Gary Loo's precious internship memories

Gary Loo

Course/ University: Accountancy, Nanyang Technological University (NTU)

Function: Audit

Interned at Deloitte from May to July 2016.

Q. What did you do during the internship?

During my Audit internship, I was assigned to several audit engagements and this gave me the opportunity to experience the life of an auditor. I conducted fieldwork at the client’s place and was tasked to perform audit procedures with the guidance of my seniors. I came to realise that the theories and concepts taught in school are very relevant to the real-life audit practice, and I had the opportunity to apply what I learned to the tasks assigned to me.

Q. What did you like about interning at Deloitte?

The people that I have encountered and worked with in Deloitte are very friendly and helpful, making my experience in Deloitte a very pleasant one. Deloitte also has various recreational activities such as the Audit Off-peak Party and Carnival where I got to know more people and made a lot of friends. As an ex-youth national footballer myself, I love playing sports and the Inter-departmental Games gave us the opportunity to team up with our colleagues to compete in a variety of sports. This focus on healthy living and the understanding of how sports can train an individual to be resilient really resonates with me. Besides that, I also found out that Deloitte has a structured training programmes for its employees and has a good career progression structure.

Q. What was the best part of the Deloitte internship?

It must be the Carnival, where Deloitte employees as well as their friends and families were invited to enjoy free food and a variety of programmes such as live performances by local singers including Sing! China finalist Nathan Hartono, arcade games and free massages! The last item of the night was the Intern lip sync battle where some of us, interns, impressed the audience with our dance moves and antics. The Carnival event, which fell on the same day as our last day of internship, marked the end of our summer journey at Deloitte. I have no regrets choosing Deloitte for my internship, it was a really valuable experience.

Q. What was the most challenging part of your internship?

It was to perform the audit procedures with no prior experience. There are specific ways to perform the testing and documentation, which I needed to learn on-the-job. I overcame this challenge by spending more time understanding the procedures using the resources provided and asking my seniors for guidance.

Q. What did you learn during your internship?

I was able to build up my interpersonal skills and communication skills. I also realized that the learning will never stop as there are still many accounting concepts and principles for us to acquire.

Q. How has the Deloitte internship benefited you?

Having experienced a full-fledged audit engagement, I think I am quite prepared and equipped for my future audit life!

Q. What advice would you offer to undergraduates who are going to do an internship?

Adopt a “I am here to learn” mentality and enjoy yourself during your internship!

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