What advice do you have for others who are keen to start their career at Deloitte?

My advice is to be honest and confident with your answers and background. As an entry-level applicant, you are not expected to know everything about the job or the industry you will work in. What matters the most is that you show you are enthusiastic and eager to learn. My favourite part of the process was my final round interview in which I had the opportunity to meet future colleagues and understand more about the job and Deloitte’s culture.

How do you explain your job to friends and family?

It can be very hard to understand what financial crime is. Sometimes people think the job is similar to the Secret Intelligence Service, but it is actually quite different. When I tell friends and family about my role, I compare the job to consulting. We highlight issues and help our clients make changes and improvements accordingly. All you need is your problem solving and analytical skills, and to be enthusiastic!

How have you grown since joining Deloitte?

During the past four months, I have grown personally and professional. Transitioning from university to working life is challenging, but it’s also been a really exciting experience. I learn new skills every day. For example, I have learnt to analyse data in detail and think about how I can make improvements and solve problems. By talking to colleagues and clients, I have sharpened my written and verbal communication skills.

Tell us about your job and the best things about it

Our Products & Solutions team sits within Deloitte’s Forensic Technology department. We use innovative technology to solve complex issues for our clients, specifically in the financial crime and regulatory fields. Which includes developing new software products.

The best thing about my job is having access to cutting-edge technology, such as cloud services, and getting involved in the full software lifecycle, as well as being in an environment where I can continue to develop my skills. That’s something that really motivates me. Every day I learn something new and increase my technical skills.

Isn’t it all just work, work, work?

The social side of Deloitte is great, being able to go on socials after work with my team, but also wider teams in the company, is a great way to meet new people, get involved and increase my network – but also have fun!

What’s the best thing about your office?

Working in St Albans is great because, even though it’s a regional office, it’s still very much connected with the London campus. Our office also works with local charities, such as EarthWorks. This is great because it enables us to make an impact on wider society.

You joined through the BrightStart Programme. How did you find the application process? Any tips?

I found it pretty smooth. It mainly focused on my skills to work independently as well as part of a team. I did a group presentation, an exercise focused around the sort of tasks I would have to do if I got the job, and a couple of interviews. I’d always advise anyone preparing for the application process to do some research into the role you’re applying for and also to ask questions in your interview.

Is there anything you’ve been particularly surprised by since joining?

I’ve been surprised by how much of a team spirit there is within my office and service line. I thought that, given the size of the firm, it would be difficult to find that. But the reality is that I’ve become part of a great and supportive team who are genuinely invested in my development.

Can you tell us a bit about your role?

I am a Software Developer so I write code. To give a bit more detail, I am currently working on a web-based application as a full-stack developer. This involves working on all aspects of the software from back-end to front-end. I’ll be rotating into different areas so that I can experience all of the processes that go into developing the product.

How do you feel you’ve developed since you joined Deloitte?

There is a clear route set out for progression here, and regular meetings with my people leader, team lead and coach help me keep track of that. There is always an opportunity to learn, whether it is through day-to-day work or during the monthly training day when I can pursue my personal areas of interest more in-depth. I’ve been trained to be a full-stack developer - I’d never done front-end development before joining Deloitte so it was really interesting. I’m excited to complete the different rotations as part of the grad scheme as I will learn so much more working in teams that are based in different areas of the software development life cycle.

Can you tell us a bit about what you do in Forensic?

To put it simply, my job is to help organisations limit their exposure to financial crime. Working on preventing financial crime gives me a real sense of purpose because everything we do is another step towards making it harder for criminals to benefit from their illicit activities and a nudge towards making the world a more pleasant place. Fostered by Deloitte’s collaborative environment; we all have our part to play.

And what do you love about it?

I love that I’ve been encouraged to take on responsibilities that enable me to interact with the client. I think that’s so brilliant at such an early stage in my career. It’s allowed me to gain confidence, which puts me in good stead going forward.

What’s been a challenge and how have you been supported through that?

I found coming into the role with limited technical knowledge quite a challenge initially because it made me doubt myself on occasion. But the team have been amazing, so supportive. I have had introduction sessions and have been pointed towards the relevant materials that allow me to develop my knowledge and understanding. I’ve learnt a huge amount since I’ve been here.