Aditi Oza is a chartered accountant and was inspired by her father who is a CA himself. She has cleared the CS Executive level and has pursued her bachelor's in commerce from H.R. College of Commerce and Economics. She has been working with Deloitte since June 2021 as a Risk Advisory Consultant and received a promotion as well a few months later to the position of Assistant Manager. She is also a Bharat Natyam artist who completed her diploma (Arangetram) at the young age of 12 years. Her hobbies include travelling, dancing and playing badminton.
What was your selection procedure? How did you get this job?
I received this job through Linkedln. I got a call from Deloitte to schedule an interview with a renowned global bank that happens to be Deloitte’s client. Later, I had a discussion with HR regarding remuneration. I was made aware of the work pressure and extensive working hours during the interview itself.
What was your title and responsibility at this job? What are your day-to-day tasks?
I am currently an Assistant Manager in Risk Advisory under regulatory and legal services. I am responsible for managing and analyzing risk in the financial sector which includes banks, NBFC, member lending institutions etc. Currently, I am working on a project related to operational risk where I analyze the regulatory compliance gaps and suggest measures to overcome the same.
We focus on the delivery of client engagements, share knowledge and experience with others and understand the objectives of each project.
What were some of the challenges that you faced? How did you overcome them?
One of the major challenges that prevail in the consulting world is completing the project within a given deadline. The deadlines are rigid and stringent which often requires additional working hours. Eventually, one gets accustomed to the working style but it takes a lot of dedication and hard work along with being extremely efficient in handling multiple projects. The work and responsibility keep multiplying as you progress along in this career.
What are some of the skills/ characteristics needed for this role?
For being a financial risk professional, you are expected to have a financial risk manager (FRM) certification with knowledge of some software languages so that you are well-versed with financial markets and complex models. Excellent communication skills are also essential as this profile involves substantial interaction with clients.
How was your overall experience during this job?
My overall experience has been extremely rewarding both in terms of professional development and personal growth. My job has helped me become more efficient in all aspects of life. I have had a good work-life balance and I am satisfied both financially and with my work life.
What was your salary? Could you give a range?
According to the market standards in this domain, a fresher who is a professional could easily expect between 7-10 lakhs per annum approximately. Apart from a monthly takeaway salary, Deloitte has several other perks like Mediclaim for its employees which is far beyond the industry standards, leaves for women as per international standards, child care reimbursement etc. It also works towards achieving non-financial parameters such as being a pioneer in promoting equal empowerment and conducting CSR activities throughout the year. In addition, it also has a strict no-tolerance policy against unethical behaviour.
What do you think is a decent stipend which would interest students who want to take up internships?
A decent stipend for students should range between 20,000-25000 rupees per month depending on the profile, academic qualifications and workload given to the candidate.
How did internships help you in getting this job?
My internship was as a CA article. My work was mainly in tax, audit and accounts which are not aligned with the role I am currently in but I would definitely suggest any kind of work experience is better than not having any experience. For instance, my first project at Deloitte was very similar to the experience I gained from the articleship. Gaining exposure in varied streams never goes in vain as we always gain some knowledge and there is definitely a learning curve involved.
Do you think internships are important for students and why?
I would definitely recommend students to take up internships as experience in any domain is never an effort wasted but choosing the right kind of internship is definitely important to accelerate one’s career.
What advice would you give to freshers/ students?
I would suggest the young pass outs to research and understand what the market demands. For instance, you may be well equipped with some ERP software say SAP but it is of no relevance to the industry you want to get into. So basically we need to understand the expectations of the company and update ourselves with the skills relevant to the chosen role. Figure out what interests you the most by exploring various fields. The right kind of networking is the key in today's time for development and professional networking websites empower us to do so.