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Tamara on her Audit Mandate
I remember feeling very nervous and anxious the first time I was told that I would be going on an audit. I was being sent to Vancouver, BC for a week with two people I had just recently met. I suddenly feared that everything I learned in school as an accounting major was not enough to get me through the upcoming mandate. |
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As soon as I arrived at the client site, my anxiety began to disappear. My colleagues turned out to be two friendly and knowledgeable individuals. Both had been summer students in previous years and therefore knew exactly how I was feeling. They assured me that my feelings were normal and that everything would go smoothly. Their help and explanations with every task enabled me to work confidently with the client. Throughout the week, I learned a lot about the whole process of an audit. This experience gave me an accurate and exciting look at my future as an accountant!
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Simon on his Audit Mandates
During my stint as a summer student, RSM Richter gave me several assignments, involving me in two audit engagements. This fast-tracked my professional development and enabled me to grasp a number of concepts that will help me a lot in my future classes and in my career.
I was required to take up a number of challenges: being part of a 4-person team, working on the premises of a client for which this was the initial engagement, completing the cash, fixed asset, depreciation and professional fee sections, etc. |
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In addition, I performed walk-through tests that helped me to understand just how the business was run, I audited two completely different firms (an NPO and a production firm) and I was given an opportunity to speak directly with the controllers of both of them. On top of it all, I got to know the people on my team very well and to appreciate the roles and responsibilities attached to each position at RSM Richter.
Overall, I spent six weeks in the field. During these assignments, I was shown how to apply the various concepts that I had learned in school, in addition to picking up several other accounting concepts, which will help me to pursue my career in accounting. My time at RSM Richter has given me confidence in my abilities, an impetus for my studies and a much better understanding of a public accountant’s work.