How does Deloitte compare to your other work experiences?

Before I joined Deloitte, I did a placement year as an Events Manager at an arts centre, as it was a career I’d always wanted to try. Turns out it was not the career for me; the hours were crazy and it was very stressful.

I thought it would be similar here and I’d be working 12 plus hours a day. That’s simply not the case. Flexible working is something Deloitte takes seriously, and most line managers make sure you’re sustaining a good work-life balance. Sometimes you do need to work late, but this is very much the exception rather than the rule.

Is there a good work-life balance at Deloitte?

Yes. I work at the client office from Monday to Thursday. On Friday’s I often work from home or in the local office. If I need time off in the morning or afternoon, and give advance notice, I’m allowed to make up the hours when I can.

Aside from that, I am part of several support networks at the firm: GLOBE, Women’s Network, and Women in Cyber.

And there are far too many social things to list here… events, activities and parties galore.

What was your biggest misconception about working here?

That you always have to have an answer. I’ve learned now that if you can communicate well and build good relationships, not having a concrete answer is alright as you can work with your team and the client to find out what works best for them.

Before I joined I was also worried that my previous experience in journalism would be seen as irrelevant, and that I would have to completely change myself to fit a new role. This couldn’t be further from the truth. My background has helped me have great attention to detail, which is very useful in project management and change communications.

What else is going on at Deloitte?

It’s super social, there is always something going on. It’s impossible not to make friends here.

I’m on the Multicultural Network committee. We hold events such as Black History Month. I’m also heavily involved in organizing the Chinese New Year celebration, which connects me to home as I’m from Hong Kong. There’s a big focus on diversity in the workplace. I’ve volunteered at a centre for youth and people who were recovering from their time in prison/rehabilitation centres. I’m also involved in a pro-bono consulting project with a charity.

I feel I have a lot of support here. I’m very close to my coach, and have also found a couple of other mentors throughout the firm. If I am finding things stressful I go and talk to them, or catch up with a friend. I also make sure to call my family and go bike riding after work – the exercise and fresh air helps me to wind down after a long day.

Were you worried about anything before you joined? How has that worked out in reality?

I was worried that I didn’t have enough industry specific experience and would be completely out of my depth. During my gap year and through university I’d worked as a receptionist at an entertainment company, I’d learned about Anti Money Laundering and various other things in that job which is what sparked my interest in financial crime, but I didn’t really have any direct experience.

It was completely fine though. I received a huge amount of support from my coach, manager and team when I joined and soon felt comfortable. I’ve also learnt so much, and very quickly, by getting stuck in to the job and being reassured by senior members of my team that’s OK to make mistakes and ask questions because I’m learning.

What would you say to persuade a graduate to join Deloitte?

Just do it! You’ll meet amazing people with fascinating stories, learn so much about yourself and your abilities, you’ll be making a difference and, most importantly, you’ll have fun whilst doing it.

How do you explain what you do to someone who doesn’t work in technology?

I say that I am a software developer and I make technological products. This includes what an application will look like to the user (the front-end) and how we build and manage the inner mechanics and data behind it (the back-end).

For example, we’re currently working on a product that will change the way retailers price their products. They’ll be able to use an algorithm to work out the most effective price to set, depending on their objective (for example, that might be to sell as much stock as possible so there is none leftover at the end of the season). It will be released soon so I’m really excited to know that what I’ve helped create will be out there in the real world.

If you enjoy problem solving and creating something that makes a real difference for your client, you’d love it here.

What else do you get involved in at Deloitte?

It’s so sociable here. There is always something going on – industry events, team nights out, lunch-time yoga, to name just a few. And there are lots of networks and groups you can join. I am part of the Deloitte Digital Engineering Guild, it’s an excellent way to catch up with my fellow developers and share knowledge and ideas.

I’ve organised a series of Lunch and Learns for my team – I’ll get someone from another team or area of expertise to come and talk to us about what they do, whilst we all have some lunch. I plan to start a blog for our team too.