Almost 16 years ago, Aida Sasivarevic stepped foot inside Deloitte for the very first time. She had just left high school and was blissfully unaware of what auditing entailed and which direction she wanted to go in life. Fast forward 16 years and Aida currently has a national role as an ESG Assurance Director in Audit & Assurance. The road has been far from traditional or easy, but it has taught her some valuable lessons for life. One thing is for sure: She would do it all over again.
A journey unfolds
Aida has always been a person who loves to learn by doing. She is also hard-working, and the thought of studying whilst working full-time did not scare her, in fact, it drove her. After completing high school, she knew that five more years seated in a classroom was out of the question. She wanted some real-life experience next to her studies, so she applied for a full-time job at Deloitte in her final year of high school and started working alongside her HD studies at University of Southern Denmark. She still remembers her first time walking into the former Deloitte office in Slagelse, feeling a sense of belonging and desire to work there.
Fall six times, get back up seven
When asked about her time in Deloitte, and the moments she will forever cherish, two things are at the top of her list. She recalls reaching her first big milestone when finishing her studies and graduating with the title Master of Science in Business Economics and Auditing, Aida had looked forward to putting the educational chapter behind her and bringing all her focus and attention into her full-time role in Audit & Assurance.
Therefore, becoming a State-Authorised Public Accountant was never really a part of Aida’s plan. Becoming a State-Authorised Public Accountant is one of Denmark’s most demanding educations. It requires a great extent of knowledge, practical experience and exposure towards different industries, businesses and complexities. It was obviously not something that you just did. That was until a partner she worked closely with encouraged her to make it one of her career goals down the line. Thus, began the start of a journey, which shaped Aida into becoming the businesswoman she is today.
Aida was back on the ‘school bench’, and she passed the first out of three written exams on the first try. However, the second and third written exams lived up to their reputation of being difficult, and it took Aida three times to pass each of the required exams:
“Every time, I would get the ‘You did not pass’, and it was within the core competencies of what I do daily, I started doubting everything. ‘Why am I doing this, and do I even know how to do this?’. I was ready to quit multiple times, both at the academy and my job at Deloitte. I had a hard time seeing the meaning behind it all.”
The support Aida received during this difficult period, both through a professional therapist and from Deloitte, made her reassess her thoughts on giving up and she thought to herself: “I am not a quitter – I finish what I start.”
After passing the final oral exam, Aida recalls the special moment when the examiner acknowledged her efforts by shaking her hand and saying: “I am happy that we have people like you out there representing our field.”. This memory is something Aida looks back at fondly. This whole experience has made her more confident and comfortable in her role today. It also acted as a confirmation and reminder that she actually is good at her profession.
The value of great leaders
Aida stresses the importance of good leadership and the influence it can have on your career. Leaders can see something within you that you are yet to discover. So, when the partner that Aida worked alongside asked her about this new, central role in building Deloitte Denmark’s ESG Assurance business, she had to make one of her biggest career decisions yet. Was she ready to try something entirely new or should she stick to something she knew she was good at?
“My first thought was ‘No, I do not know anything about ESG! I have never worked with it before’, but my leader said that I should trust his decision to make that call.”
This put things into perspective for Aida, and she took a leap of faith as she accepted the offer. She underlines that Deloitte does a great job at identifying the people who have the desire, potential and drive to make an impact.
Looking back at her decision, Aida is extremely grateful that things worked out the way they did. Variety has been something that Aida has cherished during her entire career and will continue to implement moving forward.
Self-confidence is key, especially as a woman
When meeting Aida, it is clear to everyone that she carries herself in a certain way that makes you respect her. With a long and inspiring history within the company, Aida is the perfect person to ask for advice. When asked what advice that she would have given her younger self, she takes a moment to reflect and then answers:
“Trust that you are good enough but more importantly: Take it easy. You are going to make it. Things take time, and sometimes you must wait for the right thing to come along, but eventually you will reach that goal of yours.”
Self-confidence was never just a given, Aida recalls. But along the way, several promotions, and titles later, she knows exactly the value she brings to the table. But she knows that self-doubt is a common thing, especially for women in the corporate world: “We can tend to second-guess and underestimate ourselves.”
Aida is aware of the view that the outside has on auditors, mainly that it is “a middle-aged man in a grey suit who works 1000 hours”. If those are the stereotypes, then she is happy to refute them.
What is next?
When asked what is next in her career pipeline, with no hesitation and a bright smile on her face, she answers “Partner, obviously”. Aida already has a set time for when she wishes for the promotion. And although Deloitte is all she has known since she started University, she does not plan to leave anytime soon: “I see many opportunities in Deloitte, and I am not finished developing both professionally and personally in this company.”
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