What's your employer doing and what are your areas of responsibility?
SW Accountants and Advisors specialises in accounting, audit and financial services and my area of responsibility lies in the tax accounting team. My job entails preparing and resolving tax-related affairs for our clients including preparing and lodging tax returns, and financial statements and contacting the ATO or ASIC on behalf of a client to help them solve their tax-related issues and meet their tax obligations. Everyone who lives in Australia or runs a business within Australia needs to pay taxes to the government. My job is to help our client correctly fulfil their tax obligation and help them with any issues that they might have. We help to navigate the complicated rules and regulations of tax and accounting to achieve shared success.
Background
I grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney in the Black City Council district. Throughout university, I was studying for a double degree in Medical Science and Business. After a couple of years of studying, I realised that I was much more passionate about Business and in particular, accounting and decided to pursue that as my career instead of pursuing the Medical Science field. Starting at SW has further increased my passion for accounting and has helped me develop my career through study and experience. My studies involved completing CTA 1 and am currently studying CA. I got my current job through an online application for a graduate role followed by a series of interviews and meetings with the firm. I have been working at this job for 10 months.
Firm work culture and environment
SW have numerous perks, we have a hybrid working style to suit your lifestyle, study support, and free lunches to name a few. I have alparticipated in of several events such as several trips to Melbourne for inductions and learning experiences, a Tax retreat in Melbourne, trivia nights, inter-company sports events, Christmas and end-of-financial year parties, and more. SW has a great workplace culture where everyone in the firm helps to support and teach others whenever possible. Everyone is friendly and is willing to take the time to get to know one another. SW offers a wide range of support to its employees to ensure that every employee is valued.
Interesting and challenging aspects of work
What I love most about my job is that I can see how my work can truly affect clients and help them when we can achieve a desired outcome for them. Even through hard times, knowing that I am constantly learning to help others through my work is very fulfilling. One of my biggest challenges so far has been adapting to studying while also doing full-time work. Meeting deadlines for work and for studying CA can be exhausting at times and is a real challenge I am still trying to overcome. However, SW does provide study support to help me through my journey.
Advice for someone applying to SW? Qualities set someone apart in the field?
A quality that sets someone apart would be curiosity and to ask questions. My advice would be to continue to ask questions. At SW, everyone is more than happy to teach others and share their knowledge, so being someone who asks a lot of questions is valuable to gain knowledge in the field from as many experts as possible.
3 Pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student?