My Placement Year at Deloitte: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Audit and Assurance

This is a guest post from Royal Holloway student Amal Aitbenmoussa who is studying BSc Management with Accounting and has just completed a placement year with Deloitte. Amal writes:

Spending a year on placement at Deloitte in the Audit and Assurance department has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my academic and professional journey so far. Not only did I gain hands-on experience in one of the world’s leading professional services firms, but I also developed a wide range of skills that will stay with me throughout my career.

What Does an Auditor Actually Do?

Before starting my placement, I had a basic idea of what audit involved — checking company accounts and making sure everything adds up. But once I got started, I quickly realised there’s much more to it.

My role as an audit placement student involved working as part of a team to review and test the financial statements of a wide range of clients — from small startups to global corporations. A big part of my job was speaking directly with clients to request documentation, understand how their business works, and clarify any unusual transactions. Communication was key, whether I was emailing finance teams or joining meetings to discuss audit findings.

I also spent a lot of time using Deloitte’s digital tools and software to analyse financial data, check for inconsistencies, and document our findings. Every audit is different, so each project brought something new: whether that was learning about a different industry or navigating new financial systems.

 
What I Learned

Over the year, I picked up an incredible mix of skills that I know will stick with me for life. I became a lot more confident communicating with clients and teammates: something that now feels like second nature. I also mastered the art of balancing multiple tasks under pressure learned to spot tiny errors with laser focus, and got really comfortable solving problems when things didn’t go quite as expected. Let’s not forget the teamwork: working with such supportive and fun people made even the busiest days enjoyable, and showed me just how important collaboration is in a professional setting.

Final Thoughts

If you're considering a placement year and want to challenge yourself in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, I’d highly recommend Audit and Assurance at Deloitte. It’s more than just number-crunching: it’s about understanding businesses, building relationships, and making a real impact.

If you have any questions, please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/amal-aitbenmoussa-459662252

Best of luck to those of you hoping to secure an industrial placement. Remember to be yourself!!

Amal Aitbenmoussa (Industrial Placement at Deloitte)