'Besides working with numbers, which I have always enjoyed, I also get to deal with the finance services sector, which I am also interested in.'
Sarah first started work with Ernst & Young in the tax practice area as a vacationer, working during the summer holiday after her second year at university. Sarah switched over to the audit financial services area when she started on a full-time basis. She has been in the job for six months and earns roughly $37 000 to $40 000. Before starting her career, Sarah took 18 months’ break from university and travelled overseas. While away, she worked as a waiter and bartender.
What do you do in your job?
At the start of a typical week I go over my emails and generally get organised before getting together with the rest of the team and heading over to a client’s offices. After introductions we are assigned tasks for the week. This will depend on the type of job and what we are testing or judging. We do this with the client’s help. Senior team members review the work I do and give advice, and then I go back over it. We should be finishing things off by the end of the week, which includes documenting everything we have done so anyone can pick it up and understand our work and processes.
What do you like best about your career?
You get really good exposure to a range of different industries, and with small and large companies. Besides working with numbers, which I have always enjoyed, I also get to deal with the finance services sector, which I am also interested in.
What is a particularly interesting project you have been involved with?
We audited National Australia Bank for the first time last year – it was a big job and I was a member of a big team. It was challenging and in my area of interest, it was also good to see the inside workings of a bank.
Does this job allow the work–life balance that suits you?
My standard hours are 8.30 am to 5.30 or 6 pm. While there are times we have to stay back a bit later, this gets balanced out. The company is very supportive of my need to study and understands that I have to go home and study.
What is the truth behind a common myth about the industry?
People think the industry is dominated by old people but here it is a very young team and everyone gets along. It is not boring at all.
What type of person best suits accounting?
You have to like to be challenged and to take on responsibility. You are expected to do things that you have never done before. You have to be able to try different things and be willing to learn and absorb as much as possible.
What is the best thing you can do for your career?
Developing networks is definitely important. Doing a vacationer program also gives you a taste of the real world and lets you choose your direction with more confidence. It doesn’t have to be with a big firm – any experience helps.
STUDENTS POINTERS AND TIPS
Twitter may be an entertaining way of keeping up-to-date with the latest news and gossip, but for job seekers it’s becoming an increasingly useful way of tapping into professional networks and job opportunities. If you learn how to use it effectively, you just may be able to tweet yourself into a job!
Set up a professional Twitter profile
The first step on your professional Twitter journey is to set up an appropriate Twitter profile. Choose a professional-looking profile picture or avatar and a username that matches your other online usernames, such as on LinkedIn or your blog (if you have one) so your online presence is consistent.
It’s important to fill out a complete profile so people know who you are and why it would be worthwhile following you. You may want to include a brief job pitch in your bio and link to your online resume in it.
You can also add to the lustre of your professional image by creating a professional-looking, customised Twitter background. This allows you to personalise your profile and add additional information, while enhancing and reinforcing your brand.
You can create a customised background where you can choose your own colours and format, and add additional information that isn’t included in your Twitter profile, such as your website and other details. There are numerous sites that will help you to set this up, such as MyTweetSpace, TwitterBacks, TweetStyle, TwitBacks, TwitterGallery, Twitpaper and Twitterimage.
Build a relevant network
Twitter, like other forms of social media, is all about connections. You need to develop a network of relevant contacts that will include both personal and professional acquaintances. You should also follow industry leaders and professionals, thought leaders, and companies that interest you. Look for public lists that are related to your field or industry to find appropriate professionals and organisations to follow, as well as common interest and professional interest groups.
You can use the Twitter search function, Twellow (a directory of public Twitter accounts with hundreds of categories and search features to help you find people relevant to your profession and interests) and TwitDir, a directory of Twitter users that allows you to search by different attributes, including favourites and top 100 posters.
Remember to get your Twitter username out there as much as you can – add it under your name in emails, personal messages on other social networks and blog posts. Add a ‘follow me on Twitter’ signature to your email accounts.
