Diya Gera — Laying the foundations of an exciting career in Real Estate

How did you join Deloitte?

I grew up in India, and moved to the UK to study. During my second year, l interned elsewhere in a Debt Advisory team, and decided to work in Real Estate after my Masters. From the day l joined Deloitte, l was given responsibility and trust. Even during my interview, l saw first-hand how supportive people at Deloitte really are, and that made me confident about my decision to work here.

What are you responsible for in your role?

In Real Estate, we focus on large scale development schemes across the UK, providing a unique combination of Financial Advisory and Development consultancy services. You’re given responsibility very early on, and the opportunity to grow at an exponential rate.

I’m also working to qualify as a chartered surveyor and towards my Assessment of Professional Competence. If there’s any specific experience required, my team make every effort to offer it.

What’s a typical day like for you?

Since l live in East Village (a Deloitte partnership accommodation), l catch up with friends on the way into work! It's a great chance to share what we’re working on and learn from one another. Then l’ll usually bury myself in a financial model. At lunch, l often pop over to the gym with colleagues, and afterwards, I might head to a client meeting.

On the graduate rotation programme we’re on multiple projects. It’s exciting, because they’re usually diverse in terms of type, size and complexity. The end of the day approaches fast, and l wonder how it happened so quickly!

What’s the best part of your job and in what ways is your team innovative?

The most surprising skill l’ve needed on the job is creative thinking. I never expected to learn Adobe InDesign to support creative work, and the flexibility to design any way I chose. I’ve also used my creative thinking skills for problem solving, as well as the financial modelling I love. I’ve been able to think outside the box.

Why would you recommend Deloitte to someone?

People here are extremely supportive, interesting and fun. I don’t just feel that l can be myself at work – l feel that working here has helped me understand who l am, and where l want to be.

Also the work flexibility is great – as my family is in India, l’d assumed l wouldn’t see them very much. However, l can take time off every few months to visit. Within Financial Advisory Real Estate, working from home is also supported.

In my spare time, l find sketching rather relaxing and go to a class. Our graduate intake meets frequently over lunch, coffee or at the local pub for a quick catch up too.

For a career where you can constantly develop your skills, take a look at our careers page.