For the Dutch version, click here Who am I? My name is Sam Tushuizen, I am 23 years old and I live in Tilburg. Ever since I had management & organization at secondary school, I already knew: I want to become an accountant. By the time I had to choose a study, I considered going to Nyenrode immediately after high school and starting to work. In the end, I didn’t choose this and started my bachelor’s degree in Business Economics at Tilburg University in 2015. The accountancy courses we received confirmed my image that I would like to go into auditing. That is why I subsequently started to follow the master Accountancy, also at Tilburg University. I postponed the master’s thesis for six months, so I had relatively few lectures during the third and fourth block. I thought it would be a good idea to gain some work experience during my master’s. That’s when I first got in touch with my employer. That’s when I first came into contact with PwC, where I did a three-month internship. After the summer, I did another thesis internship, after which I officially started as an Associate at PwC in February 2020. Working at PwC PwC is one of the Big4 accountancy firms with 12 offices in the Netherlands. I’m in the Zuid business unit, which includes the Breda, Eindhoven and Maastricht offices. We audit a wide range of clients. They include large listed companies, educational institutions, manufacturing companies, family businesses and municipalities. When you start at PwC, you will initially be assigned the broadest possible client portfolio. This will give you the opportunity to gain experience with different types of clients first, and then to make a good choice as to which clients you like and which you don’t. “All my colleagues, from senior associate to manager and partner, are always there to coach you and help you if you don’t understand something and start picking up new posts.” One of the reasons I applied for a job at PwC was the fact that it is a Big4 firm. I think it’s important to develop within the accountancy profession at the start of your career. PwC fits in here by offering a diverse range of clients. By having different types of clients, the work remains diverse and challenging. In addition, as an Associate you will spend the first two years of your career in the Associate Academy, PwC’s internal training programme. Here you receive training on how to carry out certain tasks, hold discussions with clients, but also how to give feedback to your team members. The decisive factor was the atmosphere and the contact with the PwC employees that I experienced during the in-house day at A&F. During my master’s I took part in an in-house day which gave me the opportunity to experience what it’s like to be a PwC employee at a client’s location and to carry out the audit together with the team. Not only the work appealed to me, but also the atmosphere during the day. I still experience this when I’m working with the team at the client’s premises, in the office, or even virtually now: there’s always room for a chat. I can therefore recommend everyone to attend such a day. For me, it was the best way to experience what it’s like to work at PwC. My future at PwC It’s been almost 1.5 years since I started at PwC and I’m still learning something new every day. In the coming years, I want to continue to focus on my development as an accountant. Last September, I started the theoretical course (post-master accountancy) at Tilburg University to obtain my RA title. After this summer I will also start with the practical training, after which I hope to have my RA title in three years time. In the meantime I want to continue to challenge myself within PwC and the client portfolio that I have. PwC is a great place to work and develop yourself. All my colleagues, from senior associate to manager and partner, are always there to coach you and help you if you don’t understand something and start picking up new posts. Partly because of this, I’m still happy with my choice to work at PwC, and then I haven’t even experienced the free bibos, ski trip and Christmas drinks yet, because of Corona. Your future at PwC If you would like to know more about working at PwC, you can always send me a message via LinkedIn or email our recruiter Anil Kaplan (anil.kaplan@pwc.com).
Working at Van Oers
For the Dutch version, click here Who am I? Let me briefly introduce myself. My name is Edward van Dijk. I am 29 years old and live in Breda. In 2009 I chose to study Business Economics at Tilburg University. I found the versatility of the program an advantage, as it allowed me to choose many different directions. In the subsequent master’s, I decided to study Accountancy, but I also wanted to gain practical experience. I therefore chose to follow the master and post-master program at Nyenrode Business University. I hope to complete the final phase of the post-master program very soon! The packed lecture halls with often hundreds of fellow students remain to be a vivid memory for me. As will the 8-week study blocks, which in three years covered every imaginable subject within economics, business economics, and fiscal economics. This gave me a broad theoretical basis. Of course, I also found time for fun during my student years. My best memory of my time in Tilburg is the study trip to Brazil with 20 fellow students, organized by Asset. As one of the lucky ones, I had the opportunity to go to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo. These super cities made a big impression on me. I believe the study tour is still being organized and I highly recommend it! Van Oers Then along came van Oers. In mid 2019 I decided to transfer to the audit department of Van Oers in Breda. This is a well-known accounting firm in West Brabant, consisting of five offices. I felt at home immediately. Van Oers has a very professional look and feel, along with a personal approach. I immediately liked the approach to professionalism and the investment in the growth of (young) professionals, the most important parts of the audit field. In addition, the client portfolio really appealed to me. Van Oers serves both SME clients as well as large for-profit companies in a wide range of sectors, which is also nicely explained on the website. For my own development, I was looking for diversity in my client portfolio. In consultation with Van Oers I was offered diversity, which provides me with many challenges in my daily work. Working at Van Oers Van Oers currently has over 380 employees working in the various disciplines that Van Oers offers. In my department, I work with approximately 65 colleagues, a number that is still growing. In the field of Auditing & Assurance, our department is one of the largest in the region. The work as an auditor mainly consists of auditing financial statements of companies subject to audit. “Due to the good organization and the growth I am experiencing in my own development, I am still satisfied with the choice I made.” To make it concrete, it is best to explain how a regular day for me looks like. As a Senior Staff member, I manage the team members and report to the manager of the assignment. The assignments vary. I sometimes work with three colleagues together on a project, but I also have assignments with 8 colleagues. The work itself is diverse but can be roughly divided into