Declan Wells

Graduate Tax Consultant
Bachelor of Business (Accounting)

What's your job about?
The Tax Division offers specialist tax advice to businesses and individuals to optimise financial outcomes. Some of the
services provided include tax risk management, international tax, research and development tax incentive applications, tax consolidation and indirect tax.
In my role, some of my daily tasks include:
 The preparation of Income Tax Returns and Financial Statements for a range of individuals,
trusts and companies.
 Preparing Activity Statements on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis.
 Preparation of Fringe Benefit Tax Returns.
 Preparation of Research and Development Tax Incentive applications.
 Communication with the ATO on the behalf of clients.
 Conducting research for client specific tax issues.

I am fortunate to have the opportunity to attend many training and development sessions run internally by senior accountants and managers across a broad range of service lines. These sessions discuss a range of topics, looking at practical applications to skills and knowledge essential to your growth and development.

What's your background?
I grew up in a small country town in South Australia called Jamestown, where I completed my primary and high schooling. Once I completed year 12, I commenced a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) at the University of South Australia. Throughout University, I took a special interest in the tax law subjects and received practical experience at the UniSA Tax Clinic. This influenced my decision to apply for a graduate role in Tax as it was an area that I enjoyed studying. This early exposure provided a valuable insight into what a career in accounting could look like, whilst developing my practical skills and knowledge.

Could someone with a different background do your job?
Absolutely. William Buck employs many people from various geographical regions and walks of life. From Adelaide to regional South Australia or wider parts of the world. William Buck employees have a diverse range of backgrounds, knowledge, skills and levels of experience. This means that you never feel alone and are surrounded by people who all want to help you succeed. I had no prior experience within the corporate accounting field, so I believe anyone who has a passion and interest in the industry should apply.

What's the coolest thing about your job?
The best part of my job is that I get to experience such a large range of work, not just preparing tax returns and financial statements, across many different clients and industries. While the work can be challenging and be incredibly complex, I really enjoy the problem solving and critical thinking in the many different tasks. There are always new tasks, opportunities and different client matters that keep me on my toes which I thoroughly enjoy.

What are the limitations of your job?
In my role, I am required to be highly organised as providing a service to the client is what the job is all about. It can be challenging at times to balance these responsibilities; however, the wider team and firm are great at helping to support workloads and outside pressures. William Buck also offers incentives for when you study your Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accountant such as paid study leave and group study sessions. As someone who is planning to commence this study, it will require an extensive time commitment across a period of 3 years while balancing full time work, so these incentives are greatly appreciated.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...
1. Enjoy your time at university. It goes by so quickly; by the time you blink it will all be over. There are many opportunities that university provides so take these chances and enjoy yourself.
2. Use your resources, build your networks and engage in classes. Take every chance to learn and try to make friends. These relationships will make the experience more enjoyable, plus you may even end up at the same workplace as your peers.
3. Don’t stress about starting your career or having your future career plans set in stone. You have plenty of years for working, so take some time to pursue your interests outside of work, travel or do something you enjoy.

Grace Pretty

Intermediate Accountant (Business Advisory)
Bachelor of Business (Accounting)

What's your job about?

My role as an Accountant is very varied, we are more than just accountants to our clients. Some think we just do tax returns, but we add much more value than that. I work in a specialised area at William Buck with 50% of my work being stewardships in the sustainability and environmental space where I essentially act as our client’s internal finance team. I get to be a part of client discussions and hear what they are doing to reduce their end-of-life waste cycle. I’m currently working on a clothing stewardship as well as prospective stewardships that we are trying to win which is exciting to navigate that process.

I really enjoy working in this space as I personally care about the environment. It’s also a large discussion in the industry right now about climate action and how companies can be more sustainable moving forward. Working in this space has allowed me to grow my knowledge my knowledge which is something I didn’t think be doing in my accounting career. It’s enjoyable having my interests and work intersect.

What's your background?

