More than the numbers: Jessica Irish on her career in Audit & Assurance at Deloitte
Working in a career in Audit & Assurance isn't always where students picture themselves. Jessica Irish, one of our former Graduates shares what the role actually looks like, and why the growth surprised her most.
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Ask most students what they picture when they hear "audit," and the answer is usually something along the lines of spreadsheets, checklists, and not much else.
Jessica Irish had the same assumption.
"I did think audit was really a sort of boring box-ticking exercise. That's definitely not the reality of it."
Two years into her career at Deloitte, Jessica is an Experienced Analyst in the Financial Services practice, working across managed funds, investment administrators, and a client portfolio that keeps her thinking critically every single day. The job she expected and the job she has are two very different things.
So much more than numbers
What surprised Jessica most wasn't the technical work. It was everything around it.
"I really underestimated how much judgement and relationship building is involved. Understanding your client's specific risks, maintaining those relationships - that's a real driver of success."
Working in financial services means Jessica is across her clients' businesses in a way most people her level wouldn't be in other roles. She's not just reviewing numbers. She's having daily conversations, anticipating questions before they're asked, and building an understanding of how each business actually operates.
"You end up understanding their business almost to the same degree as if you worked there. You're getting exposure to all these different areas and seeing all the things that impact them. You wouldn't get that from any other job."
That kind of depth builds fast. And for graduates who want to feel like they're developing real expertise, not just completing tasks, it's a meaningful difference.
I really underestimated how much judgement and relationship building is involved. Understanding your client's specific risks, maintaining those relationships - that's a real driver of success.
Skills you didn't know you'd need
Ask Jessica what’s changed most since she started, and she doesn’t talk about technical knowledge first. She talks about judgement.
"When I first joined, I was focused on learning the basics - the audit methodology, completing specific tasks with help from my seniors. Fast forward two years, and I'm involved in planning, coaching juniors, and thinking more critically about my clients' specific risks."
The communication and stakeholder skills came alongside that. Daily client contact, learning to speak confidently about complex issues, anticipating what a client needs before they ask. None of it was on the syllabus.
"Getting exposure to more complex areas and being more confident speaking about issues with clients has really built my communication skills and stakeholder management. I didn't know that I needed those skills, but I've just happened to learn them along the way."
Growing, and helping others do the same
Two years in, Jessica is now one of the experienced analysts on the team that newer graduates look to. She describes it as the most rewarding part of the job so far.
"I remember when I first started and I had these amazing senior analysts who really took me under their wing. Being able to pay that forward - taking someone who's feeling unsure and seeing them go from that to doing their work confidently - that's been really cool."
It's a culture that tends to compound. The people who came up with great coaching pass it on. Jessica has already told her grads the same thing she was told.
"I said to them: you'll be in my position one day, teaching the person working on your job. So I'm happy to do this."
Where a career in Audit can take you
Jessica is looking forward to going deeper. More complex areas, more technical knowledge, and watching how the industry responds to new sustainability measures coming through in audit - something she's personally invested in.
She’s also paying close attention to how the profession is changing, and how new tools are helping teams work more efficiently and focus on higher-value thinking.
"The tools we have access to are definitely helping teams work more efficiently, but audit still relies on judgement. You still need people who can think critically, understand the context, and make sense of what they’re seeing."
For someone early in their career, that's a good place to be. The tools are evolving, but the judgement that makes them useful still sits with the person using them.
Exciting careers start here.
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