interim and balance sheet audits. During the interim audits in autumn, we focus mainly on gaining insight into the company and testing the internal controls. During the balance sheet audit, we anticipate on the identified risk factors, by analyzing the figures and verifying the information presented in the financial statements. My own role consists of going over the tasks for each item or part of the audit with a Staff member, reviewing the work performed, performing the most complex tasks, and communicating the status and findings to the manager. The project is thus carried out together, in which each team member has his own share. Van Oers believes that involvement is extremely important. Informal activities are always announced with great enthusiasm. An example of a fun activity is the annual employee event, The Voice, which is a popular gathering among all Van Oers employees. In addition, my own Audit department often organizes activities for the entire team, such as a quiz or a (digital) escape room. Because Van Oers also considers quality to be extremely important, I often see my colleagues at seminars. In short, we work very hard. Due to the good organization and the growth I am experiencing in my own development, I am still satisfied with the choice I made. Corona I can’t help not to mention the COVID-19 crisis time at the time of writing this interview. I work mainly remotely, that is, at home at the dinner table. Van Oers has provided me with all the tools to work effectively remotely. This has been effortless. Daily phone calls, but especially switching with colleagues and customers via Microsoft Teams is my fixed daily rhythm. Because I currently work, eat and sit in one place for almost the entire working day, I almost always exercise for an hour after work. This, in turn, is a big advantage: no more travel time and therefore more flexibility! My advice I have always had a good sense of numbers. Economics, management & organization, and math were always my favorite subjects in high school. I must admit that I had a hard time making a choice in my studies. The choice for a somewhat broader preliminary education was for me a great outcome to discover several directions in the financial world. I soon discovered that I was most interested in the “behavior” of organizations. Why do organizations, and especially the people in these organizations, make the choices that lead to success? A company is more than numbers! The accountancy branch fits in nicely with this! My advice: First of all, I recommend that you enjoy your student life. Cliché, but this period flies by. Before you start your career, my advice is to get a better understanding of where your interests and ambitions lie. What is the ideal job for you and
Working at EY
For the Dutch version, click here What is it like to start working at an accountancy firm in a time in which everything is online and working from home is the standard? In this article, Daniek Veldhuis will tell about her experience as a first-year staff member at EY. Who am I? To begin, I will shortly tell something about myself. My name is Daniek Veldhuis, I am 22 years old and I live in Tilburg. After obtaining my VWO diploma in 2015, I decided to make the move to the student city Tilburg. From 2015 to 2018, I studied Business Economics and after completing this bachelor, I continued with the master Accountancy at Tilburg University. Next to my studies, I was a board member at the study association Asset | Accounting & Finance. As such, I got the change to organize network events together with my fellow board- and committee members. These network events were organized for, among others, several accountancy firms,. Due to this, I was able to get a good idea of the various Big-4 offices and eventually make an informed choice to apply for a job at EY. Why EY? You might wonder which factors contributed to my choice for EY. First of all, I quickly decided for myself that I wanted to start at one of the Big-4 offices. For the many possibilities, but also the international aspect appealed to me. Another factor that was important to me was a good match with my colleagues. The actual work at the different accountancy firms does not differ much, which makes the social aspect even more meaningful. Working at EY During my master, I first did a thesis internship at EY in Eindhoven. During such an internship, you will have the opportunity to write your thesis at the office. As such, you can already experience the ins and outs and the atmosphere on a normal working day at the office. My thesis internship started in February, but unfortunately we quickly had to work from home due to the COVID-19 crisis. Fortunately, fear that this would cause less contact with colleagues was not necessary. At the beginning, all thesis interns were assigned a buddy group and mentor and we had a weekly contact moment with this buddy group during the duration of the internship.. Despite the special circumstances, I enjoyed this time so much that I started at EY Eindhoven as a Staff Audit last September. The first two weeks consisted of an introduction period with all the other starters from the same region in which we covered different cases to prepare us for the work to come, but also several informal activities were organized to create a good relationship with my fellow starters. “The activities as a Staff Audit differ throughout the year, from testing internal controls to analyzing the figures in the annual report.” After the introduction weeks, it was time to really get to work. A big step, but you will be guided in this process as well as possible and in the case of any questions, you can always contact your personally assigned coach.. None of my colleagues will have exactly the same working day. This mainly depends on everyone’s client package. My client package consists of different types of clients, including one large client from the United States that I have been working on for most of the time so far. The activities as a Staff Audit differ throughout the year, from testing internal controls to analyzing the figures in the annual report. You work on this together with the team, at the EY office or at the clients site. This year, it has been different and I have spent most of the year working from home. This is very different from what I had imagined my first year at EY to be, but we all try to make the best of it. Where you would normally meet in a meeting room with your senior to discuss something, this is now all done via Teams. Furthermore, we now have virtual work sessions to re-create the feeling of a normal working environment. All team members will join the session, so we can also get an idea of what the other team members are working on. Besides all the hard work, there is, of course, also time for other fun activities. Unfortunately, this year, events like the Christmas drink or ski trip could not take place, but online activities are organized as much as possible, with the entire region or within the team you are working with that week. For example, two colleagues of mine organized a Carnival pub quiz for the entire team a few weeks ago. In short, my first year has been an eventful year so far and different than expected, but precisely because of the way EY has approach this situation, I am still happy with the choice I made.
