Can you introduce yourself? My name is Thomas Oomen, 25 years old and originally from Breda. Currently, I’ve been working as Assistant Accountant at Van Oers in the Audit department for over 2,5 years. Van Oers is a large regional firm with 5 branches in West-Brabant, with about 300 employees and is targeted at the SME sector. Other than work and studying I enjoy occasionally drinking a specialty beer with friends and closely follow football. During my high school career, I was most interested in subjects like M&O and Economics, and discovered quickly I would like to do something in Economics. More specifically, the numerical aspect was the most appealing to me at the time. After graduating with a VWO diploma I started my bachelor in Business Economics in 2011 at Tilburg University. During the bachelor I had affinity with subjects in the field of accountancy and after graduating in Business Economics I continued with a Master in Accountancy, also at Tilburg University. Currently I am in the concluding phase of the Post-Master Accountancy. How did you end up at Van Oers? During the third year of the bachelor Business Economics and the master Accountancy I came in contact with multiple Accountancy firms, particularly Big4 firms. After a couple of conversations during, for example, workshops at the university, I didn’t feel like I had a good connection with any of the companies. Therefore, I continued looking in the Breda region and after a short search, a phone call, and a couple interviews I ended up at Van Oers. Ultimately, I chose a smaller regional accountancy firm, since these are more compact in size. Because of that, there are shorter lines of communication and I experience it as a more personal and more informal environment. Also, firms like these are more focused on the SME sector. Organizations in the SME sector are smaller in size than listed companies, so it’s easier to get a clear view of the whole organization and administration. “At Van Oers there is an informal, open and personal environment and I can describe Van Oers as a Burgundian organization.” What are your duties at Van Oers? Working at Van Oers is very diverse. Van Oers is mostly focused on for-profit clients in various sectors, like production, trade and service companies in, for example, transport and logistics, construction and agricultural industry. Because organizations in the SME sector are limited in size, we deal with a lot of different types of companies. This results in a lot of variety: one week a production company, the next a service-oriented company with completely different characteristics and concerns. The activities are conducted in varying teams, tailored to the client. The team consists of a group of colleagues coming from different hierarchical levels and together they perform the audit procedures. As a starter, the learning curve in the first period is almost vertical, and there is a lot to learn from more experienced colleagues. Working in an accounting firm comes with a lot of responsibilities, which requires high involvement from the employee. Besides the Audit department, Van Oers has, among others, a payment-, fiscal-, and consultancy department. Because employees work together in an informal way, it’s easy to gather advice from colleagues if something more complicated comes up during the audit. This ensures that next to development in the area of auditing, employees also gather basic knowledge in, for example, the fiscal area. How would you describe Van Oers? At Van Oers there is an informal, open and personal environment and I can describe Van Oers as a Burgundian organization. Every team member gets their own responsibilities within an assignment, depending on his or her position. This supports personal development, which prepares you swiftly for the next step in your career. In addition, it ensures a high level of involvement from colleagues in the assignment. Besides development on the practical level, Van Oers emphasizes development in the theoretical area. Practically all colleagues in the Audit department are currently enrolled in either the pre-master, master or post-master to become a register accountant. What are your ambitions? My ambition is to become a register accountant. Until then I want to develop myself as much as possible, which is certainly possible at Van Oers. Development is possible in both the professional and personal sense. Van Oers offers, besides professional training and gatherings, an internal educational path on a personal level, like behavior and management. Often this takes place with colleagues from other departments. Do you have any advice for students? I would like to advise students to look at the full picture and to learn more about the company you want to work for. Think about the type of clients you enjoy working with, what work environment and culture suits you and ask for the experiences of people working there. After all, you spend a significant part of your week at the job with your colleagues. Make sure that you have the right connection with your future employer.