In high school I thought I wanted to become a doctor or work in health care. This led me to study a Bachelor of Radiation Science which after a year of study I very quickly realised it wasn’t for me. Both of my parents come from an accounting background which led me to explore a business degree. The degree was broad which allowed me to really discover what I wanted to do. I first majored in management and again realised it wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do. I then decided to major in accounting and have never looked back.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

If you have a degree in Banking, Finance or Financial Planning you could be an Accountant. The theory you learn at university helps you understand the basics of Accounting and knowledge of Australian Tax Laws. However, you learn majority of being an accountant through on the job training and facilitated training sessions such as XERO, Individual Tax and Tax Banter sessions.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

Having phone calls and meetings with clients and is my favourite aspect of the role. These interactions with clients help us understand what they want from us and where they feel they were lacking from previous accountants. It’s rewarding when they come back with positive feedback for example, last year I was completing financial statements for a new client that I very worked hard on. Once completed the client emailed thanking us for the hard work. He said he was “very proud to have us as his accountants”. That small email made my day.

What are the limitations of your job?

Sometimes the workload can be overwhelming during busy periods or if junior staff are on leave. Often there are competing deadlines which requires some overtime especially during lodgement periods. However, my team is very supportive, and we can always ask for help whenever you need. I’ve learnt that you’re never alone in this role at William Buck.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

- Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to choose your career path straight after high school. You have 50 years in the workforce to decide what you want to do so take your time deciding what feels right.

- Enjoy your uni life! Take advantage of your free time now before you start working full time.

- Travel! It’s harder to travel when you start full time work especially in your first few years when you are building your annual leave balance. If you want to take a travel break after uni, do it! You’ll never regret it.

Curtis Cohen

Intermediate Accountant (Business Advisory)
Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Accounting (International Business)

What's your job about?

As an Accountant in Business Advisory, I’m involved in assisting with client work alongside the Managers and Partners in my team. The clients I work with are predominantly in the health care and medical sector which I enjoy as I witness my clients want to go out and help people which ultimately makes my work more rewarding. My responsibilities include reviewing client’s financial records to provide improvement advice and ensure they are always being compliant. This is essential as it ensures our clients avoid any legal penalties and prevents misconduct which overalls enhances our client’s credibility. Everyday can look slightly different depending on the client’s needs and time of year.

What's your background?

Growing up, my parents owned a business, so I was always surrounded by finances. My mum is an accountant, and I naturally gravitated towards it from a young age. I’m also really interested in numbers which made the decision to study Accounting easy. I decided to major in International Business as the idea of working overseas one day excites me.

I pursued the role at William Buck in Business Advisory as I wanted my first accounting role to involve a large scope of work and not be specialised which a mid-tier firm offers. Business Advisory allows me to work on a range of tasks with a variety of clients which makes the role enjoyable and different daily. William Buck’s ongoing training has ensured.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

If you didn’t study Accounting but studied Business, Finance, Financial Planning or Economics you could do this role. A lot of being an Accountant is the hands on, on the job training you receive that you don’t get from theory work at uni. However, you do need the foundational theory from university to support you. It would be a larger learning curve for someone studying Arts to transition to accounting. The facilitated training sessions William Buck offer for example Tax Banter, Business Advisory Masterclasses and Graduate Technical training assists with learning.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

My favourite part of the job is meeting clients. Firstly, it’s a great way to build a better connection but it’s also great seeing my Partners and Managers with years of experience in action. This inspires me to reach that level one day and keeps me motivated. I also really enjoy the problem solving and analysis component of the job. Presenting our reasonings and findings to the clients and seeing them happy with the work is always an added reward.

What are the limitations of your job?

Like in many roles, compliance work is a large element to Accounting. This can be very time consuming however we do understand it is an important and required part of the role which ensures our clients avoid legal penalties and misconduct. There are busy periods in accounting which occur during lodgement periods especially before 30 June. However, it’s comforting to know you’re not alone and your team is there to support you.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

If there is an opportunity for you to complete an internship before graduating, do it! This will give you insight into the role and industry before you start. It can also be a deciding factor for whether you proceed down that career path.

- Ask lots of questions! You will learn so much from those around you if you ask questions. If you never ask, you’ll never know.

- Take your time before jumping into full time work. If you don’t feel ready for full time work and want to take some time to travel beforehand, do it. There’s no need to rush into full time work.

Liam Dudley

Senior Accountant (Business Advisory)
Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) and Bachelor of Art (International Relations and Indonesian Studies)

What's your job about?

