Thomas Surrall & Joanna Lord – From Summer Schemes to living the Analyst’s dream in tax

Thomas Surrall's story: 

How did you join Deloitte?

I joined the Deloitte Graduate Programme in September 2018, following on from the Summer Vacation Scheme I attended in 2017.

What are you responsible for in your role?

As an Analyst within Business Tax, I have a range of different responsibilities. This includes the preparation and review of deliverables sent to clients, and the management of certain projects.

What’s a typical day like for you?

It's difficult to define what a typical day is, as every day can be different. Overall, I will be involved in a variety of different projects, with different clients, who can be based all over the world. This will include client meetings, both face to face and over the phone, technical research into some of the more complex areas of tax legislation, as well as the preparation of other project deliverables. It often involves working in collaboration with different teams across the world, through Deloitte’s various member firms.

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

The part I enjoy the most about my job is the problem solving aspect. It is all about working collaboratively and creatively with interesting clients on interesting projects, to find solutions to a whole range of problems.

Why would you recommend Deloitte to someone?

The people at Deloitte are very supportive. As someone joining the world of work properly for the first time after university, it’s great to have people who can help you to make the transition.

How are you supported to work flexibly?

I love the office environment and the effect it has on my productivity. So much so, I don’t work part-time or from home, but the option is there if I want to take it up.

What was your most memorable moment on the job so far?

When starting at Deloitte, all the new joiners within the service line across the UK are brought together for 2 weeks for an induction course. This was a great chance to meet a lot of new people and learn more about tax at the same time!

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I'm a keen, if not a particularly good, sportsman! I play a variety of sports including cricket and football, and I'm a part of Deloitte’s 5-a-side team.

Joanna Lord's story:

How did you join Deloitte?

I joined the Summer vacation Scheme in 2016 and joined as a graduate shortly after in September 2017.

What is your most memorable moment on the job so far?

My most memorable moment so far has to be getting involved in getting my own research published. I worked with a Deloitte Partner to publish research that I conducted on the structure and content of a number of Director Remuneration Reports for AIM 100 companies.

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

The best part of my job has been the immediate involvement in projects and client work. I have felt like an integral part of the team from the get-go and have been entrusted with more work and a higher level of work that would normally be expected.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

In my spare time, I enjoy playing squash, skiing and scuba diving. I also love to travel and explore new destinations and cultures.

For a career where you can constantly develop your skills, take a look at our opportunities in tax.