Your Buddy

"New Hire" Buddy Program

• Integral part of the Firm's orientation program
• Matches new hire/co-op student with an existing employee
• They are their "Go To" person for any and all questions
• Helps them integrate with the Firm, in terms of culture, attitude and expectations

Your Student Ambassadors

Ambassador Program

You've had your taste of success during your BDO co-op, now you want to pass your knowledge and experience to your friends and see them get the same great experience.

The BDO Ambassador Program is a volunteer opportunity for returning co-op students to act as BDO representatives when they return to campus. After what will surely be an incredible experience, you return to campus with a renewed confidence and vigor that'll have your classmates wondering how they can get in on the action. Here's your chance. As an Ambassador, you get to attend recruiting events, and give advice to students who will love hearing from one of their own. You can discuss first hand what it's like working at BDO, and tell other potential recruits your success strategies.

• Volunteer based
• Returning co-op students act as BDO representatives on campus
• Promotional giveaways
• Reps discuss first hand what it is like to work for BDO

It's a great and fulfilling experience for those who take on the responsibility and enjoy interacting with one another.

See what our current student Ambassadors have to say:

Hello, my name is Tayo Adesanya and I am an ambassador at the Michigan State University.

I first joined BDO in the summer of 2006 as a Technical Writer, after just graduating from university. The Marketing Department was a great place to come and develop my skills. I met a lot of great people, and despite it being hard work, I managed to have a great deal of fun.

After a great two years at BDO I took the plunge and enrolled in law school. It was a difficult decision, not just heading off to school again, but leaving a workplace I came to enjoy very much. Luckily my ‘new world’ and my ‘old world’ were able to collide, as after my 2L year, I was able to come back to the firm as a summer co-op student, this time in the Legal Department. So far, it’s been a great experience, being back at the office, seeing old friends, making new ones and learning about the industry and this company from another angle. The great people in the Legal Department have taught me a lot, and I’ve been able to use my prior knowledge of the firm to my advantage, as I navigate the legal waters. It’s been a great learning experience, and I have to really thank the great people at BDO that have made both of my tours of duty here so much fun.

Hello, my name is Alvin Cheung and I am an ambassador at the University of Waterloo.

I have worked at BDO Canada as a co-op student for two work terms and the experience has been extremely rewarding. From day one, I felt like a part of the team and was quickly exposed to a wide variety of interesting work. As time progressed, I felt that BDO recognized my progress and gave me increasingly challenging work that challenged me to continue my learning and development throughout the term.

Although there is constantly something new to learn, everyone has been very supportive and more than willing to offer support when needed. Through my experience with BDO, I have been able to do work on interesting engagements with a great group of people and therefore, I would highly recommend this experience to anyone interested in accounting.

Hello, my name is Adil Hosenbocus and I am an ambassador at Thompson Rivers University.

I worked at BDO Dunwoody LLP in Kamloops, British Columbia as a co-op student for one year and my experience working there was incredible. The greatest benefit for me was the very unique culture at BDO. They have a very friendly work environment where everyone gets along and communicates with one another regardless of their position. It was like we were a small family or a group of close friends. There are many activities BDO offers such as lunch time cribbage games, Wii tennis (doubles) tournaments, pumpkin carving contests, Christmas gift exchanges, fantasy hockey pools and many more. I found that all the activities helped me build relationships with all my co-workers, including the senior managers and partners, and get to know them both on a business and personal level while having fun doing it. This helped me improve my knowledge and develop a greater understanding of accounting as I was able to learn different things from different people who I considered to be not just my co-workers, but also my friends.

Although I was just a co-op student, BDO made me feel like I was a very valuable asset to the firm. I was exposed to many different types of work including audits for big clients. They had confidence in me and gave me the opportunity to keep progressing throughout my work term. It seemed like there was always someone available to give me a helping hand whenever I needed it. Going back to school and being an Ambassador for BDO has been an incredible experience. Having the chance to share my experiences working at BDO with accounting students and inform them about what the unique culture there is at BDO is amazing. Although I am not working for BDO while I am back in school, I still feel like I am an important part of the firm as they often contact me to see how I am doing and invite me to come visit everyone at the firm whenever I have the chance. My experience working at BDO was better than I had ever imagined and I hope others get the chance to obtain the same great experience.

Hello, my name is Igor Momot and I am an Ambassador at Ryerson University.

Being an Ambassador for BDO is something that I am very proud of and encourage everyone to experience. My advice for being an effective Ambassador is to take on the role of the student who is looking for a job. By doing so, you will make the student more comfortable with you and feel as though you are a peer, not a recruiter. Not that there is anything wrong with being a recruiter, but I find that recruiters make students nervous thus making them act more serious. Another thing that is important is being honest. The students want the truth; they don't just want someone telling them how great their firm is; they have already heard. It is more beneficial to talk more about your experiences at the firm and your decision process for choosing BDO. This will make the students associate your feelings with their own and connect with you on a more personal level.

