• Spring 2011
  • Welcome
  • Boot Camp for Accounting Vacationers!
  • From Deakin to Deloitte
  • Educating for Career Readiness Symposium 2011
  • Successful Students: Results of employer focus group
  • The Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement
• Summer 2011
  • Welcome
  • TAC Graduate Program
  • Low SES work placement program
  • Social media and employment issues
  • Employers visit Deakin in record numbers
  • Beyond graduate survey findings
  • Online interview simulation
  • Employers assess graduate competencies
• Winter 2010
  • Welcome
  • International work experience
  • Deakin at Your Doorstep
  • Enhancing student employability
  • The Fair Work Act 2009
  • Graduate Attributes: the employer's perspective
  • Valuing the skills of PhDs
• Summer 2010
  • Welcome
  • Transitioning
  • Supporting IBL
  • International traineeships
  • Career week
  • Career fairs
  • First point of contact
• Autumn 2009
  • Welcome
  • Careers in the curriculum
  • Work integrated learning
  • International students
  • Internship interview
  • Duke of Edinburgh award
  • New look Jobshop
  • Recruiting students with disability
  • Alumni in profile

From Deakin to Deloitte: profile of Adam O’Donnell

Adam O’Donnell completed a Bachelor of Arts (Public Relations) and Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) at Deakin University in June 2008. He is currently employed by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu in Melbourne as a Graduate Recruitment Consultant. Adam recently shared his experiences of transitioning from university into one of the world’s top tier professional services firms.

What attracted you to Deloitte's graduate program?

The people and culture at Deloitte attracted me to the program. I met Graduate recruiters on campus and client facing employees throughout the recruitment process. I was impressed by their approach and instantly felt welcome in their corporate environment. The diverse client and industry base, support and leadership at Deloitte were very appealing.

What is your current position at Deloitte?

My current role as a Graduate Recruitment Consultant involves liaising with universities and industry associations to attract top undergraduate talent to the firm. I’ve been at Deloitte for 3 years and I have held numerous roles including:

• Graduate Recruitment Consultant June 2010 – Present
• Experienced Hire Consultant May 2010 – June 2010 (secondment)
• National Graduate Recruitment Consultant Feb 2010 – April 2010 (secondment)
• Graduate Analyst in Assurance and Advisory July 2008 – Jan 2010
• Summer Vacationer Jan/Feb 2007
• Winter Vacationer June 2006

How did university prepare you for the challenges of a graduate role at Deloitte?

University provided a base knowledge for me to build upon. In addition, as President of the Deakin Commerce Society (DCS) and Student Representative on the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance Committee I became accustomed to the corporate environment. This assisted in my understanding of what was expected of me in terms of conducting myself and my interaction with professionals.

What support did you accept from Deakin’s Careers and Employment team during the graduate recruitment process?

I visited the Career and Employment office for assistance with my resume and cover letter. Furthermore, I attended career fairs and information sessions held by Careers and Employment. I found this highly useful in networking with potential employers. It was a great way to meet with organisations and ultimately it separated me from the crowd of online applicants by putting a face to my application.

How can students improve their career readiness?

• Research is key. There is abundant information available through a variety of mediums.
• Meet with employers. Take the opportunity to attend events run by student societies, Careers and Employment and professional institution. Getting to know corporate representatives will help alleviate nerves when it comes to the recruitment process. Building rapport with representatives early on will prove to be beneficial.
• Consult with your peers. Use the services offered to you (i.e. Jobshop, Careers and Employment).
• Take on as much as you can (within reason). The university degree will entitle you to apply for a position. It’s your involvement in activities beyond your degree that will enhance your breadth of experience, show your level of commitment and ultimately impress the interviewer. I would encourage participation in extracurricular activities such as sport, community groups, and volunteering.

Since joining the Deloitte what achievement are you most proud of?

The ‘Join Deloitte’ iPhone app. A graduate recruitment app that allows students to search service lines based on qualification and location. Furthermore it integrates with Facebook and YouTube to RSVP to events and view videos.

I came up with the idea to differentiate the way we communicated with students and presented this to our Consulting Online team. Since then I’ve had the pleasure of working with the National Consulting Online National Leader and his team to develop the app and deliver the final product. It went live in Apple iTunes store in February, 2011 and we are currently negotiating a global role out and version upgrade. We have achieved:

• 2,800 downloads
• Feature articles in The Age (MyCareer lift out), The Australian and Financial Review
• Internal recognition and media coverage