Working at HLB Nederland
For the Dutch version, click here My name is Adisa Berberovic and I have been working at HLB Van Daal for 10 years, currently as External Accountant & IT-Auditor in our Audit department. How did I end up here and how did my dreams come about? I would like to tell you in this article! A few years ago I started my career in accountancy at one of the larger Big4 and Big5 offices. Here I had an instructive and challenging period and also laid a good technical foundation within the auditing practice. After a few years, I decided to switch to a SME+ office. One of the decisive factors for me was more flexibility, both in work/life balance and in the activities, plus the opportunity to gain experience with a wide variety of clients and to quickly get to the table with policymakers. This gave me the ultimate challenge. A broad portfolio and international companies offer many opportunities At the audit practice at HLB Van Daal, I had the opportunity to enter into discussions with a wide range of large and medium-sized companies, both in the Netherlands and internationally. Our broad portfolio brings me to companies in many different sectors, from the public sector to large SMEs and international companies. Through the use of broad expertise, personal attention, and quick contact with the ultimate policymakers, we get to know all aspects of the company to the core. In addition, we value stable team building and a long-term relationship with our audit clients, which enables us to personally see the company grow and develop over the years. “I am optimally supported in guarding a healthy balance and at the same time the realization of my goals.” HLB Van Daal is committed to personal development and drives HLB Van Daal devotes a great deal of attention to the development of personal ambitions and qualities. As a member of the audit team, I have discovered that I have an affinity with the developments in automation and digital transformation at our clients and the ever-increasing importance of data and data analysis in the accountant’s audit approach. This has not gone unnoticed and, in addition to the study accountancy, I have been given the opportunity to follow a master’s degree in IT auditing. HLB gives me enough room to realize this ambition. The combination of both studies, work, a social life, and my family was tough. From HLB this remained well under the attention and I am optimally supported in guarding a healthy balance and at the same time the realization of my goals. Since the completion of my studies, I have dedicated myself to the development and design of our IT audit practice. We are constantly working on this further development and professionalization. The IT audit and data analysis play a major role in this. I am currently responsible for the coordination, management of the IT audit department, and further strengthening of our audit practice in the form of a data analysis team. HLB Van Daal gives me every opportunity to build on the future.