Representing the firm at your school is a different type of experience; however I feel that it is very important to just be yourself. People will not take you seriously if you are, or were one person in class and become a completely different person at recruiting events. Another thing that the students love is the "swag" and the more you give out, the better. At the end of the day, it is important to remember that the firm will sell itself on paper because it has so much to offer - it is the fifth largest firm; most offices in the world; etc. The key to making people want to join the firm is to make them want to work alongside staff like you and really buy into the environment and culture. Have fun at the events and make yourself available to answer questions and help out after the event.

Hello, my name is Alim Bhayani and I am an Ambassador at Ivey.

My experience working for BDO Dunwoody LLP has been unlike anything I have experienced in the past. The culture at BDO is very unique as you have access to a mixture of people at different levels such as Partners, Managers and Senior Managers.

I am able to gain experience in an assortment of industries as well as work with private and public companies. In my opinion, the breadth of experience gained at BDO is incomparable to any other firm in the industry.

Firm Ambassadors

Salman Alvi, Senior Manager, Markham

How did attending University of Toronto influence your decision to become a CA?
During my years at U of T, I was taught most of the accounting courses by CAs who had moved from public practice into a teaching role. By listening to their stories and hearing about their experiences in obtaining their designations, it really opened my eyes as to how many diverse opportunities a CA designation can provide

What did you enjoy the most about the program and/or University of Toronto?
The best part about the Commerce program at U of T was the corporate environment in which I was taught. Many of the courses took place in the Rotman Centre, which also houses the MBA program and provides a business-like atmosphere. Also, many of the courses took place at night, which meant I was meeting a lot of older people who worked during the day and provided a different angle to many group projects. Having my classes located walking distance from the financial and banking hubs also made for a comfortable transition from university life to work life.

What was your favourite course and what was your least favourite?
My favourite courses were the corporate and personal tax courses. My least favourite course would have to be IT auditing.

When did you realize the accounting field was right for you?
In the last two years of high school, I spent the summers working for my dad’s company. I had taken some basic accounting courses and enjoyed them so I asked to work in the accounting department from time to time. Being surrounded by many CAs there, I was able to appreciate the type of work that accountants, and specifically CAs, get to do. Every project they put me on was more fun and exciting than the previous. Right then and there, I knew that this was the right field for me.

What do you think makes BDO unique?
Having worked at both the Big 4 accounting firms as well as smaller firms, I can provide a reliable response to what makes BDO unique. At the larger firms, you get to work with larger clients and with larger teams. Although this can be enjoyable at times, it does not provide the best learning experience to become a well-rounded accountant. For example, it may take years for you to work on a complete file and understand how all the pieces fit together to run a business. At a smaller firm, although you get more hands-on experience, the type of work you may get is limited as the smaller firms are not capable of handling and servicing larger, more complex clients, and there is not as much support from a learning and training perspective. At BDO, you get the best of both worlds. National office provides comparable training and support services that the Big 4 provide; however, within your office, you get to work with small clients to large public companies, ensuring that you get more diverse learning opportunities than any other firm

How has working with students contributed to your career as a CA?
I enjoy teaching and training, so working with the new hires and with co-op students has allowed me to do this, as well as better my skills as a public speaker. Attending university recruiting sessions also allows me to pass on the message to potential candidates as to why they should choose BDO.

What top three skills would you say are the key components to being a successful CA?

• Time management skills
• Organizational skills
• The ability to communicate with clients and other staff

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Lance Clark , Partner, Edmonton

How did attending the University of Alberta influence your decision to become a CA?
The B comm. program at the U of A (in 1976 to 1981) provided good exposure to various business options. I had entered the program with the idea of either pursuing the CA designation or a law degree. Needless to say, I found the accounting courses more to my liking and pursued the CA designation. I think that I had decided on it as early as grade ten, but the exposure to the actual accounting program crystallized that.

What did you enjoy the most about the program and/or U of A?
The educational aspect of university was a given, but the social aspects and the skills I developed in that regard became paramount as I proceeded through my professional career.

What was your favourite course and what was your least favourite?
My favorite were most sociology options; my least favourite were all the organizational. theory courses

How did you determine what area you would like to specialize in?
I am currently practicing in the FAS area of the firm, specializing in Litigation Support / Matrimonial Property dispute. This is an area that I have been working in since 1986, and it is an area that, as a practitioner, one evolves into. You generally can’t just say “I will work in this area” because some personalities just don’t fit. Fortunately, I think mine does with the numerous lawyers and litigation clients that I have to deal with on a daily basis. The skill set determines if one can work in this area; the personality determines if one can stay working in this area.