Working at Crowe Horwath Foederer
Kim Vos (24) is employed as a senior within the audit practice of CHF. Kim is currently following the Post-Master Accountancy (PMA) at Tilburg University. Kim has already been working for quite some time in the audit practice of CHF and has several clients in the profit sector. As a senior Kim is responsible for the execution of audit activities. Roel van den Berg RA (32) is employed as a manager within the audit practice of CHF and as of 2014 he is also employed as a professor at Tilburg University. Roel has national and international operating clients in large firms as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and in the non-profit sector. CHF is a rapidly growing company, is nearly employing 450 people and is among the top 15 accountancy firms in the Netherlands. CHF has a nationwide network of offices and is a member of Crowe Horwath International; the eighth largest network in the world with more than 31,000 employees in 125 countries! Why CHF? Kim: “As a student I did several internships at different accountancy firms. That is how I came in contact with CHF. Eventually, I was able to paint a clear picture of the work of an auditor and I made the well-considered choice to work for CHF. What really appealed to me was the casual atmosphere and the multidisciplinary approach at CHF.” “There is not only an informal atmosphere but also a high level of guidance and there is always someone available with whom I can brainstorm with.” Roel: “After finishing my HBO I started my career at EY in the practice of international audit. During my time there I acquired a lot of experience and knowledge. Altogether a decision I will never regret. However, at the time, as a result of the change of course within the ‘big four’ in general and EY in particular (focusing almost exclusively on large companies), I continued to pursue my career at a medium-sized accountancy office. Almost two years ago I made the transition to CHF together with a number of other colleagues from EY. I made my definitive choice for CHF because of their strategy, the innovative ability, the substance, the international connection and the fact that they are solution-oriented. There are all characteristics through which a traditional SME office can anticipate on the ‘market vacuum’ that is currently being drawn by the ‘big four.’ This is an aspect of CHF of which I am a part that is very worthwhile.” Why is accountancy fun and what are the possibilities within CHF? Kim: “My clients consist of a good mix of different branches, which makes my work very challenging and diverse. Moreover, I spend the biggest part of my time with clients along with my audit team. Besides auditors, the teams consist of a taxation specialist and an IT auditor as well. Furthermore, the manager and partner at CHF are also contributing to the work being done at CHF which I find really appealing. Because of this there is not only an informal atmosphere but also a high level of guidance and there is always someone available with whom I can brainstorm with. Simultaneously I am getting a lot of responsibilities and I am involved in (almost) every case. As a result I have already learned a fair bit in my early career.” Roel: “I completely agree with Kim; there is not really much of a hierarchy, this is something what really appeals to me. Working with young but very driven team members is one of the enjoyable aspects of our profession. Just recently we gave our audit practice a boost by hiring a couple of young and passionate employees. This is something that really energizes me. “At the moment we invest a lot in the evolution of an advanced data-driven total solution.” Personal and professional development is considered to be of great importance within CHF. Because of this, CHF has a professional programme which offers employees to follow numerous of external as well as internal practice orientated courses on all sort of levels to develop their skills. So it is up to you at what pace and in which direction your career develops.” The audit practice and the part of data analysis Roel: “The last period a lot happened in our profession but in the upcoming period there are many things bound to happen. Our profession is in motion, is in development as you might say. An important aspect of that development is data analysis. From the first day I started working at CHF, I was involved in the implementation of data analysis in the audit practice.” Kim: “In the meantime our audit approach is mostly based on data analysis and luckily this subject is getting more and more attention in education. In practice, data analysis means that we make connections between data and identify exceptional transactions based on the data we get from IT-systems. By examining the background of these transactions, we are not only capable to make a statement about the correctness of the annual statement (a traditional task of the auditor) but we also incite our customers and furthermore we contribute to the optimization of their processes. Exceptions often indicate a break-through of the prescribed process. This approach which I have seen a couple of times in actual practice has led to successes a number of times. In addition, focusing on exceptions helps to minimize unnecessary and time-consuming sampling, making inspections not only more efficient but also more fun as well!” Roel: “At the moment we invest a lot in the evolution of an advanced data-driven total solution. This means, just like Kim said, that our work has not only changed in regards to the content it also had direct implications on the schedule as well. After all the distinction between the interim and an end-year control will disappear. This also means that future auditors will have to meet different standards. In my opinion, analytical abilities and communicative skills are
