What's your job about?
BDO is an accounting firm that provided tax, accountancy, advisory and assurance services to clients all over NZ. I work as part of the Audit team which provides Audit and Assurance services to clients in various industries. My role as an auditor is to assess financial records provided by clients to ensure that they are materially accurate and presented in line with accounting standards. There is so much more to the role but this is a brief summary of what I do. This looks different on a daily basis. Sometimes I work from the office and other days we go out to the client’s office and interact with them through the process of the audit.
What's your background?
I grew up in Harare, Zimbabwe and I relocated to New Zealand for my university studies. I actually did not know much about New Zealand when I decided to move here but I just did not know anyone else who had been here before and wanted to try something new. I have always been an adventurous person that is willing to try new things. I relocated to Dunedin in the South Island and commenced my degree at the University of Otago where I graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Finance and Accounting. In my last semester of studying, I applied for various graduate accounting positions and BDO was one of the first companies I applied to. The team was very supportive throughout the interview process. To me that reflected a good company culture, and I knew that I wanted to be part of a team like that. I got offered the position and I have been at BDO for just over a year now.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
I think a person with a different background would definitely be able to do what I do. The audit team at BDO is actually made up of people with a range of different backgrounds which means that I am exposed to different perspectives. This has been really good for my learning and my growth. I think to thrive in the role one has to be willing to be continuously learning, enjoy problem solving and teamwork. Most audit works are done in teams of 2 to 7, so teamwork is quite important in the role.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
I think the coolest thing about my job is interacting with clients from different industries. As stated before, most times you get to work from the client’s office and interact with them through the process of the audit. I have found this part of my job the most enjoyable as I get to have conversations with people from different backgrounds and get exposed to different perspectives all the time. I have learnt a lot from these interactions, and I have also gotten insight into how different companies operate. I also enjoy and appreciate the constant learning that comes with the role.
What are the limitations of your job?
I think a limitation to auditing if I must pick one would be the travel and the somewhat lack of a set routine. As mentioned before in the role some days you work from the BDO office and other days you work from different clients’ offices, and this changes week on week. If you are someone that thrives by having a set routine and doing the same thing all the time you might not enjoy this part of the job.
3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...
I think pieces of advice I would give to myself are