Audit Associate Review

As a Brightstart in Audit at Deloitte you start working on clients within a few months of starting work. This means taking ownership of first year sections of the audit file and having your own meetings with clients to discuss the goings on in their business and any consequential implications on the areas of the accounts that you're auditing. You'll also go to college and study for a professional qualification, in my case the ACA, which builds your technical knowledge base which you can then apply to actual client work. The combination of studying concepts in the classroom and then applying them on real clients is a really great way to learn in my experience.

There isn't enough space in this box to outline all that I've learned. The development opportunities at Deloitte are limitless. First off you're studying an internationally recognised qualification, that will set you up for a great career going forward. You're then applying that knowledge to real work scenarios on your client work, and often learning on the job which you then later see in the classroom. I found that my ability to interact with and manage clients and particularly senior members of staff at quite large clients has gotten so much better through my client work experiences. You're also frequently encouraged to get involved in new more challenging things if they interest you.

I love it. The work is challenging, and there are always new things to learn. The people you work with are brilliant too. In fact the people you work with are the best thing about the Job. You're working with some really intelligent but at the same time completely down to earth and welcoming people. There are plenty of work socials, where everyone can blow off steam and really chill out after what can be challenging times at work.

As valued as any other new starter. Obviously don't expect to be the most valued member of the team and the centre of attention because you're just starting out. You need to walk before you can run. But if you work hard, produce good work, get to know your team and show that you're willing and able to learn your seniors will recognise this and tell you you've performed well. At the end of every job you'll get feedback from senior members of the team outlining where you've performed well and also where you can develop, and if you've done a good job positive feedback will reflect this.

As a new starter it's made very clear to you what is expected of you and what you'll be doing for your first year. You're given formalised training before you go to Jobs and there's a promotion pathway in place so, all being well, you know where you'll be going next year.

As much as I need. Kaplan are absolutely brilliant. There's a combination of face to face lectures, online study support and physical textbooks/past paper question material available to aid you in your study. The exams are quite challenging and the content is quite dense. Kaplan does a great job of cutting through to what you actually need to know, and are always on hand to answer any questions you have via your tutor, email or online forums.

Loads. Everyone on the audit team is always on hand and approachable to help you to learn or to answer any questions you have. You'll also be given a buddy when you start to answer any of your questions before starting and an appraiser when you do start to aid you in setting goals and structuring your development. Everyone at the firm wants you to do well, and as a Brightstart you won't be held back.

Quite well. The salary is competitive for a school leaver scheme, and will increase as you get promoted. In your first year It's not enough to live by yourself in a major city, but it is enough to pay for a house/flat share and still have enough after living/social expenses left to put a bit away each month. The mileage you get on fuel as an auditor is also really good, you'll almost always find yourself making a decent profit on petrol.

Loads. We have a ton of work social events including month end drinks, bowling nights, race nights, quiz nights etc. You'll also find that Deloitte are keen to enable you to keep participating in any extra curricular activities that you already do on weeknights.

Yes

Because you're essentially saving yourself a year to becoming ACA qualified than if you went to Uni, you're savjng yourself a ton of university debt, you're earning a good Salary which will only increase and at a young age and you're getting in on the ground floor at a Big 4 firm where development opportunities are limitless.

Nail the psychometric and other online tests. Practice loads online, and read forum posts from previous years applicants about the application process. Until you get to your first interview you can't put across the kind of person that you are. Nail those online tests and you'll get your chance!