Graduate Profile - Economics and Accounting

Name: John Croydon
Degree Awarded (Majors if appropriate): Bachelor of Economics, Bachelor of Accounting (Post Grad)
Position Gained: Analyst
Organisation: Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
Commencement Date: 10 March 2003

Could you give us a description of what your position involves?

I currently work in Audit and Assurance, which makes my daily duties extremely varied. I can find myself out on stocktakes, to check that the amount of stock on hand is comparable to what has been recorded in the financials. The next day I could be analytically testing whether the provision for employee entitlements is reasonable. One of my other main duties is to meet with senior financial executives in order to analyse their entity’s controls etc and make recommendations on how they could improve their systems

What is a typical day like?

Busy. A typical day starts between 8.00am and 8.30am, normally at the client’s premises. From there I start looking at the areas of the organisation which I need to analyse for the day. I then begin by searching through source documents, or by interviewing employees to answer the questions I have about the various balances. This process often requires me to look at how the client does business, what their systems are and what their weaknesses are.

Why did you apply to Deloitte?

When I was originally faced with having to decide on my next step after University I had no idea, so I sought advice from mentors in the profession and university lecturers. They all advised that you get the best training at the large firms, and Deloitte has the best culture. I was lucky enough to be recruited by Deloitte and accepted into their scholarship program. This allowed me to have first hand exposure to the firm, prior to making my final decision. While at Deloitte I had exposure to other firms and found that Deloitte offered a good compromise between the mid tier firm people focus and the big firm depth of resources.

What do you see as your next career move? What pathways do you see as available to you?

At this point I thoroughly enjoy my job, and my next career move is to complete the CA (Chartered Accounting) program, which will take the next three years. At this point, I would then like to stay with Deloitte and continue along that career path. I would however like to get some international exposure with an overseas secondment through Deloitte once I have completed the CA program. I would make the comment though that with an audit/accounting background there are limitless opportunities for the future.

Have the skills you developed at university been an important part of your job? (Have you, or are you planning to undertake further study?)

University skills are very useful, especially the core technical abilities and learning to analyse problems. It is important, though, to also develop people skills through extra curricular activities, as without these I would not be able to utilise my technical abilities.

I am currently undertaking further study through the ICAA (Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia). I was hoping after 6 years at university that I had escaped the study for a little while, but it wasn’t to be.

After that I would probably like to do a Masters or PhD in Business Administration to broaden my knowledge base and skill set further.

With your experiences in securing employment what advice would you give to students who are in their first, second, and final year of study?

My advice would be to find out what you do best, and do that better than anyone else.

To the first and second years I would suggest getting as much advice as you can on the different areas of employment that accounting can take you into. Volunteer for as much work experience or scholarship opportunities as you can so that you can try different areas. Most importantly, take subjects that keep your options open, in particular, subjects that will give you an accounting major, as even most finance professionals have an accounting background.

For the third year students I would suggest working out what you want from a firm or company and finding which one can provide that to you. Then make your goal to attract that firm to you.

Many employers presenting employment information sessions have commented on the importance of students undertaking extra curricular activities during their time at university. Could you comment on this?

I think this is extremely important as often it is this area, and not purely grades, that separates candidates when it comes to employment.

Often extra curricular activities enhance people and communication skills, which are vital when dealing with clients, and people/communication skills is one of the first things that gets noticed during the interview process. It is also very hard to help or train people who don’t have those core communication skills.

It is not always easy to balance the pressures of Uni with other activities, but my advice is to try to do at least one extra thing every semester, whether it be a part-time job, sport or an interest group. You’ll be surprised what a difference it makes.

Can you briefly describe the application process relevant to your position?

I was actually employed through the "Deloitte Undergraduate Scholarship Program", which is a similar process to their graduate recruiting.

I applied in writing to Deloitte and submitted a copy of my CV. I was then interviewed by an Account Director and Manager, in a semi-informal round table discussion. The last step of the process was to attend a team exercise, where teams of 6-8 tried to complete various tasks. The day was concluded with a cocktail party, where I got to meet members of the Deloitte team from all levels. At the successful completion of this process I was offered a scholarship and I did work experience with the firm over the Christmas uni break.

What did you do to prepare for the interview? What questions were you asked?

My main preparation for the interview was to remind myself to stay calm. Interviews are very nerving experiences and I think that is expected.

I was asked what I would call "getting to know you questions". Some examples are "What are your strong points?", "What are your weaknesses?", "Who do you think is a good leader and why?", "What do you like doing?".

The whole process is aimed at getting to know you and I think if you treat it like that, and aren’t afraid in turn to ask any questions you may have, the process can be quite fun.

My number one piece of advice for interviews would be to be yourself.

Do you have any further helpful hints for graduates?

Have fun at Uni and enjoy the experience, even if it feels like hard work at times.