BEYOND THE CAMPUS: REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE AS A DELOITTE AUDIT INTERN

My name is Sarah Brownlee and I’m currently studying Engineering in UCD, having completed my First Year. I am working in the Consumer Technology Business Sector of the Audit Department as part of my internship. I chose Deloitte because they have a well-structured Internship program and from the moment, I arrived for my interview I felt extremely welcome.    

Although it is very different to what I am currently studying in college, I always enjoyed Business subjects in school. Whilst I have kept an open mind as to my future career, I am strongly considering pursuing a career in Business with the benefit of an Engineering Degree.  With this summer internship in the Audit Department, I can build on my business knowledge and skills during the summer months. The Audit Department provides an excellent environment for an introductory experience and to gain hands-on experience in the workplace. 

 I enjoy working collaboratively on projects and being challenged, both of which I get to do daily as an intern at Deloitte.  I have enjoyed working on the Cash Testing and cross referencing the Bank Confirmations and Reconciliations with the General Ledger. It has allowed me to get practical work experience and to further develop my excel skills.  The learning environment is a great combination of set learning days, e-learning and on the job training with mentor support. We have on site trainings; these have improved my skills set in excel data analytics and gaining more of an understanding of the overall audit process. We are currently working in teams to make a pitch to the partners in a few weeks. It is of course at some level a daunting prospect, but the learning and support builds confidence and it will be a great experience and I am looking forward to it. 

There are many memorable experiences, however one stands out as a very different experience for me. I was out on a client site last week. This was an excellent opportunity to see how the audit process works from the beginning. I have been assigned to a great team for this engagement. As the only intern on the team, I have been made feel very much a part of the team and the work they are doing, and I contribute to the best of my ability and I have been invited to sit in on the walkthrough of the Accounts, which of itself was a great learning experience.   

Our Induction and Training week was very helpful as it brought me up to speed on the basics of accounting and the audit process. The People and Purpose Team introduced us to the company environment and gave me an insight into Deloitte as a company. It was very beneficial in understanding the company brand and who we were working for – it helped us to see the bigger picture rather than just the work we were doing on a day-to-day basis. The Team was very approachable and made a great effort to put us all at ease within our first week and fully welcomed us into the Deloitte community. It was a lovely start.  There are social and team building events organised to help the interns to get to know one another.  I enjoyed the scavenger hunt around the city and the Thursday evening after work food and drinks.

 Each intern is assigned a buddy and a coach. There is a very comfortable and friendly atmosphere in the office. Everyone is open to helping. This makes it easy to ask questions, and by asking questions, I have learned so much more. At every level, time is taken to explain the work assigned and it really has made such a difference to my overall experience here at Deloitte.   

Being on an internship is a great way to start building a network in the corporate world and it is also very enjoyable getting to know our like-minded and driven peers. We all have a lot in common and have within a short period of time created good friendships.   

 Although I have not been here long, I still feel that I have been able to positively contribute to my team in the audit process. At the beginning it was mainly uploading workpapers from the DDC portal to the EMS file and more simple tasks, but now I am filling in confirmation control summaries and processing the financial statements to ensure our findings match the clients. I have gained new skills such as sampling and shortcuts using EMS and Excel which help me to complete the work more efficiently and effectively. I also bring a positive approach to the team. I may not have a strong background in accounting, however each day I come into work with an open mind, curiosity and a willingness to learn.    

The best advice I can give is make the most of every day. 9 weeks appears a long time at the beginning, but it flies by. Every day brings something different and the day passes so quickly with the combination of all the learnings, experiences, and friendships. I took the advice of Deloitte on Day 1 to keep a record of your day and I advise you strongly to also do this. I have enjoyed coming into work every day and it is lovely to read back now on this record. This way I can also see where I can improve and reflect on what I did well. Each day brings new tasks, opportunities and meeting new people. Embrace all these experiences and enjoy the bigger opportunities and learnings but also the small things. From the morning journey into work to socialising with new work colleagues during lunch and daily Iveagh Garden walks, it is all part of the overall experience. Make the most of this amazing Deloitte opportunity and you will have no regrets!

Sarah's Summer Internship at Deloitte has not only broadened her business knowledge and skillset, significantly enhanced her professional growth and enabled her to develop a corporate network. As she prepares to continue her engineering studies at UCD, she looks forward to applying her newfound skills and experiences in her future endeavours. For those inspired by Sarah's journey and seeking similar opportunities for growth and development, visit the Deloitte Ireland careers pages to stay updated on upcoming graduate roles and start your own path to success.