Working at de Belastingdienst
Translation banner: This is Amanda, Trainee Accountancy at ‘de Belastingdienst’. She won’t just become an accountant, but a RA with fiscal knowledge. For the Dutch version, click here The first time I met with the Tax and Customs Administration (in Dutch: de Belastingdienst) as a potential future employer was at the Tax & Customs Museum in Rotterdam. I was with my fellow students of tax law on an excursion and the then General Director of the Tax and Customs Administration welcomed us with a chat. He did this so openly and enthusiastically; especially his passage about the training and development of employees sparked my interest. Working for the government had never come across my mind, but suddenly it was at the top of my list. Studying and working in accountancy I studied business administration and tax law, but I am also very good with numbers. Savings plans and budgets: leave that up to me. Afterwards, I soon discovered that you can do the dual track accountancy at the Tax and Customs Administration. In this trajectory you will develop yourself into a fiscal accountant within a few years. You will take internal courses at the Tax and Customs Administration Academy, follow a master’s and postmaster’s degree to become a chartered accountant at a University of your choice – which the Tax and Customs Administration will of course pay for you – and at the same time you will gain work experience. I’ve been on the road for over a year now, and I have already learned so much. Lessons from experienced specialists As a chartered accountant at the Tax and Customs Administration, you do not audit annual accounts, but tax declarations. So, I will not just become a regular accountant, but an accountant with a good dose of tax knowledge. This is why I consider my master’s degree in Accounting & Control at the VU to be just as important as the courses provided by the Tax and Customs Administration. From experienced accounting and control colleagues, I learn everything about control techniques, taking samples, recognizing fraud signals, and having conversations. Next to this, I also learn about the various means of taxation, such as income, turnover and corporate tax. “I don’t have a company car, but I do have a 36-hour week in which I work hard and get enough time to study. That’s worth a lot more than the material extras to me.” Doing practical internships You test the knowledge that you are taught directly in practice. In the dual track accountancy you will conduct three internships: one at the organizational unit, Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), and two at Large Enterprises. I have just completed my first internship at an SME. I went to check up on various companies, from a wholesaler that sells hair products to a remedial teaching agency. Knowing your theoretical material is important, but when you have the reality of such a company in front of you, and you enter into a conversation with the entrepreneur and/or advisor, the learning process really takes off from there. Lots of time to study For me, working for the Tax and Customs Administration brings a pleasant and safe working atmosphere. You can make mistakes and you can always contact your fellow students, internship supervisor or mentor. For the dual students there are also regular peer review meetings organized in which we can discuss everything we run into. In addition, I value the time I get to develop myself as a good working condition. I always say this: “I don’t have a company car, but I do have a 36-hour week in which I work hard and get enough time to study. That’s worth a lot more than the material extras to me.”
Working at PwC
For the Dutch version, click here My name is Steffie Nuijts, I am 23 years old and I live in Tilburg. Since September 2018 I have been working as an Associate Accountant at PwC, the same place where I have written my thesis before finishing my studies. Next to working I am also busy with the Post-Master Accountancy at Tilburg University. After receiving my VWO-diploma in 2014, I chose to study Business Economics in Tilburg. I went to live in a house with different students and became member of a student association. During that time, I was still unsure about what kind of job I wanted to do, the only thing I knew then was that I wanted to do something with business and that I was good with numbers. Despite the busy student life, my bachelor’s in business economics went well and after a semester abroad in Sydney the moment to choose a master’s degree came closer. I decided to attend different activities from A&F and EBT and got to learn more about the different topics to study and about different types of companies. I applied together with a friend for the PwC Women’s Event in Amsterdam and this was the first time I got acquainted with PwC and its culture.At the event we got to know the people who work there in accounting as well as the recruiters. I immediately got to know people who could tell me exactly what a job in Accountancy is like and what you can expect from it. I stayed in contact with one of the people I met at this event and in little time I applied for an internship opportunity to write my thesis at PwC in Eindhoven. ”I knew pretty fast that I wanted to work for a Big-4 accounting company, the reason for this is because you get the opportunity to learn a lot and also a lot of opportunity to keep growing within the company.” During my internship at PwC I got to know a lot of people who also started the same year at PwC as me. What really got my attention during my internship was the informal atmosphere at the office, I liked this a lot. Thus, I decided to work for PwC immediately after my internship. Why PwC? I knew pretty fast that I wanted to work for a Big-4 accounting company, the reason for this is because you get the opportunity to learn a lot and also a lot of opportunity to keep growing within the company. The reason why I chose for PwC was eventually based on my instincts. I matched with the people who I got to know during my internship. The atmosphere and the culture were exactly what I hoped to get for my future job. My first year at PwC In September 2018 I started as an Associate at the Assurance department at PwC in Eindhoven. You start immediately with an introduction during the first two weeks where you get to meet all the others who are also starting at the same time at PwC from your office as well as from other offices in the Netherlands. Besides learning a lot here, you also get to know your colleagues in an informal way really fast. These first two weeks are also the start of a so-called Associate Academy: a 2-year training program where you will develop yourself with the help from a coach, a lot of working experience, internal trainings and social events. After the somewhat scary stories about working at a Big-4 firm, my fears were especially focused on the fun stuff that I was going to miss forever from my time as being a student. Fortunately, the opposite was true. Of course, people work very hard now and then, but I still have enough time for my busy social life and there are a lot of fun activities organized by PwC. Last year I went on a ski trip with PwC and we often have activities, drinks or sport events together for the whole office and the Christmas party is always a fun activity. Furthermore, the bond that you create with the others in the Associate Academy really becomes a strong one. We often go for a drink after classes on Fridays and we also go out often after a busy period at the university or work. My tips for Students What I want to especially advise you all as students: orientate yourself broadly enough! Attend as many activities that are organized as possible and get to know the organizations that you meet well. Talk to the people who are already working there and ask them for their opinions. Lastly: follow your instincts!
