Olivier LEFEVRE, Edhec 1994, Associate at Deloitte in Luxembourg

Feedback on the financial audit recruitment drive at EDHEC.

You took part in the recruitment session for interns on the Lille campus and you led the Top Manager module to help Edhec students learn more about jobs in audit. Why is it important for you to take part in this kind of event? As an associate in charge of audit recruitments at Deloitte in Luxembourg, it's crucial for me to have direct contact with the students so that I get better insights into their concerns and motivation, and also be able to answer their questions and help them understand more about the sector. It really is a win-win relationship: on the one hand, we help to promote Deloitte's image with the students and attract the best high potential candidates, and on the other, we help the students to consider their career options in a context that's more difficult than ever in today's economic climate. Plus, it's always a great pleasure to come back to EDHEC 15 years after graduating and see the vibrant environment and the diversity of students! The sandwich year is no longer simply a choice but more an opportunity to gain expertise. While a few years ago, it was possible to try out two different 6-month assignments, in today's recruitment market students have to organise their gap year in coherence with their career plan, above all to gain the expertise and professional experience they need to land the best full-time jobs once they've graduated. What do you think? I think that the gap year is a fantastic opportunity to discover a profession in depth and to put your motivation to the test. In audit, we are now inviting an increasing number of students to spend as much time as possible in the firm so that they can discover the different facets of the job and find out more about the agency in terms of organisation and methodology, and also its culture and human relations aspects from the inside. We're increasingly finding that these long experiences pay off by giving the students a great way to get their foot in the door and they are often a prelude to full time contracts. If by any chance the interns are not enamoured by the sector, it also serves as an important experience as it provides in-depth insights into the job so they can decide at the end of the day, whether it's right for them or not! Junior auditor recruitment: what are the upcoming trends? The trends are relatively simple: there will be a reduction in volume and therefore an even greater focus on top talent in terms of both technical and interpersonal skills. EDHEC graduates are obviously well-placed here! A word of advice from an Edhec to an Edhec ... My main advice would be to stay natural and to go for a job that you're really interested in. Especially in tough times, there's nothing worse than false motivation, interviews that have been too carefully prepared or career paths that lack flexibility!