Business Analyst Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement at Deloitte. The work was at times extremely challenging, but it provided me with the opportunity to observe how different organisations operated, within different industries and expertise. The team of individuals I worked with was exceptional and I never felt worried or uncertain about completing the work. I was also given extensive training, formally and whilst on the job, on top of being integrated into the ACA professional qualification.

I felt extremely valued by my colleagues. I regularly sought feedback from team members on my approach to work and how I could improve, upon which colleagues would always complement the work I put in, the quality of it, and how I played a crucial role in different projects. I also was involved with Senior management, despite being the junior person in the office, this opened up opportunities to be involved in bids and planning.

The training was useful upon joining the firm, however on the job training was consistently provided to develop my skills. I always had someone I could go to if I was stuck or unsure what to do, and it seemed there was never a bad time to ask someone for guidance. Completing away projects on my own was difficult, but managers always ensured I was comfortable and confident in what I was doing.

During busy season I was extremely busy and spent a lot of time travelling around the country, and abroad sometimes, which was very tiring. However, there was rest bite during projects when there was not much to do, whilst waiting for the client to provide the required information. During the Summer it was fairly quiet, due to there being a minority of companies having year end then, but this opened up opportunities to be involved in other jobs which proved to be enjoyable and a good experience. So I'd say the balance of workload was pretty good.

I was treated the same as any other graduate, as I was integrated into the firm amongst the new graduate joiners. From day 1 I was held responsible for completing key areas of projects and held accountable for the results. Within the first 3 months I'd been entrusted to go to clients on my own and complete various meetings, testing, and write ups - some of which was done abroad! Hence, I was given a LOT of responsibility.

Completing the placement provided me with the experience to match theory to practice, but also improve employability skills. I had to be extremely organised and have excellent time management skills during the placement, which will assist me during the final year of my degree. I also worked amongst a number of different teams and learnt to adapt my communication approach to various groups and people.

I didn't spend much time in the office, as I was primarily out at client sites. On client sites the team atmosphere was always very good, with the odd exception of some panicking here and there, which made me look forward to go to work because I enjoyed the atmosphere amongst my colleagues. Whenever I was in the office I also experienced this, alongside this we had regular socials, meals and drinks, which was very enjoyable

My placement was very well organised, prior to joining I had been contacted and given the details of my placement overseer, who was my first point of contact for any issues. I was then given an office induction and attended a large Deloitte welcome event to integrate me into the firm. Throughout the placement everyone was really helpful and wanted me to do multiple types of work to have a good understanding of what Deloitte does as a whole.

Deloitte invested a lot into me. From prior to me joining the firm, throughout my placement, and even after my placement. I feel extremely valued as a result of all the time, effort and money put into me by Deloitte, through all the formal training and onwards to on-the job development.

There are a number of avenues a graduate could take upon receiving an offer from Deloitte, and due to my placement year I have the opportunity to re-join following my degree and work for the firm. The progression within the firm is really good and accordingly benefits are very good.

I joined Deloitte at the same time as other new graduate joiners, across a number of service lines, this meant there was a good social scene inside and outside of work.

I was based in London which has a higher cost of living compared to other Deloitte offices in the country. However, this is to be expected. For the socials, the costs were covered by Deloitte which many of us appreciated, being students! A couple of interns were based outside of London on their client projects and were able to claim back expenses through the company.

Anyone who is familiar with London will know that an unparalleled nightlife exists here. A wide variety of restaurants, bars, clubs are just some of what London has to offer. It is both the financial and cosmopolitan hub of England and so it is a very appealing city to begin a career in, for any young professional.

Yes, several. Over 5 weeks, we had 1-2 activities outside of work to get involved in on average, per week. This ranged from socials and networking evenings to office tours and Partner talks. With my project team however, there were very few opportunities, perhaps due to how it was mostly non-Deloitte.