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Advice on how to get a job in Deloitte’s graduate program

Craig Shepherd

Prosple
6 must-read tips for graduates applying for a job in the Deloitte graduate program, including the importance of values, internships and a willingness to learn.

As one of the Big Four accountancy and advisory firms, jobs in Deloitte’s graduate program are highly sought after. If you’re keen to kick off your career at Deloitte, here’s what you need to know when applying as a graduate.

Six tips for graduates applying for the Deloitte graduate program

Research Deloitte and their values

As a large, successful organisation, Deloitte prides itself on their values and workplace culture. Deloitte Australia’s CEO Cindy Hook has led the charge when it comes to embracing gender diversity. Their ‘Inspiring Women’ program focuses on female talent identification, development and encouraging career opportunities. Deloitte also has an LGBTI leadership forum called GLOBE, which focuses on awareness, training and other activities.

Their Prosple Australia profile even mentions this when explaining the types of people they’re looking for, ‘You value openness, empathy and inclusivity – at Deloitte, we've built a culture where everyone can bring their whole and authentic self to work!’

It’s important you know about Deloitte’s culture, and discussing it confidently during the recruitment process will be looked upon favourably. A graduate with Deloitte in Brisbane has the following advice for students wishing to apply for the Deloitte graduate program, ‘At least 1 paragraph of your cover letter should be used to talk about their values and culture and how you can align to that.’

Complete an internship before applying for the Deloitte graduate program

To get a spot in the Deloitte graduate program, one of the best things you can do is an internship.

Commencing in November, Deloitte runs a summer vacation program where you could spend 3-8 weeks learning the business from the inside. These paid positions can also result in graduate program offers. Even if you’re not offered a spot straight away, the knowledge and experience you’ll gain from an internship give you a massive advantage when applications open for the graduate program.

Emma Taylor, Senior Manager for Deloitte’s national graduate talent acquisition says, ‘A good foot in the door is through one of our undergraduate programs that may lead to a permanent graduate role.’

Show your interest in Deloitte

Understand why you want a position in the Deloitte graduate program. There could be a whole range of reasons. You might love their culture, or be inspired by their diversity programs. You could be genuinely passionate about the work they do and the clients they work with, or you may simply like the prospect of career advancement.

Whatever your reasons for applying, make sure you research everything you can about the organisation and be passionate about it. There are lots of interviews during the process and you want your enthusiasm for Deloitte to shine in each of them.

When offering advice to graduate program applicants, a Deloitte graduate from Melbourne recommended, ‘Be very active about it. Research everything you can about Deloitte before showing up. In your interviews or letter, talk about our leadership or the community engagements we have.’

Understand the interview process for the Deloitte graduate program

Knowing what to expect from a recruitment process can be a tricky but essential part of being successful. You may not be able to prepare for every single question you get asked, but if you understand the steps you’ll need to go through it can be a lot easier.

Firstly, you’ll need to complete an online application giving you the chance to detail your academic record and some personal information. Following this, you’ll complete a short online assessment and a phone interview. Next up is an assessment centre which usually involves group and written activities.

If you make it through the assessment centre and you’re applying for particular business units you may have to complete a case study assessment. This will be followed by an interview with a partner in your desired business unit. These interviews are largely behavioural based.

The full details will always be set out in Deloitte’s graduate program job posting, so ensure you understand the process thoroughly. For further tips on the interview process and questions to expect, we’ve got plenty of reviews from graduates here.

Put your communication skills on display

Deloitte’s employer information page clearly states that you’ll need excellent communication skills, not just to get into the graduate program but to be successful in your career. ‘You’re a strong communicator – you can clearly articulate your ideas, passion and perspective both in person and in writing.’

Throughout the recruitment process for the Deloitte graduate program, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to show off your communication skills. This means being able to answer questions with confidence and relating well to your interviewers.

The reason Deloitte puts a strong emphasis on communication skills during the recruitment process is that they know communication is a vital tool in the work they do. As Jasmine Te, a Risk Analyst with Deloitte says, ‘You also need to be able to listen to your clients and communicate with them.’

Show a willingness to learn

To be accepted into the Deloitte graduate program you’ll need to show that you love learning new things. They’re especially interested in students who want to build on their technical skills. This is particularly relevant for career progression, and if you want to gain experience in different business units.

While Deloitte chiefly considers students with degrees in accounting, economics, law, IT and maths, they also employ people with a whole range of other degrees from arts to engineering and science. Being able to adapt, learn and develop new skills are all qualities Deloitte are looking for. If that sounds like you, make sure you articulate it clearly throughout the recruitment process. Jasmine said, ‘For a graduate, a willingness to learn, good attention to detail and being a good communicator will help you out greatly.’

The above advice is a great starting point if you’re considering applying for the Deloitte graduate program. If you want further information, check out Deloitte’s employer profile at Grad Australia where you can access plenty of information to help you out further. Don’t forget to keep an eye on our jobs page to make sure you don’t miss out on Deloitte’s next graduate intake.