What's your job about?
Deloitte works alongside clients to make an impact that matters. I am currently a part of the Forensic team, which sits within the Risk Advisory business unit. My job as a Forensic Analyst is to help our clients react quickly and confidently in a crisis, investigation, or dispute.
My daily work varies quite a lot depending on the type of engagement I am on. For example, Investigations into things like fraud, corruption and misconduct, can often mean that I am working with clients to handle and analyse sensitive information. Advisory projects, on the other hand, can often mean that my days are spent preparing for and or helping facilitate workshops for our clients to better protect their brand and reputation from financial crime related risks.
What's your background?
I grew up in West Auckland surrounded lots of family (as many Samoans do). I attended Primary and Intermediate out West before having to make the long trek into the city for my high school years at St Peters College.
I studied a Bachelor of Business majoring in Accounting at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT). Whilst studying, I worked as a Navigator (mentor) for AUT and as a Tutorial Assistant for the NZ Police. Heading into my last year of study, I interned at PwC in the Financial Assurance team which provided great insight into the world of professional services. In between completing my degree and starting my role as a graduate at Deloitte, I worked at the AUT South Campus team within the Initiatives and Projects team. I joined Deloitte at the start of 2020 and have been here for almost 2 years now.
One of the things that I believed helped shape my pathway was my journey with sports. Having grown up fully immersed in sports, particularly rugby, I was able to translate a lot of the lessons learnt from the field to the classroom and eventually the workplace. E.g. discipline, teamwork, communication. Also, being able to demonstrate well-roundedness by maintaining a balance between studies/work and your own personal interests, is something of great value.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Yes, definitely. Although there may be some technical aspects to the jobs we are involved with, being eager to learn and willing to work hard is always a key determinant. Even if working within my particular team isn’t the right place, there are opportunities all throughout Risk Advisory and wider Deloitte that may be for you.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
The people. Working on forensic jobs can often be stressful and require lots of time and concentration, however the little interactions, jokes and laughs with my team always shed light in tiresome times.
The discoveries. Investigations and disputes can sometimes require us to look through and analyse loads of information, which can be quite tedious. However, making key discoveries and finding the “smoking gun” can make all the effort worthwhile.
What are the limitations of your job?
Due to the nature of forensic jobs, there is always a possibility that our work may be required further down the track for legal proceedings. This means that our team has a responsibility to produce high quality work that can be relied on in these situations. Luckily, Deloitte forensic has quality control processes and systems in place to allow for this. There are also a number of highly intelligent and empathetic professionals whose experiences can be drawn on.
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