Case studies : Business Assurance at BDO: Phillipa Griffiths

Philippa studied physics at the University of Warwick and she now works in the Business Assurance team in Birmingham.

I usually work on site at the clients’ office, with a team of staff from my office. Together we will review the clients’ accounts, testing their records and policies to ensure that the figures they are reporting are an accurate picture of their position and performance. The role is always changing as you are working on a different client and within a different team most weeks. You have a lot of interaction with other people whether they are clients, other members of the team or from another department.

I enjoy my job because no two clients are the same, so there is always a different challenge on each job. I’ve always enjoyed problem solving and for this reason I enjoy the audit process. The accounts are like a puzzle where each figure is related to another one and only by considering them as a whole, and how they affect each other, can you get a true picture of the company. I also enjoy meeting new people and working in different office environments.

When considering a career in chartered accountancy, you need to find a firm that will support both your development and your personal needs. BDO offers great support for students during their exams, with paid time off to study and paid tuition at the local financial college. They provide everyone with a 'buddy' of a similar level to help introduce newcomers to the firm, and a counselling manager to help with your personal development and the appraisal processes.

In March 2009, feeling inspired after watching the Comic Relief celebrities climb up Kilimanjaro, I asked a colleague of mine if she would attempt the Three Peaks challenge. After a small amount of coercion she agreed and we then sent an email around the office. Before we knew it, 28 others had volunteered and in August 2009, the team will complete the challenge. The whole experience has shown me how BDO support the creativity and determination of their staff in more than just their office roles; to me it has demonstrated how BDO view their staff as people, not just roles.