What Is The Deloitte Graduate Scheme?
The Deloitte Graduate Scheme is part of the Early Careers Programme at Deloitte, and it is a competitive scheme open to graduates who are looking for a career in one of the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms.
Deloitte is an international professional services network, offering some of the biggest names in the international business world help and support with things like financial advice, consulting, risk advice, tax, audit, and legal services.
The Deloitte Graduate Scheme is a popular destination for recent graduates because it is a training program that not only involves gaining a recognized professional qualification but also offers a full-time, permanent role with a market-leading salary and all the benefits of a qualified position.
Purpose and benefits of the Deloitte Graduate Scheme program
The Deloitte Graduate Scheme has been designed to take new graduates through a training programme that exposes them to all areas of the business stream that they are interested in, and makes them part of the team straight away.
The graduates will be earning as they learn, and get involved in meaningful projects to help Deloitte succeed, with all the support and mentorship that they need.
The benefits of working for one of the Big 4 are part of the reason why the Graduate Scheme is so competitive, and successful applicants can expect:
- Private medical insurance
- Flexible pension
- 25 days holiday as standard
- Flexible extra benefits to suit, including extra paid holiday, childcare vouchers, dental insurance, corporate discounts on gym memberships and holidays, and health assessments
- Graduate Scheme applicants will also receive a £7,000 loan
Development is the main reason that graduates look for schemes like the Early Careers Programme, and at Deloitte the development plans are personalized to suit each candidate, with business-specific and personal training options available.
Deloitte Graduate Scheme Streams
The Graduate Scheme at Deloitte is open for the below pathways:
- Audit and Assurance
- Business and Financial Advisory
- Cyber
- Consulting
- Deloitte Legal
- Governance, Risk and Regulation
- Human Capital
- Real Estate
- Tax Consulting
- Technology
Application Process for the Deloitte Graduate Scheme
The application process for the Deloitte Graduate Scheme is broadly the same, no matter the business stream you have applied for.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the Deloitte Graduate Scheme through any of the available streams, you need to meet the minimum requirements, which are:
- Predicted degree classification of 2:1 in any discipline
- 104 UCAS points (if gained after 2017)
- GCSE English Level 4/Grade C
- GCSE Maths Level 5/Grade B
The Deloitte recruitment team has made it clear that these criteria are not set in stone, and that applicants who have not quite got the right prerequisites but still feel that they would suit the role should apply.
Stages of the Deloitte Graduate Scheme Application Process
Online graduate application
To start your application, you need to create an online account. Here you will share all your personal and contact details, and this will be the hub of your application. Any communication will usually happen via email.
Initially, you will be asked to complete the online application. This is a series of questions about you, your education, and your experience. It will take about 20 minutes to complete, and you will have the opportunity to select the business area that you are interested in applying to.
Once you have submitted that, you will receive an email confirming that it has been received, and in this email you will find your candidate ID, which is used in all correspondence.
Online graduate assessment
Once you have completed the initial application, you will be invited to take part in the Deloitte Immersive Online Assessment. This test is untimed, but it usually takes around 40 minutes and you need to complete the whole thing in one sitting.
In this assessment, you will have to answer a series of questions and watch videos relating to life at Deloitte, and the questions will be evaluating your cognitive abilities, the way you deal with situations at work and your personality.
There are five sections to the Immersive Online Assessment:
- What Makes You Succeed?
- Getting Started at Deloitte
- The Future of Work
- The Rise of Automation
- Life at Deloitte
Each of these sections takes you through a case study, solving problems like you would do in the role if you were successful, and evaluates your judgment and cognitive abilities while also assessing your personality fit for the culture and working environment at Deloitte.
Once you have completed the assessment, you will receive a personalized feedback report which will give you some insights into your performance and your suitability for the role that you have applied for.
Deloitte Graduate Scheme Video interview
The Deloitte video interview is part of the Job Simulation, and it is a series of questions that require different types of responses - for some, you might need to do some writing, for others, it is a simple multiple-choice question. You might have to rank responses based on their appropriateness or film yourself answering pre-written questions
The Job Simulation takes place on a specific platform, and you can expect to complete the following tasks:
- Video Questions: Answer questions about your motivations and your experience to demonstrate your capabilities
- Cognitive: Answer multiple choice questions about your numeracy and literacy, as well as your logical reasoning ability
- Ranking: Answering scenario-based questions to decide what the best course of action is to deal with the presented situation
- Writing: Draft an email to a colleague
This is usually the longest waiting period to hear about results; the recruitment team will let you know how you have done it via email and inform you of the next steps.
