My Past Life as an Auditor
I spent over 5 years decoding financial metrics, crying out to the accounting gods about clients’ chaotic ERPs, and attempting the dark art of reconciling ledgers that simply refused to reconcile. Somewhere along the way, as I felt myself dissolving into Excel sheets and coffee runs, I finally quit.
It wasn’t a dramatic canon event (sorry, Marvel fans). Just a quiet realization that I’d fundamentally changed as a person because of this job.
But jokes aside, I actually enjoyed it. This was my first ever job right out of college, and i stuck with it for half a decade. I learned everything the role had to offer, and when the learning curve began to plateau, I knew it was time for change.
One of my guiding principles in life is to treat my career like a series of projects - not a single mountain to climb endlessly. It's a liberating mindset: instead of fixating on "career ladders", you can view each phase as a "project" where you gain skills, build expertise, and then move on to the next "project" to apply those learnings in a new way. This approach keeps work meaningful and adds depth, as each "project" is a chapter where you immerse yourself fully. (Maybe i'll write a separate post about this philosophy.)
But for now, let’s rewind to my auditor years.
Part 1: Acceptance into Deloitte
In 2019, fresh out of my bachelor’s degree, I joined Deloitte’s Global Audit & Assurance (US-India Offices - USI) vertical. Picture a clueless, bright-eyed graduate transformed into a corporate ninja armed with Excel formulas for every situation.
I joined the Consumer Automotive team, auditing large private and complex clients out of Detroit and the East Coast. 2019–2021 was a pivotal time at USI as the team embraced new audit technologies. I had the good fortune of contributing to these innovations - debugging features, persuading skeptical managers to adopt tech early, and surviving endless "just one more change" requests from partners.
For my efforts, I received an award from the engagement manager for "exceptional contributions." (Translation: survived the busy season without becoming a spreadsheet zombie.)
Part 2: Growing in the Role
I was promoted to Audit Consultant. During this time, our Consumer Automotive team doubled in size - from 30 to 60 members - bringing both opportunities and the occasional logistical chaos.
I created training decks on the automotive industry and hosted monthly info sessions on technical accounting updates (PCAOB, SEC - you name it). I also joined the Consumer Leadership Advisory Council, where we worked to understand team challenges and design solutions to improve efficiency.
One highlight was leading a project to build a Microsoft Teams community for 1000+ Consumer practice professionals. This initiative standardized collaboration across industries and created repositories for audit technologies - an achievement that made me oddly proud of my PPT skills.
Along the way, I picked up multiple awards and consistently ranked in the top quartile of audit professionals at my level.
Part 3: Maturity
In 2022, I was fast-tracked to Audit Senior Consultant. Over the next three years, I led field audits for 25+ large private companies across the US, Japan, South Asia, and Australia. For the first time, I stepped beyond automotive to work with FMCG giants and global construction firms.
I became an IFRS audit specialist, accredited to work exclusively on private clients using IFRS Reporting Standards. One memorable moment was facing an internal quality inspection panel, defending my audit work, and walking away with no review notes. That felt..oddly cinematic.
But my proudest accomplishment? Becoming an educator. I joined Deloitte’s National Office for Facilitation Excellence, where i helped develop training curricula and facilitated technical accounting sessions to support audit professionals’ growth.
The Tipping Point and Graduation
In early 2024, I had a self-reflective moment when I received an email from the Group MD (see above!). It said my professional utilization stood at 249% for Q4. For perspective: client utilization targets are ~45 hours a week; I was clocking ~112 hours weekly - consistently.
That’s when it hit me: maybe it was time to stop trying to outwork the laws of physics. I was tired of catching both sunrise and sunset from the office window and thought maybe let's start catching them with grass under my feet for a change.
After years of relentless hard work, I realized this wasn’t just a resignation; it was a graduation. Deloitte had been my finishing school, transforming me from a bright-eyed graduate in 2019 into a polished global professional with enough formulae in my arsenal that my hands felt like they were invisibly conducting, like an opera maestro directing beautiful music, only my hands conducted into equally beautiful data dashboards. But like any graduation, it came with bittersweet feelings: gratitude for the people and experiences that shaped me, pride in the impact I made, and excitement for what lies ahead.
So in April 2025, I threw my metaphorical cap in the air and stepped out - not with dramatics, but with quiet confidence that it was time for the next "project".