Article
Campus Blog: How to be an entrepreneur
By Jennifer Tom
Business Technology Analyst, Consulting | Summer 2014 Co-op
In a large organization like Deloitte, one may believe there is no room to be an entrepreneur. This isn’t true. Entrepreneurship can be defined as an individual’s control over the success of their career. At Deloitte, this is possible but only if you are proactive in gaining visibility within the firm.
Deloitte is a people business
You work with people and you sell your services to people. This makes it important to network with individuals within and beyond your service line. Your buddy and coach are excellent first resources in introducing you to people that you should meet. They are in tune with your interests and familiar with where you would like to take your career.
Attending events is also an amazing way to meet new people. Within reason, you should strive to apply an “always say yes” policy when asked to attend events as establishing your presence will help you define your success within the firm.
Every opportunity is a good opportunity
While at Deloitte, make the best of your experience and learn as much as you can. It is best not to silo yourself into a particular industry or type of work. Try a variety of professional development work, proposals and projects to expose yourself to various industries and clients and gain a holistic perspective of Deloitte, while also expanding your knowledge and skillset. Ask your resource manager if there is work available, or leverage the network you created. At the end of the day, if you are proactive and engaged in work-related activities, your colleagues’ awareness of your capabilities will increase and set you up for future success at Deloitte.
Quality is everything
It is one thing to be involved, but unless your work is good quality it will be difficult to become successful. When working with a team, ensure that you understand the scope of your work and your team’s expectations. This will help guide the kind of work that you deliver. Also, perform external research, whether it is through Knowledge Exchange or another medium, to gain more insight and context for your work. Lastly, continuously ask for feedback so you know what not to do and what to continue to do. Enhancing the quality of your work will surely drive your success at Deloitte.
Best of luck in your internship or co-op term!
Jennifer is a 4th year student at the Ivey School of Business majoring in an Honors Bachelor in Business Administration.
