What are some details about your current position?

Currently, I’m an intermediate accountant in William Buck Adelaide’s superannuation division. In our division, the biggest part of our job is preparing financial statements and tax returns for our clients' self-managed superannuation funds. We also do other work for them, such as preparing activity statements, preparing member balances for pensions, administering pensions, and many other various tasks that help our clients run their self-managed super funds smoothly. I have always found that I have had great work life balance in my position – this has given me the opportunity to keep up with lots of the things I like to do outside of work, such as running, pilates, socializing with friends and family, playing netball, and reading. 

What's your background?

I grew up in Adelaide and went to Sacred Heart College. Once I graduated from there, I started a double degree of law and psychological science. I realized soon that law wasn’t for me, and transferred to a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in accounting and corporate finance. This decision was mostly influenced by the fact that I always enjoyed math in school and also my dad was an accountant, who has a very similar personality to me.

Between these two degrees, I took 6 months off to allow myself to breathe after finishing high school, so I could make sure I was sure about the degree I was going into; it must have paid off because I really enjoyed commerce, which I studied at the University of Adelaide. I was very lucky to begin at William Buck in the undergraduate program just before I started university. I found this really beneficial, as it helped me to realize how much I enjoyed working at an accounting firm, and helped solidify in my mind that I was on the right path. 

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Absolutely! Although an understanding of accounting is very important, when I started in my role, I had no prior experience in the accounting world or even the corporate world in general. If someone is interested in the field and is eager to learn, the job is accessible to anyone who is interested in getting into the accounting field and superannuation (particularly self-managed superannuation), which I have found to be a very interesting specialty to learn about and develop a deeper understanding of. 

What are the best parts about your job?

At William Buck, I have had the opportunity to work on a large range of clients, all of them different. No self-managed super fund is the same, and each comes with its own unique qualities and challenges that need overcoming. Because of this, I am never bored at work and I am always learning, which I love.

What are the limitations of your job?

Superannuation is a highly legislated environment to have money in and self-managed superannuation can be particularly complicated. Because of this, some clients in particularly tricky situations can provide a bigger challenge to people without an understanding of accounting and superannuation legislation, which I found challenging when I started. I was lucky though, to have a great team around me of experienced professionals who helped me overcome these challenges and were very patient with me while I was learning.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

• Firstly, enjoy university! My degree flew by so much quicker than I thought it would, so don’t rush your way through it. University is a marathon, not a sprint, and it can be really fun if you approach it right. There are so many opportunities to socialize and have fun at university; it doesn’t have to be all about classes, assignments, and exams, so make the most of all the other opportunities while you are there.
• This leads me on to my second point, which is don’t put too much pressure on yourself. I have always been really highly strung and put so much pressure on myself to get perfect grades and be the perfect student while I was at university. While university is obviously important, a distinction instead of a high distinction on your transcript won’t cost you a job. Neither will a credit nor a pass. Treat classes where you might not do very well as a learning opportunity, rather than a failure. At the end of the day, your time at university is only a tiny portion of your career. You have plenty of opportunity to succeed after university.
• Lastly, have fun! You’re only young once and while your career is important, it’s not the be all and end all of life. Make sure you enjoy yourself while you’re at it.