Lisa Cox – Graduate Accountant

What is your typical day?

An average day as a Graduate Accountant at Mitchell Wilson could consist of a number of different things. Our aim is to provide a complete service to small to medium enterprises, which means that I could be working on anything from the preparation of financial statements for small to large trusts, companies and superannuation funds, to addressing compliance issues for businesses operating in the construction to the fitness industry. The variety means I am constantly challenged. Training and personal development are also strongly encouraged, so I get to attend seminars on a regular basis.

What has been your career progression?

After high-school I spent 6 years in the hospitality industry as a chef, but found the split shifts & unsocial hours were getting the better of me. I wasn’t one-hundred percent sure what to study at university, so ended up choosing accounting, purely from a practical point of view; I knew having accounting knowledge would be an invaluable skill. It’s an added bonus that I really enjoyed my course, and now my work. I’ve completed my graduate year with Mitchell Wilson, and have now started the CA program.

Adam Cammidge – Client Manager

What is your typical day?

I work as a Client Manager at Mitchell Wilson and have responsibility for a specific group of clients. As a Client Manager I am accountable for ensuring that the clients’ work is completed accurately and efficiently. The work is challenging, varied and stimulating.

Although clients’ work might be completed by one of the other team members, it is my responsibility to review the work to ensure everything is correct. I will also review any correspondence or information prior to it being sent to clients.

During any day, I might be working on compliance work or preparing financial accounts, cash flows, budgets, payroll issues, activity statements or helping to add value to a client’s business. This allows me to have a great deal of interaction with clients through meetings or by phone.

As a member of the Mitchell Wilson functionality team, I also have the opportunity to participate in management decisions related to the firm. My specific area of responsibility is for staff training. This involves setting the training schedule for the year, liaising with staff members about specific training requirements and also negotiating with our external training suppliers.

What has been your career progression?

After finishing school I undertook an Engineering Degree (Electrical) but decided on a career change and completed a Maters of Accounting. After joining Mitchell Wilson I undertook further studies to qualify as a Chartered Accountant. Having started as a graduate accountant four years ago, the progression to a Client Manager has been quite quick and a great learning curve.