At BDO, we strive to make sure all our people are able to take part in a diverse range of experiences, from working with different types of clients to getting out of the office regularly and being involved in community days. We spoke to Chantelle Rickerby, a Business Advisory graduate in BDO Wellington, to find out more about how she’s been trusted to work directly with a range of clients, including in the Not-for-Profit sector, an area which is close to her heart.
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Chantelle Rickerby, Business Advisory Graduate, BDO Wellington
What type of clients have you had the opportunity to work with?
It’s been great completing my first year as a graduate at BDO because I’ve had the opportunity to work with a really diverse range of clients. What’s been really special for me has been the amount of work I’ve been doing with Not-for-Profits – it’s really meaningful work and I’ve spent a lot of time in their offices and in meetings, seeing directly the type of work they do to make New Zealand a better place.
I studied commercial law, finance and accounting at university, and in my role at BDO I’ve had the opportunity to incorporate all three of those areas, particularly in the work I’ve been doing for charitable trusts. They’re always really interesting because they’re involved with a number of different organisations – over the past year I’ve learnt about environmental organisations, government entities, and even salmon farms – so it’s definitely given me lots of exposure to a lot of different areas!
How much time do you spend in the office?
We have a good mix of office work and going to clients. I love getting out of the office and going to client site – it makes our work seem a lot more real and it’s great that BDO gives us the opportunity to interact with our clients from early on. Particularly in the Not-for-Profit space, they’re normal people doing really amazing work and it’s great to be able to work with and learn from them directly. I got into accounting because I wanted to make a difference and I have some background doing work for charities so it’s great that an organisation like BDO is able to support me to do that.
What have you enjoyed about your role?
We’ve been given a lot more responsibility from much earlier on. It’s really exciting because we get to take ownership and see a whole job from start to finish, instead of only working on a tiny part of it. I’ve loved how much direct communication we get with clients – it’s exciting to get to know them and great that the Partners trust us to have those relationships from early on.
What other experiences have you been involved in?
In addition to client meetings and carrying out our day jobs, we also help lead Xero trainings to help businesses make better use of Xero. I’m also part of a team that uses specific advisory tools to help clients.
We’ve just been planning our Wellington office away day which we’re going to be doing in a few months – this is when the whole office gets a day off to take part in some workshops and social activities, which I’m really looking forward to. I’ve also been given the opportunity to go to a range of networking events which have been a great experience.
Be your best at BDO
At BDO, you can be your best, whatever that may look like. We offer a unique and supportive culture that puts people first – whether that’s professional development, personal fulfilment or work-life balance that ensures you get access to Partners and clients as soon as you enter our doors. Learn more and apply for one of our graduate career roles today.