Working at Wesselman Accountants | Adviseurs
Where are you from and what is your study background? I was born in Veldhoven, but I grew up in Eindhoven. After obtaining my vwo-diploma I went to study at Tilburg University, where I graduated in Business Economics BSc. and Accountancy MSc. Currently, I am still studying at Tilburg University in order to graduate for my Post-master degree in Accountancy. This means that I am working four days in the week and attend lectures on Friday. Why did you choose for Wesselman? How did you get in touch with them? During my study, I visited multiple in-house days from different accounting firms, like the Big Four and mid-sized companies. It became clear to me that a mid-sized accounting firm fits me better and I got in touch with Wesselman. Wesselman offered me what I was looking for: a high degree of professionality in combination with a warm and personal approach, eye for development and lots of job satisfaction. What do you like the most from working at Wesselman? There are a several aspects I like from being a part of- and working for Wesselman. “First of all, you get a unique look inside and behind the scenes of companies. What is their strategy? How do they control their company? What is their staff policy?” Every company is different and has its own characteristics. At the same time, you are having conversations with the CEOs and CFOs and you get to know everything about their vision and goals. Second, I like the variety in the work I do and the variety of the teams and clients I am working with. Next to the audit of a company’s annual figures, I perform limited reviews and compile financial statements. Furthermore the client portfolio contains numerous clients from a wide variety of branches and sizes. Since this all takes place within a warm and personal environment and conditions that allow for a decent work/life-balance, everyday it is a pleasure for me to work at Wesselman. How are the primary and secondary working conditions at Wesselman? Working at Wesselman is a good step for motivated and ambitious professionals. Wesselman constantly invests in talent, knowledge and the learning of her employees. You are offered multiple internal trainings, both on technical and personal aspects, and get a personal mentor who will assist and help you with all of your questions. Furthermore, Wesselman offers a good and market-oriented salary, pays your study and provides you with your own laptop. If you make it to Senior Assistant Accountant (usually within two to three years) you will be offered a lease car and a business phone at your disposal. What are the opportunities at Wesselman for graduates? Just as me several years ago, every year new graduates start their career at Wesselman. At this moment we are still looking for new and motivated colleagues. So, if you are interested in my story and in working for Wesselman Accountants, please don not hesitate to take a look at our website. Perhaps I will see you soon at Wesselman! – This article is translated by an editor of Faces Online
Working at PwC
I am Anneloe van de Wijdeven, 23 years old and a Tilburg University Accountancy student. I started my bachelor studies Business Economics in 2012 and am currently finishing my Accountancy master’s. I am writing my thesis at PwC Eindhoven. During my studies, I have been an active member at study association Asset | Accounting & Finance and at student hockey association SHOT, where I was a board member for a full year. Besides, I studied in Madrid for one semester. As a second-year student, I visited several activities from different accounting firms, which all provided me the opportunity to get to know the profession and atmosphere at each of these firms. Through these experiences I knew for sure: I am numerically-minded, looking for a challenge and I get energized from people around me: accountancy it is! How did you get to work for PwC? After my exchange in Madrid I started orientating on the accounting profession. Through activities from Asset | Accounting & Finance, like in-house days, network drinks and workshops at the university, I had conversations with representatives of both Big Four firms and SME-oriented auditing firms. I spoke to employers and recruiters from different organizations. I directly felt connected with PwC: attention to your character and interests are their first priority. During the application procedure, they will dive deeper into your motivation for the accounting profession at PwC and will discuss your cognitive abilities. I noticed that not everyone has to comply to one certain profile: diversity leads to bonding. What does your internship at PwC look like? On my first day at PwC, I was shown around and introduced to other thesis interns and my future colleagues. I also got a coach assigned who helps me with thesis related questions, work within PwC and opportunities to perform audit work at clients during my internship. This is however not obliged, but I highly recommend it. It was my first encounter with the accountancy profession in practice. During my thesis internship, they involved me in all informal activities, like the Christmas party and drinks. This