As a Senior Accountant in Business Advisory, I work on a range of clients as their official tax agent. I assist clients with legal tax compliance as well as providing advice on how to successful run their business. My clients range from large businesses to individual tax returns for families. I enjoy the large scope of work I’m apart of as it ensures every day is different and exciting. The clients I work on are in a range of industries such as manufacturing, property and hospitality. There is the opportunity to specialise once you grow in the company with experience however, I personally enjoy the broad scope of clients.

What's your background?

I studied accounting in VCE as I enjoyed maths and numbers however, looking back the subject was more bookkeeping focused. This may give students the wrong impression of the industry when in fact accounting is so much more. After high school I didn’t think I would be an accountant at first. I decided to study Commerce which allowed me to keep my options open. After my first year I still had a passion for numbers decided to major in accounting.

I first learnt about William Buck when I attended a university networking event where I met The People & Culture Manager and a Senior Accountant who were able to give me an insight into William Buck. I really enjoyed the conversation and decided to apply for the Vacationer Program. I was successful in the interview process and joined the program during the summer. I haven’t looked back since!

What's the coolest thing about your job?

Having been in this role for a few years, I have been able to watch my clients grow. If you work with a client multiple times it feels like you’re on the journey with them. When you are regularly in contact with clients you learn so much about them and their families which makes the work more enjoyable. I also really enjoy working with a range of different Partners at William Buck. Each Partner has a different approach with clients and it’s insightful to watch and learn from.

What are the limitations of your job?

In the role there are many difficult conversations you need to have with clients. Whether it be advising a client to pay tax or sending them a bill knowing they are struggling financially. Another limitation many find when starting as a graduate is wanting to provide clients advice immediately. Although that will happen in time, you first need to learn the basic of the role. It takes time to walk before you learn to run.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student..

- Start networking! Good things come out of networking, that’s how I got my job. It’s also a great way to meet different employers and get an idea of what working at their company is like.

- Don’t spread yourself too thinly with activities. During uni I was a part of many societies, clubs and extra curriculum that I couldn’t give enough attention to. Priotise your commitments.

- Travel! Everyone says this but it’s true. Travel as much as you can during uni as you’ll never get that flexibility or time back.

Jacob Ali

Graduate Accountant (Business Advisory)
Bachelor of Commerce (Professional Accounting and Finance) at The University of Sydney

What's your job about?

My role consists of preparing financial statements, analysing them and then liaising with clients to facilitate informed financial decision making.The most exciting part of this role is the focus we have on collaborating with clients to achieve the best outcomes for them. As a graduate, this is primarily done through:
- The preparation of income tax returns and financial statements
- Preparing Activity Statements monthly, quarterly and annually
- Being a medium between the Australian Tax Office and the client so as to ensure that the client
meets their obligations efficiently and effectively

What's your background?
I grew up and have lived in Sydney my entire life. I attended Saint Aloysius’ College for high school, where I learnt the value of hard work, problem solving and most importantly, critical thinking. I was able to use these skills and advance them in my time at university studying finance and accounting. I discovered my love for problem solving while at university and found the career path of business advisory to be an opportunity to put it into action, offering solutions to the various financial problems that business owners are presented with. During university I worked in retail, construction and as a tutor, all of which have supported me in understanding businesses, discovering the value in being a self-starter and being able to communicate.

At the end of my degree, I was applying for accounting positions and eventually was fortunate enough to receive a job from William Buck as an undergraduate accountant. I loved being able to relate my studies to the practical experience I received. Most importantly though, I loved and continue to love the social aspect of the firm. My colleagues offer unwavering support as I develop in this role and also have become my best friends, which have formed bonds that I’m sure I’ll have for the rest of my career and life.

Could someone with a different background do your job?
I personally don’t believe that there is a right or wrong background for this job. The people around me come from all walks of life and have found useful applications from their experiences in their role. I feel very passionately about this so I will repeat myself – but you are supported every step of the way. Even in situations that you find yourself entirely lost, someone will be there to walk you through these situations.

What's the coolest thing about your job?
At William Buck, our client focus is unequivocally the greatest part of the job. Behind every successful company there is an extraordinary person with a fascinating life story. These stories help mould my relationships with them and make the job so easy to do to the highest degree. The relationships I have built with our clients have made my job easy as I’m not working for the sake of a pay check, but rather to display loyalty and care for the projects that these people have worked so hard to build.

