What do you do? And what’s the most exciting thing about it?

To put it simply, I test whether mobile apps and websites work. There are great opportunities for me here, as digital testing is a growing area and there’s a clear progression path set out for graduates at Deloitte.

My last project was particularly exciting, as it was my first project that I got to be there for the ‘go live’. I was working for a challenger bank, where you can open a current account completely online, and I was involved in testing the account opening process. The project used some exciting, innovative pieces of technology, such as taking a selfie to verify yourself online.

What new skills have you picked up so far?

Technical skills. Since joining Deloitte, my training has been tech heavy, since I wanted a more technical role. I have had automation training and training specific to Testing (my capability). My presentation skills have grown since being at Deloitte, as I had never had to give a presentation during my time at uni. During the first 6 weeks of training, we were given multiple opportunities to practise presentations, which is extremely useful once stating on project.

Do you get many learning and development opportunities?

I have a meeting every month or so with my coach, where we discuss how I’ve been getting along and what areas I would like to improve on. I’m currently studying towards my BCS diploma. Studying so far has been ok, as they’ve assigned time for us to take the exams and we get preparation days for the orals. Both my project team and managers support me during my exams and allow me to take the time off if I need it to study.

I travel every week too. My project is currently based in Edinburgh, Scotland. I fly up on a Monday morning and fly back Thursday evenings. I have learnt to balance my personal and work life and it also gives me a great opportunity to visit another city.

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.

What was your biggest misconception about Deloitte?

I thought that everything would be focused around finance, but that really isn’t the case. We do a lot of really diverse and fantastic work with clients and it’s all to do with making a positive impact for them and us.

I definitely thought that any career path would be quite set and rigid, but after hearing from senior people in our induction in the first week, it became very clear that would not be the case. Deloitte people have the advantage of being able to pursue what they want to.

Tell us about your business area. What are the best things about it?

We work with clients to help them diagnose and solve problems; we might implement new or change existing technology, processes or organisation structures.

There are endless opportunities here. There’s always an email in your inbox with the opportunity to get involved in something interesting. It’s one of the best things about working for Deloitte, if you’re interested in something, you can pursue it.

I love that I’m always learning something. Whether it’s client industries, specific technologies or personal learning on LinkedIn – every day is a school day. You’ll love it here if you like a challenge and want to learn.

What’s been your standout proudest moment so far?

My work with UK Police forces. I worked on a project to implement new technology that would improve productivity. My role was to support communication with forces, and I managed the social media profiles for the project, monitoring communications and sending emails, managing the distribution list, creating a social media strategy and presenting it to clients, as well as helping to organise an event attended by roughly 200 police IT members.

Technology Consulting is not for you if…

You like to do the same thing every day and prefer a more structured day. This is a dynamic environment, with a range of opportunities for people with different skills. There are opportunities to travel abroad to work, especially for those based in the Belfast office. I’ve been able to support high profile projects, and to create newsletters and organise events within my department.

Sometimes there are periods where there’s a heavy workload or a tight deadline, and it can be difficult to manage work, university and having time to relax in the evenings. My team have always helped me manage this by sharing workloads and being flexible with deadlines.

What new skills have you picked up so far? Or improved on?

My technical and business competence. And my self-confidence. I’ve being able to go from the quiet girl at the back of the class to someone who’s given presentations in a room full of hundreds of people, and has walked through strategies with clients and managers.

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.