What was the recruitment process like with Moore Australia?
I applied for the Vacationer Program – Audit/Assurance & Business Advisory position.
The first stage of the recruitment process consisted of the initial application which included my CV, academic transcript, and a set of questionnaires involving my interest in the Professional Services industry.
Following a successful application, I undertook a phone interview to illustrate my interest in the accounting field. Just from my first interaction with Moore, I felt their enthusiasm in response to my interest in applying for their prestigious Vacationer Program.
Like most Vacationer Programs, I participated in an assessment centre that went for approximately 2.5 hours. This comprised of an introduction to the firm, its views and values, the benefits of the program, and the pathway a successful Vacationer can follow upon completion—a potential graduate offer in their preferred division! The assessment centre involved many group activities with the other candidates and posed as an opportunity to showcase how we professionally presented ourselves whilst demonstrating our critical thinking. Following a speed interview, we finished the day with a numerical reasoning and situational judgement test.
Upon a successful assessment centre, I was invited to partake in a one-on-one interview with a Senior Manager from the Audit and Assurance division before I received an offer.
The best part of the recruitment process was being able to go into Moore’s building and see if I could imagine myself thriving there in the future.
How would you describe the office and working environment?
Having worked in both the Audit/Assurance and Business Advisory divisions, I can express that the work environment at Moore has been nothing but supportive, collaborative, and stimulating. Aside from the amazing city views, the firm has done well to embed fun into the work culture. There are Friday Night Drinks, a Social Club, Quarterly Huddles, monthly employee celebrations with cake, team lunches, and even an Ice-Cream Day! At year-end, my Business Advisory team received gifts from senior management as a token of their appreciation.
The Directors have an Open-Door Policy whereby anyone can sit and voice their queries or problems. I was privileged enough to have John Dewar, a Director, continually touch base with me throughout my first rotation and provide tasks he noted would be of great value to my learning. As such, Moore fosters a welcoming environment that aims to challenge and encourage those to step out of their comfort zone.
Throughout my time, colleagues of all levels were always eager to help when I needed it most. They answered all the questions I threw their way no matter how big or small! This was no different when I visited on-site clients during my Audit and Assurance rotation.
My Buddies, Sophie Munro and Umesh Thulasaidas, were insightful and encouraging every step of the way. Every task they presented had a core purpose in building my confidence to undertake the work no matter how simple or complex. A special mention to Nicole Cancela for having stepped up to be my “Co-Buddy/Manager”. My first rotation would not have run as smoothly nor be as fulfilling as it was had it not been for her support and willingness to take me under her wing.
What was your highlight of the Vacationer Program?
One of the most memorable moments in the program was lunch with Moore’s CEO, Steve Sakkas. It was a wonderful occasion to hear from the man himself! As most would know, Steve is nothing but an open book and a man who speaks with purpose. He brought forth many insights on how to make the most out of the program and how to tackle obstacles the corporate environment may throw at us. But the conversation also soon shifted to hobby-related things such as sports—no surprises there!
Another highlight was my day out with the Business Advisory team for our Christmas celebration. Even though it was my first time, lawn bowling was absolutely enjoyable. Lunch followed at Father’s Office Speakeasy Bar and Restaurant where our team had the chance to take a step back, catch up and relax.
Describe a typical day for a Vacationer
The typical day consists of an 8:30 am start where we use this time to settle into our desks and catch up on emails and any Teams messages. We also utilise this time to check our calendar and determine how we can plan work around our schedule. Once our buddies are in the office, or online if they are working from home, we catch up with them for any tasks they may have outstanding that they would like completed.
Depending on the day and how busy the week is, Vacationers may be assigned several ad hoc tasks that do not take much time or undertake client work that may take a few days to almost a week to complete. One day you may be dealing with a family trust and the other, a multinational corporation. No two days are the same, especially when different divisions may have different clientele. Up until our Group Project presentation, the Vacationers had weekly meetings to work on this. This was on top of the weekly professional training sessions run by People & Culture. When lunchtime would come, the Vacationers would go out together and use this as a bonding opportunity to discuss new things learned.
What is something you learnt about yourself during the Vacationer Program?
Whilst undertaking the program, I discovered my strengths lay in workload diversity and time management. I found myself to be more productive when given a diverse range of tasks that had different completion times and levels of complexity. This seemed to be the most effective way for me to learn and truly maximise my experience. It also added more excitement and motivation to my work week.
Moore also helped uncover my self-confidence to always ask questions and voice any concerns I may have regarding the work at hand. This was especially important when faced with incomplete source documents whereby queries would need to be sent to clients thereafter. Audit and Assurance strengthened my analytical skills and my intuition to delve deeper into the information presented.
How has this experience influenced or impacted your future path?
The Vacationer Program has been extremely insightful and enriching for me to be able to envision my career path and direction in the corporate world. The work culture, workload, and values of the firm have allowed me to gain a thorough understanding of life at Moore and which division I see myself succeeding well in. I always knew I wanted to work in the accounting industry so I can add value to clients/businesses by analysing information and providing advice. This experience has merely concreted this aspiration and I hope to continue this path as a result.
The purposeful and impactful nature of the accounting work undertaken by the firm has been a key catalyst in this decision. As such, the Vacationer Program has further exemplified the integral role accounting plays in the community.
What advice would you give to someone interested in a Vacationer Program with Moore Australia?
University can only teach you so much about the corporate world and what you can expect when entering the professional environment. The wide range of opportunities and exposure to client work offered by the Vacationer Program supersedes the case studies most students work on in their courses. Moore’s program is unique in that they offer two rotations in the divisions of your choice and is something not offered by many firms.
I, therefore, encourage those interested to take advantage of the ‘real-life’ and ‘hands-on’ experience the Vacationer Program has to offer. It is an opportunity to integrate the core foundations learned in university and use them as an opportunity to promote value to the firm and its clients. What better way than to work with a Moore Global firm and get that head start in your interested field, whilst building your professionalism and industry network?
One of the best parts of early recruitment is the mid-year invites to Friday Night Drinks, Vacationer Meet and Greets, and Quarterly Huddles. As such, remember to stay in the loop as Moore does an exceptional job of keeping in touch with Vacationers throughout the year to help them settle in before their summer commencement.
Upon commencement, it is important to be proactive and walk into work with the eagerness to learn something new every day!