Deloitte Summer Internship Program Completes
Deloitte has announced the completion of this year’s DEEP [Deloitte Exclusive Experience Program] summer internship program. DEEP is open to Bermudians interested in Accounting, Actuarial Science, Technology, Tax, Talent and Marketing and runs annually each summer.
In addition to working within their area of interest, students meet with industry leaders in Bermuda, and also work virtually alongside interns from Deloitte’s international network on a global project. Additionally, students work as a team to complete a project that serves either a local charity or a Deloitte initiative. At the end of the internship, students present their project’s results to the leaders of Deloitte Bermuda.
For this year’s local project, Deloitte interns worked with the St. George’s Foundation to support the cultural tourism infrastructure and promotion of the Historic Town of St. George’s and the wider East End of Bermuda.
Interns focused on the critical issue of volunteer management for multiple cultural partners and created a campaign to better market St. George’s and St. David’s as Bermuda’s UNESCO World Heritage Site and Hub 1 of the National Tourism Plan.
As part of the project, the team met with the Bermuda Tourism Authority, toured cultural attractions in St. George’s, interviewed tourists, researched marketing channels, developed messaging, and provided recommendations for attracting and managing volunteers, who are a vital component of the Town’s heritage management and cultural tourism infrastructure.
“Our work is largely coordinated through the efforts of volunteers,” said Kristin White, Development Director of the St. George’s Foundation. “There are many occasions when museums are closed because we have struggled to find enough volunteers.
“St. George’s holds the coveted UNESCO World Heritage site status – a great opportunity for us to attract tourists to Bermuda – but in order for us to do so effectively, we need to have the volunteers and infrastructure in place to keep our and historic sites open and operational,” she continued.
John Johnston, CEO of Deloitte Caribbean and Bermuda, commented, “St. George’s has the opportunity to raise awareness of itself as a ‘heritage and cultural hub’, and Deloitte is pleased to work with the St. George’s Foundation in this endeavour through our internship program. We look forward to seeing the results of the interns’ project put into action.”
After attending a presentation at Deloitte, Dr. Charlotte Andrews, Executive Director of the St. George’s Foundation, said, “Deloitte’s DEEP interns have contributed creative proposals, fresh perspectives, infectious enthusiasm and a great deal of hard work to the priority project of addressing volunteer and promotional needs for the Town of St. George and the wider East End. We’re now working to take the Deloitte DEEP team’s terrific springboard of ideas, research, and strategy to the next level.”
Peter Frith, Bermuda National Trust Museums Manager, who also attended the presentation, added, “I am extremely encouraged by the enthusiasm of the Deloitte intern group. This project puts us well on the way to achieving our dream of having our magnificent historic built heritage open and on display for all.”
Hannah Gibbons is one of this year’s Deloitte interns and shared her experiences, “Working with the St. George’s Foundation has deepened my appreciation of our most historic town and the important role that St. George’s has played in world history as well as the history of our own country.”
Intern Travis Trott added, “I was able to learn more about Bermuda’s history, the importance of knowing your heritage and the some of the important issues within our community.”
Another component of the students’ internship was learning about the industries Deloitte serves, including insurance, investments, financial services and hospitality, to get a better understanding of how clients operate. This year, students spent time at companies including MEF restaurants, the BMA and the Bermuda Hospitals Board.
Janae Smith, Alternative Investments intern, commented, “The industry visits were greatly beneficial. I never took the time to think about all the processes a company goes through to meet BMA regulations, or the BHB procurement procedures, or even factors that local restaurants should consider before making decisions.”
Jessica Burns, Consulting intern, added, “I have learned a tremendous amount about consulting, from the initial client engagement to research, fieldwork and the preparation of reports for clients. I derive great satisfaction from working in Deloitte’s highly positive and supportive team environment.”
As well as the local facets of the program, students worked virtually alongside interns from Brazil, Bahamas, USA and Cayman to address challenges facing the global business as part of Deloitte’s Global Internship Program Project Challenge.
Katherine Cupidore, Talent Director of Deloitte Caribbean and Bermuda, commented, “Deloitte’s Global Internship Program enables students to acquire skills to operate successfully in the global workplace. This is a great opportunity for young Bermudians to build an international network and gain a unique experience that will enhance their resumes and give them a competitive edge.”
Several students shared advice for young Bermudians, including Arabella Tribley, who interned in Finance and Marketing, and said, “Once you’ve succeeded in landing a job it’s critical that you work hard and add value to the company.”
Cynarra Phillips, who interned with the Actuarial, Risk & Analytics and Enterprise Risk Services teams, added, “Broadening your network assists with telling the world about your talents. Keep in mind that word-of-mouth can travel faster than your resume.”
DEEP provides an opportunity for networking and hands on experience. Students get a real taste of international business, and often go to client offices to complete different projects with Deloitte teams.
Each intern is also assigned a counselor who will provide training and a solid knowledge base. Students who show initiative are often invited back and ultimately employed as full time staff once they have completed their degrees. Some former interns who now work fulltime within Deloitte include Chris Lopes, Natasha Osborne and Kalena Astwood.
To apply for Deloitte’s DEEP internship, interested students should submit a completed application form together with a resume, college transcripts, proof of Bermudian citizenship and 2 character references to sarah.mayor@deloitte.bm by March 31, 2015. Application forms are available at deloitte.com/bm.
