The Life of a Deloitte Cadet

In July 2013, I began my cadetship at Deloitte in Deloitte Private’s Audit division. I was told that it would be an amazing opportunity and privilege to receive such an offer as many penultimate students would have wished to have taken advantage of opportunities like this back in high school and during their first year of university. The problem is who knows what they want to do after enrolling in their degree? Have we set our goal and already have in mind what it is that we want to do? Or was this just the degree the safer and more secure option? All these queries have made me hesitant about my choice.

Hi, my name is Vicki, and I’m studying a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Accounting. As for my second major, I am still undecided. The struggles I am facing with undertaking this cadetship include all the sacrifices and time commitments. There are difficult expectations to meet at times, including the tight deadlines to meet, especially during the “busy season” as well as the lack of spare time for socialising and struggling to choose a second major. 

I began working with Deloitte at the start of this “busy season”. Post financial year end is a tough time for auditors, so I was quite overwhelmed when I was thrown straight  into the deep end. Only having one day to attend classes makes it difficult to fit in all the lectures and tutorials; not to mention PASS classes. Whether we have part-time or full-time work commitments, I’m sure that some of us would have had to skip at least one class throughout our degree. With this in mind, I have been considering my options for a second major; one that I can squeeze into my one-day timetable along with my Accounting major. Since I’m nearing the end of my second year, I would appreciate any suggestions on this.

Despite all the time sacrifices, I do not regret any of the choices I’ve made. Working at Deloitte has been one of the toughest but enriching opportunities that I’m glad to have been given. This opportunity has allowed me to gain opportunities that other students may not have been able to receive. For example, I’ve travelled interstate for work. In fact, I flew down to Wagga Wagga on my second week on the job. Due to the deadlines and late hours I’ve experienced through working as a cadet, I've slowly adapted to becoming more organised. I am managing my time a lot better, and I am pleased that some of my grades have been increasing. I suppose applying what I’ve learnt from the workplace to my classes at USYD has helped. Plus, I don’t have the burden of competing with every other student who is attempting to secure a graduate job or internship. 

Even though it may appear that I’ve locked myself into a life of audit, I’ve slowly realised that this isn’t anything like the past. Everyday people change careers; everyday people change their minds about what they’re passionate about. At the end of this cadetship who knows, maybe I’ll decide that I’ve had enough of it, and try something different. I might even study a postgarduate degree and get another job, or maybe I’ll stick with it. Overall, this cadetship has had its ups and downs, just like any other opportunity in life.     

Vicki Wong

Current student at the University of Sydney Business School

Reflections on being a KPMG Cadet

Growing up, I thought that accounting was all about numbers. I wasn’t particularly interested in this profession until completing an assignment back in Year 10 Commerce. After rigorous amounts of research on which degree to study, which firm to apply for and the Chartered Accountants Program, I was set on being an accountant. However, little would I have thought that I would set foot into a Big 4 accounting firm three years down the track …

Back in June 2012, immediately after finals, I started my cadetship at KPMG with roughly twenty other cadets. It was a truly humbling experience going from being a first-year uni student one day to an employee in a global accounting firm the next. However, the support provided by KPMG is phenomenal and everyone is always willing to lend a helping hand. I still remember one of the senior managers teaching me how to “tick-and-bash” my first set of financials in the week I started.

Despite being an ‘undergraduate’ at KPMG we are all treated equally and being a cadet is not coffee runs and photocopying - you are a valuable employee and an important member of the audit team where your comments and ideas are always taken into consideration.

This has also been a time to ask questions and make mistakes, where instead of looking silly or being told to do something again, my queries are answered with great detail, and I am corrected and taught better ways to complete a task. From speaking with the client alone on the first day to completing an audit by myself with minimal assistance from my in-charge and manager, I have matured and become a lot more independent and confident.

Being a cadet definitely has its perks – Friday night drinks, EOFY and Christmas parties, audit dinners, the annual ball, and all expenses paid interstate work trips. My cadetship has also assisted me financially as I have been able to fund myself to attend summer school in the US this year and an internship in Shanghai during the upcoming holidays.

Work hard, play hard - Livin’ it up with some of my fellow cadets in the Gold Coast earlier this year!

Besides all the parties, audit has truly been a great eye-opener. Due to the nature of the work I am constantly meeting and working with new people, both within KPMG and when I am out visiting clients. For example, I have learnt about different industries including broadcasting, aged care, charities and industrial gases (Yes, that included learning the process of making Helium and LNG for an audit).

My cadetship has provided me with a deep understanding of the commercial environment whilst challenging me to meet deadlines and manage the expectations of managers. I have grown personally and professionally; developing my teamwork, social, problem solving and time management skills. I have also learnt how to become flexible and stay calm when working under pressure; as well as experienced having meetings at 8.30AM with the client to suit their demanding schedule, in addition to studying for mid-semester exams during audit busy season for a German company.

Now that I am back doing full-time uni I truly miss the journey I've had with KPMG – from the fun times of pranking and joking around with my colleagues, to more serious times where our audit team would work late nights for days in a row to meet tight deadlines (… compensated by time in lieu and free dinners).

Arvo coffee with my friend from high school and current colleague, Bernice Kwok, a fifth-year Bachelor of Commerce/Arts student at USYD. She completed the Industry Placement Program with KPMG and was subsequently offered a graduate job.

My cadetship has been an invaluable experience and a great investment into the future, giving me a head start into my career. It has also assisted my studies in financial accounting at uni and is definitely one of the best decisions I’ve made in life!

Leanne Ho
Current student at the University of Sydney Business School