I was fired from Deloitte after 18 months. Here are the mistakes I made as a new grad.

• Eddy Gramajo landed a job at Deloitte as a low-income, first-generation college graduate.
• At Deloitte, he was too focused on grasping corporate culture rather than his actual work.
• Gramajo was fired after 1.5 years but has since built a successful accounting career in tech.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Eddy Gramajo, a 32-year-old accountant based in San Diego. Business Insider has verified his employment history and salary details. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I wasn't a great student in high school — I had a 2.4 GPA. Even my guidance counselor told me that community college would probably be my best option.