Starting out

The inclusive environment really appealed to me, as well as the opportunity to work with some exciting and well-known clients in a great city. I joined the team on my placement year in 2019, then came back as a fulltime employee in September.

When I was on my placement year, I was a back-end developer, which meant working ‘behind-the-scenes’. I really enjoyed knowing that I played an essential part in making things work effectively. In my new role I’m going to be working as a software developer on front-end products, which is very creative. It’s exciting because you work with lots of different types of technology and get a clear picture of what you’ve built, which I love. I’m hugely motivated by seeing the outcomes of my work, which is why this job is such a great fit me. I’m excited to get stuck in on new projects.

Growing up I had a huge passion for technology. I would stay up all night making PowerPoint presentations and I later ended up studying computer science. Through my experiences I learned to love problem solving, and my focus has always been trying to understand how things work or how to fix them. There weren’t many women on my course at university. I feel as though some younger women don’t think technology is the kind of career they should pursue but that’s absolutely not the case. Deloitte is making an active effort to increase diversity in its technology teams, and there’s no better time to join. I’d love to see more women taking an active interest in tech. There are endless opportunities on offer and every day is new and different. It’s a really exciting place to be.

I’m going to spend the next few years learning everything I can and developing my career path. I don’t feel as confident as I’d like to be yet, but I know it will come in time. One of my long-term goals is to become a mentor for other graduates. Deloitte has an excellent mentorship programme, and the support for new joiners has been incredible. I’ve been treated so well since I started and nobody is ever too busy to help me out. Once I’m established, I want to be able to give back to other people joining the company. Having started as a graduate, I’ll know exactly what it feels like to be in their shoes.

I was expecting quite a corporate environment but in reality we’re like a big, happy family. During the first six months of my placement year I worked in the office, then spent the second six months working from home after the pandemic hit. I still got exactly the same level of support in a remote environment, which was brilliant, especially as I’m new. I love the fact that there’s no clear hierarchies when you’re speaking to people in the office. Everyone is equally friendly no matter how senior they are. It’s a very inclusive place to be and you’re immediately made to feel welcome when you join.