Deloitte Early Careers Guide

Programmes and routes

Deloitte offers several ways to join the firm, depending on your stage of education. Programmes and locations change each year, so always check the Deloitte early careers programmes page for the current list.

Graduate programmes

These are structured routes for final-year students and graduates. You apply to a specific business area and location. Business areas include Audit & Assurance, Tax, Consulting, Advisory, Actuarial, and Enabling Functions (such as IT, HR, and marketing). On many programmes you work towards a recognised professional qualification, such as the ACA, with dedicated study time. Deloitte has offices across the UK, with graduate intakes in cities including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, and Edinburgh.

BrightStart apprenticeships

This is Deloitte's school and college leaver programme and an alternative to university. You join in a permanent role, earn a salary, and study for qualifications alongside your work. Depending on the business area, the apprenticeship takes between 15 months and four years to complete.

Entry level apprenticeships

Deloitte also runs entry-level apprenticeships for school leavers with GCSEs, with a shorter, single online assessment.

Summer vacation schemes

These are four- to six-week paid placements for penultimate-year students (or those going on to a master's). You do real client work and, if you perform well, may be offered a place on the Graduate Programme in the same business area and location.

Industrial placements

These are 12-month placements for students whose degree requires a placement year. You work and train alongside first-year graduates, and the placement can lead to a Graduate Programme offer.

Insight and outreach programmes

Deloitte runs shorter programmes for earlier stages, including "Spring into Deloitte" (a paid two-day insight programme for university students), ASPIRE (a three-day programme for Year 12 state school students from lower socio-economic backgrounds), and Career Shapers (for Year 12 students). Some of these can lead on to vacation schemes, placements, or BrightStart.

The BrightStart apprenticeship

BrightStart is one of the best-known school leaver routes in UK professional services.

You join as a full-time, permanent employee and split your time between client work and study. Deloitte offers a range of qualifications, including professional and industry qualifications, and what you work towards depends on your business area. Check each job description for the specific qualification.

The main advantage is financial. You earn a salary from day one and finish your apprenticeship with professional qualifications and no tuition debt, along with years of practical work experience.

The trade-off is the workload. Balancing client work with professional exams requires strong time management, and the first year can be demanding as you adjust to a corporate environment. Deloitte provides study time and tuition support to help you pass your exams.

For a broader look at the choice, see our guides to degree apprenticeship vs university and apprenticeship levels.

Entry requirements

Deloitte assesses applications against the academic requirements in each job description. According to its application guidance:

You do not need an accounting or business degree for most programmes, as Deloitte provides the technical training. If you have not met the academic requirements because of extenuating circumstances, Deloitte asks you to explain this in your application, and it will take it into account. For more on how flexible employers can be on grades, see our guide on whether you need a 2:1.

The application process

Deloitte uses the same structure for its Graduate Programmes, BrightStart, Summer Vacation Schemes, and Industrial Placements. Entry Level Apprenticeships and some shorter programmes combine steps 2 and 3 into a single assessment called OneStop.

Step 1: Online application

You provide your personal details and education history. It takes around 15 minutes, and the form does not save your progress, so have your grades to hand and complete it in one sitting. If you meet the requirements, you move straight to the next step.

Step 2: Immersive online assessment

This has two parts. A behavioural assessment presents realistic workplace scenarios and asks you to rank how you would most and least likely respond, plus questions about your working style. A cognitive assessment includes numerical and verbal reasoning questions. There is no overall time limit, but some questions are timed. Our guides to situational judgement tests and psychometric tests cover both formats.

Step 3: Job simulation

You work through realistic work scenarios, ranking and selecting responses, writing answers, and recording video responses. Some scenarios mention workplace tools like AI, but you do not need any AI experience. See our guide to video interviews for recording tips.