What are the limitations of your job?
Possibly the greatest limitation in my role is just how much there is to know so I feel like I’m constantly leveraging the advice of my colleagues and learning new things every hour. It also becomes quite demanding when combining post-grad study (I am currently in the process of attaining my chartered accountant’s certificate) with full time work, meaning I am forced to be able to allocate time wisely. These limitations can become exhausting in some instances, but I can’t say that I have found them impossible as William Buck fosters a culture of support through the paid study leave and ‘study groups’ developed with other graduates that help you significantly.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student.
1. Do anything and everything. Take every opportunity available to you and become a wellrounded person. Stressing about every single mark at the expense of your personal life doesn’t actually help you the way you think it does. Find yourself, develop a personality and you’ll have the greatest skill you can get for this field of work.
2. Make as many friends as you can in your classes. Believe it or not but these friends make university so much better as you have people to study with and will make your classes more enjoyable as well
3. Do what you want! Don’t do something because of the external pressures from your parents or friends. Ultimately, you work a job 5 days a week for the rest of your life so make sure that what you’re doing is something you enjoy.

Angus McLean

Intermediate Accountant (Restructuring & Insolvency)
Bachelor of Industrial Design and Business (Banking and Finance) at Monash University

What's your job about?

My role involves restructuring businesses to help give them a second chance and a fresh start in the economy. I also assist with liquidating companies and ensuring all the creditors get paid what they're owed. As an Intermediate Accountant, I’m responsible for collecting the data, obtaining bank statements and emailing stakeholders. I’m regularly on the phone with creditors to ensure they feel heard and can tell their side of the story. This ensures their information is accurate and their information can be used later on in the investigations.

What's your background?

I studied a Bachelor of Industrial Design and Business majoring in Banking and Finance at Monash University. Although I enjoyed both my degrees, I feel Restructuring and Insolvency allow me to best utilise both my business analytics while utilising creative thinking. I have been in this role for over a year now and have enjoyed every second of it. I never thought I would be an accountant, but I absolutely love this role and I’m really glad I took this opportunity.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Absolutely! I’m a great example of someone who doesn’t have a traditional accounting degree working in my role. William Buck is very open to candidates who don’t come from a traditional accounting major. Having come from a non-traditional accounting degree allows me to have a fresh perspective that might not have been considered originally. To succeed in this role, you need to be personable, have strong problem-solving skills and be able to have tough conversations. It’s difficult at times to put your emotions aside when dealing with companies in administration but it’s important to stay level-headed.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

My favourite part about the role is the investigation component. A large part of my role is collecting all the information for our investigations. My favourite encounter so far was when the team was able to uncover an employee’s wrongdoings from financial records. The employee was misappropriating funds and bought luxury items which we had to track down. It almost feels like being a detective. Many creditors don’t get their money but it’s heart-warming when they do, and you get to tell them.

What are the limitations of your job?

Although the role is diverse and enjoyable there is a large administration element to it. You have to ensure you are very organised to keep on top of all documents and administration. In this role, it’s important to try to put your emotions aside. It can be difficult when you want all creditors to receive their money but realistically it doesn’t always happen. Having to tell creditors the disappointing news is hard. However, when you can deliver good news it's truly rewarding.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

Take advantage of professional opportunities like internships or university placement before starting full-time employment. These opportunities will give you a taste of the industry and help you decide whether that profession is for you.
Start networking! Don’t wait until you start full-time employment to network. Connect with people during uni because you never know what could come from it. The ability to practice networking will also be super helpful.
Travel! You have probably heard before that you should travel as much as you can before starting full-time. It’s true. Not that you can’t travel once you start full-time, but you are limited. I’m fortunate enough to have travelled before starting work and plan to do more in the future.

Hannah Taylor

Intermediate Accountant
Bachelor of Commerce at University of Adelaide

At William Buck, I have had the opportunity to work on a large range of clients, all of them different. No self-managed super fund is the same, and each comes with its own unique qualities and challenges that need overcoming.

What are some details about your current position?

