BEYOND THE CAMPUS: REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE AS A DELOITTE TAX INTERN
with Karen Gillooly
Karen Gillooly Shares her Experience as a Deloitte Tax Summer Intern
Karen Gillooly is a recent graduate of Financial Mathematics and Economics at the University of Galway and recipient of Grad Ireland’s Female Leadership Undergraduate of the Year award. Following her studies, she eagerly joined Deloitte after hearing about our Summer Internship programme from past interns and through our strong partnership with the University of Galway. Driven by a desire to broaden her tax knowledge and gain hands-on experience, Karen embarked on her journey with Deloitte’s Tax Technology Consulting team. Her role has provided a wealth of client interaction opportunities, allowing her to tackle tax challenges and devise solutions alongside her team. Beyond her core responsibilities, Karen's internship experience has been enriched by the supportive and collaborative environment at Deloitte.
My name is Karen Gillooly, and I am a recent graduate of Financial Mathematics and Economics at the University of Galway. I was excited to join the team at Deloitte as I had heard such fantastic things about the internship programme from past interns, as well as through their strong partnership with the University of Galway. I applied for tax as I had very little tax knowledge prior to the internship; I was eager to broaden my knowledge and gaining hands on experience.
I have been really lucky that I joined the Tax Technology Consulting (‘TTC’) team in Tax where I have been given an abundance of opportunities. I am aligned to specific members of the team (at all levels right up to partner) and specific ongoing client projects. In addition, I am part of their intern shadowing programme where I get to shadow a member of the management team and partners each day over the course of my internship. These initiatives have given me a real flavour of TTC, what services it provides and how we help clients with real everyday problems. Everyday there is a number of calls with clients and/or members of Deloitte working on the projects, whether that be identifying their tax problems, or helping clients identifying solutions suitable for their business. Although I had very little prior knowledge of tax, everyone has been brilliant explaining acronyms relating to tax, or going through anything I have had difficulty understanding. Everyday has been different!
"Although I had very little prior knowledge of tax, everyone has been brilliant explaining..."
I have had a number of memorable moments already in Deloitte which has been easy considering everyone is so lovely, but one that stands out so far was the summer social. It was a fantastic way to meet other interns as well as getting to know my team better outside of the office.
Deloitte has been incredibly supportive of my growth and development. I’ve attended various training sessions and workshops as part of the Skills4Life series, such as LinkedIn and Branding Workshop, Presentation Skills Workshop, and Business Chemistry workshop, where I learned about effective communication, leadership, and time management. My favourite session was the one focused on Business Chemistry, which is a concept unique to Deloitte, which provided ways we all work together as a team. These experiences have equipped me with tools and knowledge that will be beneficial throughout my career.
"These experiences have equipped me with tools and knowledge that will be beneficial throughout my career."
In my time at Deloitte, I’ve gained a range of knowledge and skills. To date, I am learning more about AI and the place it holds in Finance, as well as software used within the TTC space as well as how it impacts clients. The TTC team have been really cognisant of my skillset and trying to give me opportunities to use it in either internal Deloitte projects on Gen AI or live projects with clients. After completing this project, I will use my new presentation skills (which they also gave me a training session on) to present it to the team!
Every intern on the TTC team was assigned 3 clients to work, as well as one of the departments supporting roles (for example Learning which manage TTC’s specific learning programme, accreditation programme and TTC related knowledge sharing sessions). Everyday there is one meeting minimum that I am attending regarding a client, as well as taking notes and sharing with the team involved. I am asked my opinion and encouraged to get involved. I have to say this brings great variety to the programme, as their clients and work is so varied.
"I am asked my opinion and encouraged to get involved."
No matter if it is in Deloitte or in college generally, my best advice is applying yourself as best as you can and take all opportunities. If you put 100% into the internship, getting involved and open to learning, you are making the most of the opportunity given, and your learning outcomes reflect that. After completing 3 internships, I have to say Deloitte is the best in terms of the range of opportunities you can get involved in, for example volunteering. I am incredibly glad I have spent my summer here in Deloitte, and I would have no issue recommending it to anyone looking to participate in the future!
Karen’s internship at Deloitte has significantly expanded her tax expertise, professional skills, and network within the company. As she reflects on her time at Deloitte, she feels well-prepared to embark on her career journey, armed with practical knowledge and invaluable experiences. For those inspired by Karen'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.
