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Cameron Goldsmid – Graduate Accountant

Cam joined Pocock Hudson straight from Victoria University, in November 2008, with a BCA in Accounting and Commercial Law and a Graduate Diploma in accounting. As well as being great at running the numbers, Cam’s also great at running, cycling and swimming – he’s a keen triathlete! Here he tells us about life as a graduate accountant at Pocock Hudson.

 

Why did you choose Pocock Hudson?

I was lucky enough to have a few job offers. One reason I chose Pocock Hudson was simply because I really liked the people and offices! There’s a friendly atmosphere, it felt welcoming. Walking in the door and seeing colour and quotes on the walls made the firm feel vibrant and alive from the get go – far from the accounting stereotype. I also felt that the size of the company meant I could get more ‘hands-on’ experience than at, say, a larger company. I wanted ‘exposure’ and as it turned out that’s exactly what I got. Basically, Pocock Hudson offered me ‘the whole package’.

Tell us about your interview

It was really friendly – it was more like a casual chat really, for a start there was no interview panel, just a one-on-one. In fact, the other thing that surprised me was that my very first ‘interview’ was with one of the partners. That was a big plus for me. Anna had obviously taken the time to read my CV, and knew it as well as I did! After that initial meeting, I had the opportunity to talk to other people at the company who were around my age, and ask them any questions I didn’t necessarily want to ask Anna or Chris, who became my Manager. It was a chance to make sure all the parties got to know each other, before signing my life away on a contract! Overall, the whole process was incredibly friendly. In fact, ‘interview’ is too formal a word for it.

And how about the work itself?

As I mentioned, I wanted ‘exposure’ to as many aspects of the accounting business as possible. Instead of getting pigeonholed, I get all kinds of experience on all kinds of companies. No specialisation, just heaps of experience, and that means I can progress faster. I don’t do just small jobs but get involved in seeing jobs right the way through. In my first week I did accounts for three companies! I wasn’t expecting it to be that fast! I really enjoy meeting the clients, and not simply being kept back at the office as ‘the monkey in the cage’. I really enjoy the responsibility of managing myself. If you’re interested in a particular industry sector, the company also tries to make sure you get involved with that sector. For me, I’m very interested in companies with a rural connection, so it’s great that I’m able to do just that.

What kind of training and support is there?

Well, the training is essentially ongoing, simply because every day you get more and more hands-on experience. I’m working towards my CA qualification, and this is a great way to do it. The business has a very flat hierarchy, and there are so many highly experienced people here to call on and ask if you need help or advice. You can just stick your head round the door and ask one of the partners if you like. Guess you could say you’re in at the deep end, but there’s always a lifeguard on duty!

Anything else to declare?

You don’t have to wear a suit and tie to work here, but that doesn’t detract from the professionalism of the company. I like the fact that the partners have got some very strong relationships with their clients, built on trust and a friendly approach. The clients absolutely trust us to deliver high quality work, so we can just get on with doing it!