Currently, I’m an intermediate accountant in William Buck Adelaide’s superannuation division. In our division, the biggest part of our job is preparing financial statements and tax returns for our clients' self-managed superannuation funds. We also do other work for them, such as preparing activity statements, preparing member balances for pensions, administering pensions, and many other various tasks that help our clients run their self-managed super funds smoothly. I have always found that I have had great work life balance in my position – this has given me the opportunity to keep up with lots of the things I like to do outside of work, such as running, pilates, socializing with friends and family, playing netball, and reading.

What's your background?

I grew up in Adelaide and went to Sacred Heart College. Once I graduated from there, I started a double degree of law and psychological science. I realized soon that law wasn’t for me, and transferred to a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in accounting and corporate finance. This decision was mostly influenced by the fact that I always enjoyed math in school and also my dad was an accountant, who has a very similar personality to me.

Between these two degrees, I took 6 months off to allow myself to breathe after finishing high school, so I could make sure I was sure about the degree I was going into; it must have paid off because I really enjoyed commerce, which I studied at the University of Adelaide. I was very lucky to begin at William Buck in the undergraduate program just before I started university. I found this really beneficial, as it helped me to realize how much I enjoyed working at an accounting firm, and helped solidify in my mind that I was on the right path.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Absolutely! Although an understanding of accounting is very important, when I started in my role, I had no prior experience in the accounting world or even the corporate world in general. If someone is interested in the field and is eager to learn, the job is accessible to anyone who is interested in getting into the accounting field and superannuation (particularly self-managed superannuation), which I have found to be a very interesting specialty to learn about and develop a deeper understanding of.

What are the best parts about your job?

At William Buck, I have had the opportunity to work on a large range of clients, all of them different. No self-managed super fund is the same, and each comes with its own unique qualities and challenges that need overcoming. Because of this, I am never bored at work and I am always learning, which I love.

What are the limitations of your job?

Superannuation is a highly legislated environment to have money in and self-managed superannuation can be particularly complicated. Because of this, some clients in particularly tricky situations can provide a bigger challenge to people without an understanding of accounting and superannuation legislation, which I found challenging when I started. I was lucky though, to have a great team around me of experienced professionals who helped me overcome these challenges and were very patient with me while I was learning.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

Firstly, enjoy university! My degree flew by so much quicker than I thought it would, so don’t rush your way through it. University is a marathon, not a sprint, and it can be really fun if you approach it right. There are so many opportunities to socialize and have fun at university; it doesn’t have to be all about classes, assignments, and exams, so make the most of all the other opportunities while you are there.
This leads me on to my second point, which is don’t put too much pressure on yourself. I have always been really highly strung and put so much pressure on myself to get perfect grades and be the perfect student while I was at university. While university is obviously important, a distinction instead of a high distinction on your transcript won’t cost you a job. Neither will a credit nor a pass. Treat classes where you might not do very well as a learning opportunity, rather than a failure. At the end of the day, your time at university is only a tiny portion of your career. You have plenty of opportunity to succeed after university.
Lastly, have fun! You’re only young once and while your career is important, it’s not the be all and end all of life. Make sure you enjoy yourself while you’re at it.

Lauren Wallace

Senior Auditor
Bachelor of Accounting at Swinburne University of Technology

Why did you decide on a career in Audit?

I really liked Audit as a university subject and so I accepted a Vacationer position within the Audit and Assurance division at William Buck in 2019/20 summer. The program showed me that Audit is more technical than I initially thought; however, I found looking at and assessing a set of financials from a practical point of view very interesting. My audit subject was heavily theory-based; however, in reality, audit is much more practical. The general accounting work and calculations feature more prominently than the theoretical framework. At the end of my Vacationer program, I was offered a graduate position to start in 2021 and happily accepted straight away.

What’s something interesting about your job you don’t think many people realize?

I don’t think very many students realize how diverse the client base is at a mid-tier firm such as William Buck. The industries and sizes can range significantly from a small, not-for-profit to a large manufacturing company. Everyone in the team works on a big portfolio of clients, which means you can develop your skills while working on one client and apply them to many others.

What advice would you give a student looking to pursue a career in Audit?

I would advise students to undertake an internship or vacation program while at university to gain a better understanding of what auditing involves. There’s a lot more that goes into the day-to-day work than what you learn in your classes, with the math and accounting aspects being a lot greater than expected. In saying that, though, it is a challenging and rewarding division of accounting and advisory to work in.

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