What's your job about?
Deloitte supports clients of all sizes, sectors and industries by helping them respond to the market, be resilient and thrive. My job is to collaborate with clients and colleagues to create measurable impact and ensure our clients can achieve their objectives.
In particular, I work in the transfer pricing and financial services teams at Deloitte. Our transfer pricing team helps multinational companies manage their international tax risks by providing practical solutions and assisting with preparing documentation to support the arm’s length nature of their intercompany transactions. Meanwhile, our financial services team provides comprehensive and integrated solutions to banking and capital markets and insurance and investment management sectors. A common example of a client operating in this area may be your KiwiSaver provider.
What's your background?
I was very fortunate to grow up in New Zealand’s sunshine capital of Nelson. I had a horticultural upbringing and worked after school, in the weekends, and in the summertime on my parent’s market garden. Having parents who were small business owners showed me the importance of understanding the business context and financial performance/position.
When the end of high school rolled around, I was not quite ready to leave the nest so chose to study at my local polytechnic. Doing so was one of the best decisions I could have made as it gave me a level of financial freedom and opportunity to do the things that were important to me while I had time to do so. A highlight was my trip to Singapore, Bangkok, and Penang (an island off Malaysia) which I took during a midsemester break.
During my penultimate year of study, I applied for the Summer Internship Programme at Deloitte and had a summer filled with new friends and new learning opportunities. In the Wellington office there was around 20 interns meaning we could support one another through the process. Following this I was offered a graduate position and I commenced my position as a tax consultant in 2021. So far, all my expectations have been exceeded and I was surprised
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Deloitte supports clients of all sizes, sectors and industries, therefore, it is extremely important that our team is filled with a variety of people with different backgrounds, education, and interests.
A common characteristic amongst Deloitte professionals is an ongoing willingness to learn. There are new tax issues arising constantly, and changes to legislation and regulations. As such, being a lifelong learner is important.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
I love my job because of the awesome workplace culture and strong support system that has been built up around me. Deloitte people care about one another from a work life and personal perspective. In particular we have a strong emphasis on reflection and improvement as well as wellness activities such as yoga, fitness and a mental health kōrero which I have participated in since joining Deloitte.
What are the limitations of your job?
My job can be very high pressure and demanding at times, particularly when we are trying to meet a deadline. Deloitte has a great reputation in the market and that means clients have high expectations of what we deliver and the timeframe we deliver it in. Stress and burnout are a known side effect of the corporate environment, therefore, it is important to be able to set boundaries for yourself and ensure these are clearly communicated to your colleagues.
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