Tell us about yourself, where you’re from and where you went to college?
"I have a somewhat atypical background. So I'm originally from Singapore/Malaysia – I lived in Malaysia but my school was in Singapore so that was an interesting daily commute. I then headed to Australia for my undergrad where I completed a Bachelors of Finance at ANU before finding myself in Ireland doing the CEMS Masters at UCD Smurfit."
How did you find out about the grad programme?
"I heard about it through the campus grad fairs. I was initially drawn to it as I have an interest in numbers, and it seemed to be a great use of my finance degree. So I went to Smurfit's careers centre to find out more and I really liked what I heard. For one, the ACA qualification is very well recognised, even in Singapore and Australia. For another, the Deloitte graduate programme is very supportive, both in terms of studies and job progression. I knew that the programme would be a great springboard for my career so I went for it."
What is the Deloitte grad programme like?
“It’s great. When you do a grad programme, you become part of an intake that you get very close to. This gives you a sense of camaraderie and makes work more enjoyable. Additionally, there’s a very structured plan for the programme and a whole team dedicated to ensuring that grads get the most out of their time in the programme. Finally, it’s a nice transition from college to working life as you aren’t expected to come in knowing everything but rather benefit from trainings and other learning support.”
Explain the kind of work experience you did and what the course entails.
"I took a year off between my degrees to travel and try out different things. I spent a few months in Tanzania volunteering with a microfinance organisation, which was really inspiring. I also spent a couple of months at a small medtech start-up in Sydney. They were two very different experiences but both entailed going into an unfamiliar environment and hitting the ground running.
“I’m currently working in the Transfer Pricing department at Deloitte and I’m really enjoying it so I’d like to stick with that. It’s a niche area of international tax and very interesting. You get to work with a broad range of clients from the aerospace industry to banks. It’s also a nice mix of advisory and compliance work. Moreover, it has great international prospects. In fact, the majority of our team is international.”
Any advice for graduates applying for your programme this year?
“Do your research on why you want to join Deloitte and the particular area you are applying for. Have some interesting anecdotes prepared that show why you would be a great addition and fit in with Deloitte’s values and culture. But also, be personable– interviewers are looking for people they can imagine working with.”
