I'm currently a senior associate in the Financial Advisory Services (FAS) practice of Deloitte & Touche in Atlanta.

Specifically, I support the Dispute Consulting, Forensic Investigations, and Reorganization Services business lines. As part of the growing team of about 40 Deloitte FAS professionals in Atlanta, I research, analyze, and calculate potential economic damages in legal disputes and fraud investigations, typically under the direction of a partner or senior manager.

Essentially, we provide the in-depth financial expertise and investigative skills that can be used by legal counsel to argue a case involving accounting for damages, or to help uncover fraudulent activity in a corporation. In light of the recent high-profile accounting scandals like Enron, companies are more eager than ever to implement antifraud measures and to prosecute the perpetrators. It's eye-opening to see the real-world applications of the ethics discussions we had in business school.

On first glance, this job sounds a bit more glamorous than it really is. I do spend a fair amount of time searching through archive records, making copies, and keying in data. The phrase "digging for a needle in a haystack" comes to mind. I think that you have to be patient and enjoy investigative work to succeed in this job. Even so, I've been asked to play the role of acting manager on a few of our smaller cases, which means that in addition to research and analysis, I also get to do the majority of the report writing and project management. I've really enjoyed this added responsibility.

TYPICAL DAY
7:30 a.m. -- It's a Monday morning, and I'm at work bright and early to get a jump on my week. My husband and I will be on vacation next week, and there's so much to get done before I go. My work is highly unpredictable, so I have a lot to finish before 10 new things end up on my plate by lunchtime. Today, I need to complete a set of summary schedules to share with our client regarding a royalty payment dispute. This is a very typical project for our practice.

9:00 a.m. -- I just finished the first of today's many informal update meetings. All of us juggle numerous projects at a time, sometimes each with a different manager, so this job definitely tests your time-management and teaming skills. This morning's meeting was about a case where we're investigating lost profits in a matter involving an international telecommunications company.

10:00 a.m. -- I just got a phone call from a partner in our Chicago office to discuss a lead on a new project here in Atlanta. I'm very excited about this opportunity because it's rare for someone at my level to bring new business into the firm. Our primary customers are litigation attorneys and corporate general counsel, so I managed to uncover this particular opportunity by having lunch with a friend of mine who's an attorney. Let's hope the networking pays off.

12:15 p.m. -- One of the nice aspects of our group is that most staff and managers go to lunch together almost every day, rather than falling into the habit of eating at our desks. We rarely, if ever, talk about work over lunch, so the time is a nice break in an otherwise hectic day. This is also indicative of the culture here. It's tough to achieve work-life balance when you work long hours and travel, so we're encouraged to take advantage of a little down time when we can.

On average, I work about 60 hours per week. On the other hand, there are also times when I have to work all night to meet a deadline. I've been lucky in that I haven't had to travel for work, but now that I've written these words I'm sure my luck will change. Most of the staff here travels about 50% of the time.

1:45 p.m. -- I'm headed to midtown to meet with the attorneys on the royalty case. I get to walk them through all of the steps of our analysis and our findings. The communications classes I took in business school certainly help in these situations, but I still find it hard to switch gears from digging in the details one minute to presenting a high-level overview the next.

7:15 p.m. -- I never really know what time I'll make it home, but I try to leave by 7:00 p.m. so I can have dinner with my husband and hear about his day, even if that means bringing work home. I really like the fact that my days fly by, and I'm never sitting at my desk looking for things to do. Every day is different, and I enjoy the challenges that come from working in this environment.

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