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Campus Blog: Be audit you can be
By Clodia Kassis
Staff Accountant, Audit & Advisory | Summer 2014 Co-op
For fellow number-crunching, accounting-loving students, starting your career in audit does not require a second thought. For others who are contemplating several career options in business, the decision tends to be slightly trickier. Being part of Deloitte’s Audit Practice, my opinion may be biased. That being said, I do believe audit is the most exciting and beneficial way to jumpstart any career. Based on my experiences, here are the three reasons behind my conviction.
Discover Your Passion
The overused phrase that you often hear is “follow your passion”. This can be tricky when someone is unaware of what their passion really is. For the select few who are aware, all the more power to you. For the remaining majority of us whose passion is ‘TBD’, listen up!
Deloitte’s Audit practice is divided into several industry groups ranging from consumer business to financial services and from non-profit to the public sector. Having worked mainly in Private Company Services, which is a group that encompasses several industries, I was lucky enough to work in a variety of sectors on my way to discovering my passion. For those who are planning to work in another group that focuses mainly on one industry, have no fear – volunteering to help a client outside of your group is more than doable (I speak from my experience!).
Industry Specialization
Out of the many brilliant people I had the pleasure of meeting during my summer term, many specialize in a particular industry. Once you have discovered your passion, your next step is to pursue it. You can begin by focusing on a specific industry. The advantage to this is not only do you delve into the client’s business but into the core of the industry as a whole. You become an expert in the area of your passion.
Endless Opportunities
A career path that leads you to opportunities is a desirable one. One could argue that each person makes their own opportunities. The harder we work, the luckier we get, right? I don’t disagree, however one cannot deny that there are career paths that will naturally open up more doors than others. A CPA designation with work experience at Deloitte is no doubt one of them. Moving into the industry that you are most passionate about is certainly another option.
For aspiring entrepreneurs – did you know money management is one the greatest challenges? Your experience as an auditor will no doubt help in overcoming this, alongside your knowledge of the industry of your specialization. The opportunities become endless no matter where you hope to be.
There are many paths to success, and after spending the summer at Deloitte, I have no doubt that this is the path for me.
Clodia is a 4th year student at Schulich School of Business majoring in a Bachelor of Business Administration.