Step 4: Final stage assessment

For graduate, BrightStart, and placement roles, this takes place in person at your chosen office. Before you attend, you complete some mandatory preparation researching and analysing a topic. On the day there are two parts: a discussion of your topic with an assessor (around 30 to 40 minutes) and a skills and motivation interview (around 50 minutes). Summer Vacation Scheme candidates have a virtual final stage with the interview only. Our guide to strengths-based vs competency interviews will help with the interview.

Step 5: Outcome

After each assessment stage you receive a feedback report on your strengths, and Deloitte aims to let you know your outcome within four weeks. If you are unsuccessful, you can reapply in a future recruitment cycle.

For more on how these stages work across employers, see our applications and assessments guide.

What Deloitte looks for

Deloitte's stated purpose is to "make an impact that matters". Its assessments are designed to understand your strengths and how you would approach work, rather than test what you already know.

When answering scenario questions or motivational questions, show that you:

• Collaborate well and build trust with colleagues and clients.
• Are curious, adaptable, and willing to learn from mistakes.
• Care about doing high-quality work and finding better ways of doing things.

Deloitte's own advice for the behavioural assessment is to go with your instinct rather than second-guess what they want. Answer honestly: a consistent, genuine picture of how you work comes across far better than trying to game each question.

Salary and culture

Salary

Deloitte does not publish fixed graduate salaries, and pay varies by business area and location. Big 4 graduate salaries in audit and tax typically start at around £30,000 to £35,000, with London at the higher end, and rise as you pass professional exams and qualify. Deloitte also offers graduate joiners access to a £7,000 interest-free loan.

Trainee experience and culture

• Training is highly structured. Support for professional exams, including study time and tuition, is a major part of the programme.
• The cohort is a big part of the experience. You start and train alongside a large group of graduates and apprentices.
• Busy seasons are demanding. In Audit, the period from January to April is often intense, as many clients have December year-ends.
• Exit opportunities are strong. Qualifying at a Big 4 firm is widely recognised, and many people later move into finance, risk, or strategy roles in industry.

Application windows

Deloitte recruits on a rolling basis. Graduate, BrightStart, vacation scheme, and placement roles usually open in the early autumn for the following year's intake.

Because recruitment is rolling, Deloitte reviews applications as they arrive, and individual roles can close once they are full, sometimes well before any published deadline. Apply as early as you can, but choose your business area and location carefully first, as offers are tied to them. Deloitte also asks you not to submit duplicate applications; if you make a mistake, contact its Early Careers Helpdesk instead.

FAQ

• Do I need an accounting degree to join Deloitte Audit or Tax?↓

  Do I need an accounting degree to join Deloitte Audit or Tax?

  No. Deloitte accepts graduates from any degree discipline for most programmes and teaches you the technical knowledge you need. It is more interested in how you think, learn, and work with people.

• What is the difference between BrightStart and a graduate programme?↓

  What is the difference between BrightStart and a graduate programme?

  BrightStart is for school and college leavers as an alternative to university, and it is not open to people who have already graduated. A graduate programme is for people finishing or holding a degree. Both lead to professional qualifications in many business areas, but the starting point and the balance of work and study are different.

• Can I switch business areas once I join?↓

  Can I switch business areas once I join?

  It is possible but not straightforward. You are hired into a specific business area, and moving later usually means applying internally for an open role. Vacation scheme and placement offers are also tied to the business area and location you applied to, so research the day-to-day work of each area before you apply.

• What happens if I fail my professional exams?↓

  What happens if I fail my professional exams?

  You will usually have the opportunity to resit. Repeated failures can affect your progression, so use the study support on offer and speak to your manager early if you are struggling.

• Does Deloitte sponsor visas?↓

  Does Deloitte sponsor visas?

  Deloitte welcomes applications from all candidates, but there are UK Government restrictions on who it can sponsor. Check its work permits and sponsorship guidance before applying.

Ready to apply?

If you want to secure a role at Deloitte or one of the other Big 4 firms, see our side-by-side Big 4 early careers comparison or read our individual guides to EY, KPMG, and PwC.

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