Kateřina Veselá has been working as an Analyst at FSI (Financial Services Industry), which is predominantly responsible for the audit of banks, leasing companies, building societies, funds and other financial institutions, for almost a year. “I joined FSI because I have always been interested in investments and the world of finance in general and wanted to gain a better understanding of these issues. I was no accounting expert and learned many things as I went along,” says Katka, appreciating her colleagues’ willingness to help at any time.
Katka Veselá joined Deloitte last September, an ideal time because of the start of Snowball – a five-week training, which quickly introduces new hires into the practical life of an auditor. “We acquired basic testing skills and gained important information for audit work during the training,” says Katka, remembering her beginnings at Deloitte.
Overview of functioning of various firms. The auditor has a unique opportunity to take a sneak peek at the operations of firms in various industries. “It is not only about entering data into Excel; we go through business processes and controls with clients and thus gain insight in the companies’ daily operations. We can easily get a picture of work across the departments, which is an invaluable experience after the completion of university studies,” Katka explains.
Soft skills. Even as recruits, Katka and her junior colleagues from FSI get to work for significant financial clients. At the beginning, a senior colleague is always present at meetings with CFOs and CEOs, but gradually they conduct the meetings themselves. “The development is obvious, in three or four months one is not scared of it and knows what questions to ask. We deal with people in high positions, which is a great advantage for future career growth.”
Work with Excel and databases. Banks have truly vast databases. “We work with databases that are larger than Excel and therefore use different tools, such as Access, for analysing the data,” Katka explains, appreciating her data analysis skills improvement. But even the development of work with Excel itself is significant, since it is an important part of the auditors’ routine. “There are various tricks and hot keys and after learning them from my colleagues, my work pace has become much faster,” says Katka.
Further education and ACCA certification. Deloitte enables obtaining the ACCA certification and fully covers the costs of the studies. It is a globally recognised qualification in financial management, management and accounting. “I look forward to starting my studies in the summer, because I will gain deeper knowledge of the subject,” Katka shares her plans.
Prestigious brand + modern building + friendly atmosphere = Deloitte
Power of the brand – one of the reasons why Katka decided to work for Deloitte. “I studied in London and the Big Four is very prestigious there, which was one of the factors that drove me to Deloitte.”
Katka recalls that one of the strongest initial impressions from Deloitte was the Churchill I building where the company’s offices are located. The building has a very pleasant modern interior, uses new technologies and holds the LEED Gold green certification.
One is often nervous when starting a new job, fearing a bad reputation if one does not know everything from the start. At Deloitte, there is no need to be afraid of asking others for help. “People here are used to this system, they help each other, no one is angry when asked for advice, since it is considered part of the job. Time is devoted to new colleagues. One does not need to be afraid of asking about anything, which is very important.”
Do you want to become an auditor in FSI? Take a look at jsmedeloitte.cz, maybe we are looking for you.
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