What's your job about?
My employer is the Australian National Audit Office, and I work as an auditor testing the financial statements of government departments. I work in a team to make sure that government financial statements and finances follow the Australian Auditing and Accounting regulations. We also investigate to make sure that the information we are provided is reliable and complete, and that there are no fraudulent activities occurring within the government department we are auditing. In the audit, it is a team effort and I have had many responsibilities over the course of the graduate program. An example would be when I was responsible for understanding and testing the way the department used cash. This involved me developing an in-depth understanding of the internal policies for the department's cash use. I developed a deeper understanding of the department's accounts, using the department's information and the information of third parties with the goal of ensuring that balances match and discrepancies are investigated.
What's your background?
I grew up in Perth and attended Curtin University, graduating in 2020. I applied for the graduate program with the Australian National Audit Office after I graduated, and participated in the stages of the application process. I was successful and was offered a graduate position in 2021. I moved to Canberra in September 2021, started the graduate program in October 2021 and I have been working at the ANAO ever since. I have enjoyed my time in Canberra and as someone who has come to Canberra from Perth, I have enjoyed exploring Canberra and travelling around New South Wales and Victoria. For my first Christmas in Canberra, I was unable to head home due to COVID-19 restrictions. I took some time off and headed to the blue mountains. Over this period, I stayed with some friends in Wollongong, stayed a week in the Katoomba in the blue mountains, stayed a few days in Bathurst and then headed back to Canberra. The trip was lots of fun and a great experience. There are also many good sights to see around Canberra, many great festivals throughout the year and a unique experience of living city life without the hustle and bustle of a bigger city. I have also enjoyed being so close to Sydney and Melbourne living in Canberra.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
To work in Financial Audit, a degree in commerce is required, and it is also recommended that people study accounting. In saying that, there are staff that have majored in other areas like finance or economics. A major or minor in accounting is useful because in university you learn about how accounting works and the accounting standards. If you don’t have a background in accounting, you may require additional reading or training to understand some concepts and processes.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
What I like about my job is that I learn about how government departments operate, and as auditors, we hold the government departments accountable and make sure that they are complying with regulations and Auditing and Accounting standards. I also like working for the Australian Public Service as they offer great work hours (8 hours a day), work in an environment where there is lots of support and have a good work/life balance.
What are the limitations of your job?
One limitation of the job is that there is a busy period that lasts one to two months in the year. This time is called final and falls around July and August. During this time, it will be common to work 9 to 10 hours a day and you will have busy days. After the final from September to December things will return to a standard pace.
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