Deloitte Graduate Scheme Assessment Center
For some candidates, the Assessment Center is the final part of the process, with the Final Interview as part of the day. Assessment Centers can take place in person or virtually.
During this part of the process, you will need to complete a short presentation and or a group exercise, depending on the stream you have applied for.
In the Group Exercise, you will be assessed on your ability to build relationships as well as solve problems, communicate, and think critically. During this task, you will be given some initial information that includes a dilemma or a business situation, and as a team, you will have to come up with a solution.
During the task, new information might come to light, which means you need to be adaptable and able to focus on the end goal. You will need to present your solution to the recruiters and be prepared to answer questions. This usually takes 20-30 minutes.
The Presentation is a simple, 5-minute four-slide discussion. You will be given the topic that you will be presenting on early enough to be able to complete your research. You will present the topic to the recruiter, who will then ask some questions about the topic and the way you completed the research.
Deloitte Graduate Scheme Final interview
The Final Interview will take place with a senior person from the business area that you have applied to.
There are a range of questions that will be asked in this interview, and you will need to know what the recruiters are looking for so that you can be prepared to answer them in the right way.
Initially, the recruiter will want to know about your motivations, so why you chose Deloitte and what your plans are for the future. Then, they will want you to describe past examples of times when you have demonstrated some of the core skills and values of the business.
You will be asked to deal with some scenarios, and have to work through a case study. The interviewer will also want to get to know you as a person, too, so you can expect some questions about yourself. At the end of the interview, there will be some time available for you to ask some questions.
Tips for Successful Applications
Crafting a Strong CV and Cover Letter
Your CV and cover letter, and your initial application form, is the first contact that the Graduate recruitment team will have with you - so you need to make sure that it is a good one.
Don’t send a generic CV by making sure that you have tailored it to suit the role that you have applied for, and include key terms from the job description to show that you have the skills, qualifications, and competencies that they are looking for.
Try to ensure that anything you submit to the recruiters has been edited and checked.
Preparing for Online Assessments
Online assessments can be nerve-wracking, especially when they need to be passed for you to progress to the next stage of getting your dream role. One of the best things you can do is to practice for the test beforehand.
Acing the Video Interview
In the Job Simulation, you will be asked to complete a number of tasks, and one of them is to record yourself on camera answering some questions.
To start with, make sure that you are somewhere that you are not going to be disturbed, and make sure that anyone who lives with you is not going to walk in. Choose a location with a plain background, and make sure there is no distracting clutter in the shot. You need to dress to impress, so wear something that you would choose to wear to the office or to an important meeting.
Check your connections, make sure that your video and audio are both working, and then you’ll be good to go.
One of the best ways to prepare is to practice answering the question - you can make notes, and you won’t have to start recording straight away, so go through what you want to say first so that you feel more confident when you hit record.
Succeeding at the Assessment Center
The Assessment Center is a chance for the recruiters to see how you work with others and what you are like when you are working under pressure. They are looking for things like teamwork and leadership, communication and adaptability.
During the group exercise, make sure that you speak (and allow others to speak). Some members of the team might have different information or ideas to share. You want to make sure that you are always working towards a solution to the given problem.
Presentations are often the least favorite thing for a candidate to do - they can be difficult to master.
Just make sure that you have completed your research well and you know what you want to talk about, and practice beforehand with someone at home so that you get used to projecting your voice and speaking slowly and clearly. The recruiters want you to do well, so they are not going to ask you really difficult questions.
Impressing in the Final Interview
The final interview will involve a lot of different questions, and this makes it more challenging to prepare for.
Make sure that you arrive early, and are well-dressed and presented.
The preparation for this interview should include examples that demonstrate the key competencies that they are looking for, and that show you have the ambition to be a success.
The senior staff member will know that you are likely to be nervous, and they will be happy to make allowances for that - just be yourself and be honest, and show them that you have done the research on the business, you know what Deloitte are looking for in a graduate, and that you have the passion, skills, and competencies to succeed.
Eye contact is important, and you can ask the recruiter to repeat a question if you are unsure. Don’t forget to think of some insightful questions to ask at the end - not just when pay day will be.