It’s important to let your networks and interactions grow organically. Once you develop a core network and get the Twitter ball rolling it tends to gain momentum, and people you follow will often start following you back.
Interact with your network
Perhaps the most important step is to interact and stay active with your network. Twitter is an incredibly fast and dynamic medium, and if you’re too quiet you’ll simply get lost in the Twittersphere.
The way you interact with your network will determine what you get out of Twitter. The more dialogue and interaction you create, the better. Share information and promote others instead of just yourself.
You can tweet or re-tweet interesting articles, start a conversation with someone in your field, ask a question, respond to someone else’s comment or mention someone by name by using the @ symbol followed by their username. Chat with other industry professionals, recruiters and current employees about your industry, and join Twitter forums for your profession. Stay in the loop so you know what’s going on and will hear about possible job openings.
Try to be consistent in how often you tweet. Engage with others and be responsive, but don’t push yourself onto others or their discussions.
Once you’ve made a good connection with someone it would be helpful to talk to, if it seems appropriate you can take it offline and arrange a face-to-face meeting.
Add value and demonstrate your expertise
By engaging with your network in this interactive and mutually beneficial way, you will add value to your followers and whatever conversations you join, and at the same time establish your credibility.
It’s important to write posts that show insight and demonstrate your expertise, but tread a fine line because too much self-promotion will turn off your audience. Concentrate more on producing interesting content and sharing information, and this will naturally attract attention – including that of prospective employers. Just remember that every tweet contributes to your online persona and personal branding, so you want to portray yourself as a knowledgeable professional with worthwhile thoughts and ideas.
How to look for a job on Twitter
There are a number of direct ways to use Twitter when looking for a job. The first and most obvious thing to do is tweet about your job search so your contacts know you’re looking – you never know who might have a job opening.
Use hashtags to look for job openings as well as general job search advice. For example, look up #jobs, #recruiting, #jobsearch or #jobadvice, and search for specific jobs such as #salesjobs, #prjobs or #mediajobs. You can also search in a specific location, such as #jobs_Sydney or #JobsnAdelaide.
If you know which companies you want to work for, check out their Twitter accounts to see if they’ve listed any job openings. Reading their bios and their tweets will also give you a good idea of their corporate culture and help you decide if they’re a company you’d like to work for. Many recruitment companies also list jobs on Twitter or you can contact them directly by sending them a Twitter message.
Industry conferences are another good idea – get active with other attendees on Twitter and seek out local associations or industry meetings.
Chat with others about your job search on forums like #jobhuntchat, #careerchat or #hirefriday. Anyone can join the discussion and you’ll learn a lot from sharing with other job seekers as well as recruiters, resume writers, HR
pros, students and working professionals.You can also follow us on Twitter to receive regular updates and article links.
Divisional Discussion Groups Access
JOIN YOUR LOCAL DISCUSSION GROUP TODAY!
Discussion Groups are held regularly throughout Australia to facilitate discussion on key issues affecting IPA members. Attendance at these discussion groups will provide networking opportunities and insight into the real-world of accounting. We encourage students to get involved with the IPA discussion group programs, be proactive and in touch with the issued affecting the accounting environment.
Student Membership 2011
PROGRESSION FROM EDUCATION TO YOUR CAREER WITH THE IPA
We understand every student in every field as different aspirations, motivations and requirements. We’re developed a new Student Membership service which is now free for all to join.
There is one level of student membership with the Institute of Public Accountants. All Student Members are eligible to apply for full membership at time of conception of an Advanced Diploma in Accounting or University Degree in Accounting.
As a recent graduated student members will enjoy a number of unique benefits when you join as an Associate member within 6 months of Graduation:
· You will be eligible to receive the reduced Graduate Associate Fee (GAF) rate for the fist five years of your Associate membership an
· The Application fee, ‘Nomination fee of $140’ will also be waived This represents a saving of in excess of $1000.00 over the first five years of you NIA membership!
Have a read of the new student brochure attached and reward yourself with IPA Students REAL BENEFITS!