year I am also joining the ski trip. Furthermore, I have chosen to extend my internship into a two month temporary employment with the audit practices for two months to learn even more. What are you up to next? I will kick-start my career in PwC’s The Associate Academy, the leading accountancy traineeship that offers you the opportunity to have clients in all sectors, upcoming september. The high expectations that I have, have influenced my choice for PwC. The prospect of gaining experience in young teams, alternation in different market sectors and personal coaching makes me really enthusiastic. Through my colleagues I have learned more about the practical content of the work, the constant training through development days, but also organized outing and already build a network at PwC. My ambition is to achieve the RA-title. I will therefore proceed my education through a post-master starting in september. Besides, I attended a recruitment event during my thesis internship and noticed that I like to carry forward my enthusiasm to others. That’s why representing PwC at recruitment events and coaching of new colleagues seems interesting to me. The upcoming years I hope to be able to orient myself further on the accountancy profession and shape a clear image of my (specific) ambitions in the working life. Do you have any advice for your fellow students? I would like to advice to students who are still orientating on their future to consider a broad range of activities next to their studies, to create a social network and discover what is specifically of their interest. Joining a student of study association can bring you many opportunities like getting in touch with different firms. The perfect answer to the question for which firm you should choose? Find a firm you feel connected to. You perform best in a pleasant and inspiring environment! – This article is translated by an editor of Faces Online
Working at Deloitte
Our names are Tim Langewisch and Bolot Ebbing. We are 24 and 22 years old and we are both almost finishing our Master Accountancy in Tilburg. Next to that, the two of us are going to work at Deloitte Audit, starting from September 2017. As any student knows, choosing your path regarding your study and finding the right first employer are not easy tasks. In this article we will write about our choice for the audit profession, our current employer Deloitte, and how we got where we are now. Where do you know each other from? Tim: We met at Study Association Asset | Accounting & Finance, of which we had both been active members. Next to studying, I also wanted to acquire other skills, such as soft skills that you can’t learn by reading a book. For that reason and because my interests were focused on accountancy, I decided to become an active member at the study association. I have even been a board member at Asset | Accounting & Finance for a year. Bolot: I also wanted to participate in activities besides just studying and I had heard from my friends that becoming an active member at Asset | Accounting & Finance was a great way to do that. During your time as students, you both came into contact with Deloitte. What were your main reasons for choosing this accounting firm? Bolot: I met people from Deloitte at an Inhouse-day. We had to solve a case about the Efteling, after which we had dinner in the center of Eindhoven. With these ‘Deloitters’ I was able to talk about working at the firm, as well as about many other topics. I really had a wonderful day, and I immediately felt a warm connection with Deloitte. Tim: During my time as a board member, I’ve often had to contact Deloitte. We hosted many events with Big 4 companies, but the people from Deloitte were the ones I liked best. Next to that, a few friends of mine already started working at Deloitte, which made my choice a little easier. The two of you are in a relationship right now. Did you deliberately choose to work at different offices? Bolot: I’m from Breda, and I really wanted to return to that city after my graduation. Therefore it was an easy decision for me. Tim: My ambition was to work at Deloitte Core Audit. That is the department that audits the large multinationals and publicly traded companies. Those departments are located in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Eindhoven. Personally, I enjoy the Brabant-life. That’s why I decided to work at Deloitte Eindhoven. So it wasn’t really a deliberate decision not to work at the same office. Nonetheless, I think it’s for the best that we’ll both work at different locations. “The thesis-internship is a great way to get to know your future colleagues and to get a feeling about what the atmosphere is like at Deloitte” What are your experiences considering working at Deloitte so far, and do you think it is valuable? Bolot: The past half year I was a working student at Deloitte. It has been an amazing experience! I recommend anyone to do it as well. You’ll get to know so many different companies. Clients I enjoyed working with the most were Fokker Elmo and BrabantWater. Fokker Elmo makes wiring for Boeings and Airbuses, whereas BrabantWater makes sure we have clean drinking water every day. It’s a good way to get to know the systems and the way of working at Deloitte. I’ve met a lot of colleagues because I worked together with many different teams. Three days per week I worked at Deloitte, and the other two I attended university. The moment you start working four days a week, next to completing the RA-course, everything seems