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.