A 25-year-old Miami-born actuarial analyst was “ecstatic” to start working at Deloitte. But Cierra Desmaratti was terminated from the company after working there for one year. She found it difficult to blend in with the fast-paced hustling culture of one of the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms and felt more at home wearing more modest T.J. Maxx ensembles than her peers’ luxury wardrobes. After her dismissal, Desmaratti went back to live with her family and searched for a new job for two months. This gave her sufficient time to contemplate her work for the UK-based company.
Desmaratti, who was employed at Deloitte for a year, earned an annual salary of $90,000 (approximately ₹76 lakh) before being laid off. Initially, the news of her layoff came as a shock, leaving her overwhelmed by financial concerns. However, over time, her perspective on the situation shifted, and she now views the incident in a more positive light.
“I felt anything but normal at Deloitte,” she told Business Insider. “Then I got laid off. It was a dark time, but it ultimately made me realise what I deserve from my career,” Desmaratti added.
Desmaratti felt from the start that she didn’t fit in at Deloitte. When she joined the company in September 2022, along with 80-90 other new hires, she “immediately out of place”. Her colleagues were dressed in sharp suits and designer clothes, making her feel disconnected.
As the workload intensified, Desmaratti found herself working 11-hour days. This demanding schedule took a toll on her physical health; she gained 9 kg and felt increasingly unwell. Despite her hard work, during her performance review, her coach pointed out that she lacked efficiency. This feedback came as a surprise to her, as she hadn’t received any complaints about her performance prior to this.
“I felt frustrated knowing I could’ve made changes sooner if given that feedback,” Desmaratti said.
Determined to improve her performance, Desmaratti decided to put in extra effort. However, her commitment was abruptly cut short when she received a call from HR one day informing her that she was being terminated. Despite her attempts to excel and her hard work, her tenure at Deloitte ended unexpectedly. “I didn’t love my job, but my $90,000 (Rs 76 lakh) salary was my means of survival. I had two weeks’ severance and a bit of money in savings, but I had no other job prospects,” Desmaratti told Business Insider.
“I cried myself to sleep that night and spent the next day frantically trying to log out of all the programs on my work computer.”
After being fired, Desmaratti did not live alone, moved to a family house, searched for the job for two months, and had some time to think about working experience at Deloitte. She discovered that she wanted a balance between work and personal life as well as a fresh environment.
When Desmaratti secured a remote actuarial analyst position in Transamerica, she relocated to Miami. At Transamerica, the company environment that Desmaratti experienced was quite the opposite of what she experienced at Deloitte.
She discovered that her superiors were supportive of her keeping work-related stress separate from her personal life. This allowed her to have more time for other activities and to show love and affection to her partner.
Initially, Desmaratti was upset about being laid off, but she now sees it as one of the best things that could have happened to her. It led to a crucial realisation: she has the power to choose the lifestyle she wants and to shape the career she deserves.
“I feel like I’ve finally come alive,” she said.
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