new and very busy. When you are already used to working besides your study, it makes the transition to a working life a lot smoother. Tim: Even if you are working on your thesis only, you still get to know a lot about the systems and business activities. Besides that, the thesis-internship is a great way to get to know your future colleagues and to get a feeling about what the atmosphere is like at Deloitte. From the start, you’ll get involved in activities, random nights out and skiing holidays. In a couple of weeks we’ll even be going to Manchester together with all the guys from our department. How would you describe the atmosphere at Deloitte? Bolot: I would say the atmosphere at Deloitte is very nice and friendly. The audit department in Breda is not so large, so you’ll know everybody within no-time. During my time as working student, I attended a big party, including an overnight stay. The people were all very open and I had a great day. Tim: I would describe the atmosphere as follows: work hard when you have to, but have a lot of fun outside office hours. Bolot, what did you exactly do during your time as working student? When I was a working student, I was in the interim audit team. During the interim audit I was accompanied by a senior staffer who showed me what had to be done and why. I really appreciated the guidance I got and I felt that I was really able to develop myself in a good way. The people immediately treated me as an equal colleague, and I didn’t have to do any chores. I felt part of the team. What is it that makes the audit profession so enjoyable to you? Bolot: You work for a lot of different clients and in different teams. That’s why I like it so much. Furthermore, I enjoy working with numbers and being social at the same time. Tim: I would like to add that the accounting profession is subject to technological innovation. It is ‘on the move’. Nobody is able to tell you exactly what the job looks like
Working at KPMG
What are my interests? What are my ambitions? And with which company do I click? Every student asks these questions during their time at university. However, it appears that most university students find it difficult to answer these questions, which makes sense! It is mandatory to do an internship as a HBO student, but at the university you have to arrange it yourself. As a recent graduate, I will tell you about my student days and I will give tips to help you to get in touch with your future employer more easily. I am Laurens Mesuere, 24 years old and originally I come from Sluis (Zeeuws-Vlaanderen). After high school I moved to the student city of Brabant, Tilburg. Here, I have completed my Bachelor of Business Economics and over a month ago, I also completed my MSc Accountancy. During my study I co-organized a Studytour and did a board year at Asset l Accounting & Finance, which I considered to be a unique experience and I would recommend it to everyone. The past six months I had only to complete my MSc thesis, which I wrote at KPMG in Eindhoven. Now I work at KPMG as a trainee and I would like to tell you about my first experiences. On an early Tuesday morning. I drove to a client, where I was scheduled for a total of two weeks to assist on the Audit. Since January, the other team-members were already working for this corporate which has the largest market share in its sector. The deadline for signing the financial statement was that Tuesday afternoon. The team had been working days and nights to make the deadline. At 17.30 the financial statement was signed so we raised our glasses and celebrated this team achievement. Work hard, play hard is the motto of the team. As an Accountancy Trainee, KPMG offers you all the opportunities that exist in the field. Diversity is one of the key words. Customers, large and small, listed or non-profit, they are all included in your workload. Every customer you work for also means working in a different KPMG team. The team consists of several functions and levels of experience. Teambuilding is a key focus within KPMG. Throughout the year, different events are organized, such as holidays and a ski trip, with more than 100 KPMG employees joining. Also, KPMG celebrates its 100th anniversary this year! The teams within KPMG are young and ambitious. From what I have experienced the last months is that you and your team always work for one goal. Trainee or partner, everyone helps each other in his/ her duties and everyone is very accessible. This contributes to the high learning curve, which is also necessary in the fields KPMG operates. In a short time, you will learn a lot about different companies and processes. It is a look behind the scenes at the financial administration of companies. For this reason, I have deliberately chosen for this field. In September I will begin the post-Master Accountancy with the aim to achieve the prestigious RA title in a few years. The choice for your ideal employer is not always easy, because of the many different companies you can choose from. You really get to know the company when you actually work at it. Start early with orientation and find a company that matches your wishes. During my time at Asset l Accounting & Finance I got the opportunity to get in touch with many companies in a short time. You can help yourself in your orientation by, for example by participating in career events, such as Inhouse Days, a Financial Business Dinner or the Economic Business Weeks. It is up to you. My advice: “Expand your horizon, control your future!”