Here are some approaches and strategies that you can use to answer three key questions that Deloitte’s recruiters are likely to toss at you in their online application forms for graduate jobs and internships to assess your fit with their company culture.
Bear in mind that though these questions may be worded differently, the basic principles behind them will remain the same. Planning your answers to these in advance will help ensure that you don’t freeze up during crunch time!
Question #1: Why are you interested in joining Deloitte?
Try to be interesting. Many candidates will simply say “Deloitte is a global firm with a great reputation for excellence in the accountancy and consulting fields.” The thing is, Deloitte’s recruiters already know that! The question asks why YOU are personally interested in Deloitte.
Start by digging up current news stories and working forward from there. Let’s say you’re keen to reference Deloitte’s culture of innovation in your answer. Don’t just tell recruiters, “Well, I’m a huge fan of the innovative culture in Deloitte,” and leave it at that! Think a little deeper: what has Deloitte done specifically that evidences its innovative nature? For example, if Deloitte’s launch of Deloitte Digital interests you, explain why.
Stay away from generic answers. Telling recruiters that you’re interested in training for professional qualifications is fine, but remember that all of Deloitte’s competitors can offer you the same thing! You need to explain what it is about Deloitte’s training in particular that attracts you. How can Deloitte’s training benefit your personal career progression more than the training at one of their competitors?
Oh, and one more thing: never, ever answer with something that you’ve lifted straight from Deloitte’s own website.
Question #2: What do you expect to be doing in your first year in the service line you’re applying for?
Take note: the emphasis here is on what you will be doing specifically, rather than the service line you hope to be in as a whole.
To answer this, you need to be able to understand how your role fits into the wider scheme of things at Deloitte. You may already have laid out the blueprint for answering this in your response to the previous question. Now you just need to break things down even further.
Think in terms of case studies – if you were working as a junior member of a Deloitte team conducting the re-audit of a troubled company, what would you need to investigate to address any complications arising from the initial audit? Or, if you were a junior associate on a team working on a merger between two corporations, what kind of due diligence would be required from someone of your level?
Your responses must reflect the extent of your research and understanding of the role you are applying for. It should also show awareness of the types of training activities you will be involved in during your first year of work. Try to craft your answer in a way that demonstrates your familiarity with Deloitte’s corporate culture and the way they do things.
Question #3: Describe the key responsibilities and achievements you achieved in a previous job.
Expand on the positions of responsibility you’ve listed in your CV. Remember that “responsibility” is a subjective term – suitable experiences could range from project managing a large team, helping a past employer roll out a new product, or running an event for a university society.
Bear in mind that Deloitte wants to see details that are relevant to both the firm in general and the service line you are applying for. If, for example you’re going for a position involving more research than client contact (such as the valuation group in Deloitte’s corporate finance department), your emphasis should be on positions or roles that involved the effective use of your research skills. Make sure you talk about the results that you achieved from putting those skills into practice, too!
