Jaina Jain has been born and brought up in Mumbai. She completed her grade 10 from The Blossoms Sunderbai school and Junior College from K.C. in the science field. Then pursued B.Com from H.R. College of Commerce and Economics along with CA post, she did her articleship at Deloitte.
What was the selection procedure? How did you get this role?
I got this opportunity through the placement cell of H.R. College. The first round consisted of an aptitude test to analyze English pronunciations and fluency. After this, we had an interview round with HR which included questions mainly about our background and not any tough technical questions.
What were your title and responsibilities? What is your day-to-day work?
I have the title of an Article Assistant. In the initial 6 months, we did not have a lot of work but we had tasks related to Microsoft Excel, Word and other IT-related applications so having good knowledge about the same was important. Later on, we had work related to accounting standards which our manager used to give as well as work-related to analyzing financial statements that we received from our clients.
What were some of the challenges that you faced? How did you overcome them?
Initially, it was really challenging to adapt to the work environment as you enter a corporate culture just after your graduation. My manager however was really supportive as well as understanding and helped me with adapting to this new environment. I made several mistakes at the start but I was made aware of what my mistake was and how I can rectify the same. It has been a great learning curve for me and the managers have been extremely patient and approachable.
Switching from Science to Commerce stream was a bit challenging as it's completely different. We needed to know accounts for our Foundation exam so learning that in a few months was tough since I was a science student. However I completed my Foundation with AIR, and my only advice would be to remain calm and positive. My attempt for the next level got cancelled due to Covid-19 so preparing for the same portion for a longer duration was hectic.
What are some of the skills needed for this role?
Being able to understand different people and backgrounds, and changing your pitch and talking style according to the other person is extremely important. For example, if the client is comfortable with talking in his/her mother tongue and if you know the same language, you should communicate through the same. The client would feel more comfortable and the work would get done faster. Basics about your role should be clear, basically understanding why you are doing a particular project or task is also important.
How was your overall experience working with Deloitte?
My experience has been really great as my team is very understanding, supportive and motivating. Since it is a Big 4 company there is a lot of workload, and documentation but you get to learn various things as well. We use fewer audits but use more tools like documentation. Normal working hours are 11 am - 8 pm however, during the busy season this time extends depending upon the work.
According to you what would be a decent stipend for students who want to take up internships?
If you’re working with a Big 4 company it should range between 15-25k depending upon your role, responsibility and working hours.
What are some of the benefits offered by Deloitte?
Deloitte offered work from home reimbursement so we could buy the required infrastructure for work. Currently, we are working with a hybrid model so they have offered me a wifi reimbursement as well. There are many more pre-requisites offered to employees.
Do you think internships are important for students? Why?
Yes, it is definitely important and as CA students, it is mandatory for us. We need to compulsorily do an articleship for 3 years after completing CA. Internships give us the required exposure and experience to apply to various top companies. Understanding the working culture, and completing projects give us an idea about how to implement things practically. Apart from this, internships also help in getting an edge over other applicants and help in identifying your likes and dislikes.