend a lot of my time talking to members of the clients' finance teams, trying to get a clearer understanding of how they have prepared financial statements. Following these discussions, I make a record of what was discussed and discuss the findings with senior team-members.

I am currently studying to become a chartered accountant. To become qualified, I attend college on a semi-regular basis to prepare for various accounting and business-related exams. I don't think I appreciated just how well-respected the chartered accountancy qualification was until I joined. I now consider this qualification to be more helpful for a career in business and finance than a degree. Deloitte take professional skills training (ie. soft/interpersonal) very seriously. As a result of this training and my regular interactions with clients, I feel much more confident and comfortable talking to with clients with a wide range of personality types.

I spend most of my time out with clients at their offices at various locations across the country. I enjoy the travelling aspect of my job and working with different, small teams for each engagement. Auditors have a 'busy season' between January and March which can be stressful. But I felt supported by my colleagues and not out of depth. I also enjoy the social side of working for Deloitte. Dinners or after-work drink events happen regularly.

When joining Deloitte, all school-leavers and scholars attend a residential induction event at a hotel resort. The induction involved socialising with other new joiners, talks about Deloitte's vision for how we contribute as valuable members of the wider team and professional skills training. A large number of partners attended the event specifically to welcome us to Deloitte. I certainly felt valued following this induction and the responsibility I have been given in my work has made me feel like an important part of my team ever since.

The programme has met my expectations in terms of how it has been organised. The first couple of months involve training and college, followed by client engagements. I have a 'buddy' who has helped me with practical/work-related questions I've had. 'Buddy's' are typically 2nd year school-leavers if you join at that age, so you are made to feel comfortable asking whatever questions.

Studying for exams can be quite intense, as there is a lot of information to learn and this often has to be managed alongside work. The training is of high quality and the teachers are always willing to support you via email outside of college. The exams require a lot of hard work, but passing them is a great feeling and is rewarded as you progress through the firm via salary increases.

My 'buddy' (second year school-leaver) has been very helpful in supporting me throughout my first year. I also feel comfortable talking to my manager.

The salary is 'competitive' with other apprenticeship schemes and jumps significantly after the first year (typically in-line with graduates). However, it is easy to feel that your contribution should be rewarded with a higher salary than is offered. The real value to the scheme is not in the initial salary, but in the qualification (which costs Deloitte significant amounts of money) which in turn makes apprentices very valuable to employers and is rewarded with good salaries. Other benefits include a very good choice of work phone and excellent options for hotels and meals which are reimbursed when you travel for work. The budgets for these are the same as for graduates.

As the largest professional services firm in the world, Deloitte has a large number of clubs/societies that anyone is free to join. These vary from sport to religious and offer good opportunities to meet colleagues that you might not work with. Employees are encouraged to take part in charity events and this can be done during work hours for certain events.

Yes

The training offered at Deloitte is unparalleled and I feel that I will take a lot of skills away with my from my time at Deloitte. The culture is good, particularly for a financial services firm. Staff take real pride in their work and this makes for a positive working environment.

Don't underestimate the value of the qualification and make sure to emphasise your interest in achieving that qualification in your interview - Deloitte want to know that they're paying for training you actually want and that you will make an effort to complete.