Beyond the Campus: Life as an Audit & Assurance Student Placement
Discover how a summer internship in Audit and Assurance led to a meaningful six-month placement, and the importance of personal connections in the hiring process.
with Zara Wallace
From Internship to Placement: Building My Deloitte Journey
My journey with Deloitte started in the summer of 2025 where I was a summer intern in the Audit and Assurance department in Cork. I had such an enjoyable and worthwhile nine weeks that I knew I wanted to come back for my six-month work placement. Between my internship and placement, I was lucky enough to be asked to represent Deloitte as a Campus Ambassador. This was a fantastic opportunity to still be involved in the firm whilst I was back in college.
I had my placement interview online whilst I was on Erasmus and I was incredibly nervous as I didn’t know what to expect. My nerves were immediately put at ease when the person conducting my interview was more interested in how sunny it was out my window and how I was getting on rather than how many technical words I could fit into my CV. It is always moments like this that make me realise how much Deloitte values those personal connections and relationships.
Beyond the Job Title: Unexpected Opportunities and Growth
Over my summer internship with Deloitte, I was given the opportunity to work as part of the Social Media Champions team alongside some of the other interns and it was the highlight of my internship. I was fortunate enough to be able to continue this again during my placement. The work has led me to have experiences that I never thought I would be doing as part of my placement like being able to have one-on-one interviews with a CEO, take part in professional sit-down interviews or be in an environment where I am able to create content for the Deloitte social media pages.
The Power of Asking Questions: Learning, Support, and Belonging
I am nearly halfway through my placement, and I am still learning at least ten new things every day. From knowing what the different acronyms mean to where I can find the hot chocolate in the kitchen, every day is really a school day. For the first couple days of my placement, I didn’t know what the difference between a Co-Op and a placement student was and I was stressed that I was going to use the wrong term and embarrass myself or get it wrong. All I had to do was ask someone and they told me that they both actually meant the same thing.
Situations like that made me understand how important it is to ask when you don’t understand something no matter if it’s technical or something you might deem as a silly question. There really are no silly questions (I am still seeing how far I can push this idea). Asking for help and putting yourself out there are definitely the most important things any Co-Op student can do as it shows you are eager to learn and that you care about what you are doing. It is all fine and well to be able to do the work, but the most important part is understanding it.
I wish before I had started my placement that someone would have given me a better idea of what to expect. I was so anxious that I would come in on my first day and I would be wearing the wrong thing or in the wrong place or meeting the wrong person, but the reality was that there was always someone there to help me whether it was other Co-Ops, my buddy or my people leader. Even from watching or reading any content put out by Deloitte on their social media or website, I was able to get a better understanding of what life at Deloitte would entail. Deloitte has such a vast range of different support systems that there is always someone there no matter what it is you need help with.
Making an Impact That Matters: Leadership, Community, and Seizing Opportunities
As part of being a Co-Op student in Deloitte, you are invited to Dublin for two days to take part in a ‘Co-Op Leadership Boost Day’. This year it was held in the Aviva Stadium where we heard talks from Deloitte’s talent partners and the CEO of Focus Ireland, Pat Dennigan. This day is a great way of meeting and networking with other Co-Op students from across Ireland. I filmed a ‘Day in the Life’ for the Deloitte social media of my time at the Leadership Boost as it was initially a day, I was apprehensive for and I thought it could be beneficial for future Co-Ops to see what it was like. It can be quite intimidating being out of the office and being introduced to what seems like hundreds of new people, but the reality is that days like the Leadership Boost are always the most memorable from your time on placement and provide you with brilliant opportunities and experiences.
'Making an Impact That Matters' is one of Deloitte’s core values. This is clear through the social impact days that Deloitte organizes for all its employees. These days are great opportunities to do something good and give back to a community. It’s always rewarding activities that you take part in and can be very enjoyable if the weather is on your side. This year as part of my time in Dublin for the Leadership Boost, I was lucky enough to be sent to Airfield Estate in Dundrum where I had the opportunity to learn about the history of the Estate and get hands on experience working in the gardens doing some planting and weeding. My one piece of advice to anyone thinking about starting their work placement with Deloitte is that it isn’t really all about the work, it’s about everything that comes with it. It’s about taking every opportunity that comes your way and saying yes and making an impact that matters and really putting yourself out there!!
Student Work Placement Programme
Get a head start on your career with our Student Work Placement Programme - an invaluable opportunity to grow and gain experience before finishing your third-level studies!