Did you complete your co-op term at BDO?
I was a “work study (co-op) student” back in 1979 to 1981 with a firm under the name Galigan Bennis & Company. It became Galigan & Partners, which became Gardiner Karbani Audy & Partners, which merged with BDO on Jan 1, 2007.

Describe your favourite school memory.
Any and all sport teams (volleyball, basket ball, curling, skiing, track and field, cross country running, etc…).

When did you realize the accounting field was right for you?
Grade 10 or 11

What do you like best about working at BDO Dunwoody?
The teamwork and commitment to providing the best service for all our clients. No client is more important than the other (they have different needs, but are of the same importance). Also, the network of experts to assist in all types of business / financial issues.

What do you think makes BDO unique?
Our small firm responsiveness in a big firm world!

Describe your most memorable / favourite experience working as a co-op student.
As a co-op student, I was given responsibility at a very early stage to deal with clients directly and “learn on the fly” how to deal with their accounting and business needs. The support was always there but, regardless, that level of responsibility showed that the firm trusted my abilities, which is most important for professional and personal growth. We need to provide that to all young professionals, but we also need to have them be “team players” who are capable of exhibiting that ability, so that the trust can be well placed

How has working with students contributed to your career as a CA?
It keeps me addressing fresh ideas, and good students will challenge themselves and me, which makes everyone better off in the long run.

If you could give future CAs one piece of advice, what would it be?
Although we are in the accounting business, being able to deal with people is still a paramount skill set. We can’t just crunch numbers because, at the end of the day, you have to be able to interpret and communicate the results of that “crunching” to a public that needs to know and, in the end, are your livelihood.

If you could go back and do one thing differently (during your co-op), what would it be?
Nothing

If you weren’t a CA, what would you be?
A poorly paid golf pro

What top three skills would you say are the key components to being a successful CA?

• Problem identifications (ask the right questions)
• Being able to see the forest for the trees (materiality and objectivity)
• Being able to communicate what you see, not just regurgitate a set of standards

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Dom Cocco, Partner, Burlington

How did attending McMaster influence your decision to become a CA?
I had never heard of any of the Big 8 CA firms except Price Waterhouse from the Oscars each year (PW tabulated votes kept the envelopes sealed so nobody would know in advance who won). In 3rd year at McMaster, a CA event was planned with all the firms attending and I found out about the Big 8, Doane Raymond, Dunwoody & Co, Ward Mallette.

How did you determine what area you would like to specialize in?
I wanted something that related to my personal life. Tax was part of my personal life, audit was not. I figured saving clients some tax dollars would be a rewarding career and I might be able to help myself in the process.

Describe your favourite school memory.
March break in Fort Lauderdale in 2nd and 4th year are certainly memorable. But I think 4th year flying back from Lauderdale, going from the airport straight to the exam room, and passing the exam was an unexpected accomplishment. My best friend shook his head, then told me he was going to mint a coin that said “In Cokes we Trust” [my nickname] similar to the US penny.

When did you realize the accounting field was right for you?
In 2nd and 3rd year, a couple of us started getting great marks in the accounting courses. It just became intuitive and it seemed to fit me well. Up until then, I was finding my way.

What do you think makes BDO unique?
I’ve worked in a Big 4 firm and at BDO. The big firms are excellent at dealing with public corps and with the corporate issues for large private corps. BDO bridges this one step further and takes it to the shareholders – we always figure out what it will mean to the owners, not just the company – and that is the full picture for any planning.

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Mike Cowan, Partner, Essex

How did attending University of Waterloo influence your decision to become a CA?
When I was selecting a university, Waterloo was the pioneer in co-op and they were well-respected by accounting firms. At the time, there were other co-op programs available in accounting, but some of them were not recognized by the Institute so the co-op time would not count towards attaining the CA designation. The program at University of Waterloo also geared students towards taking the CA or the CMA route. Since I was interested in becoming a CA due to my interest in numbers and dealing with people, the program for the CA route was set up to get me exactly what I wanted. I was also able to learn on the job through the co-op process to ensure that becoming a CA was what I truly wanted.

Did you complete your co-op term at BDO?
I completed all of my co-op terms at BDO.

If so,Why did you choose BDO for your co-op placement?
Choosing BDO was easy as my boss at Tim Horton’s was the client of a partner in our Windsor office and he suggested I give him a resume. Having my boss confirm that I would be a good addition to the BDO team made my interview process a lot easier. I kept returning to BDO for co-op terms because it was a welcoming atmosphere. I could see the opportunity for career advancement and I was learning new things each term. I could also see that I was beneficial to the firm and that, in turn, the firm was helping me reach my goals. It was nice to see a file from beginning to end – it gave me a sense of accomplishment and helped to educated me on the many different kinds of companies we work with and the many accounting services that we provide.

What do you think makes BDO unique?
All staff are treated fairly and are given a chance to have their say. At many of our office gatherings, it is difficult to tell who are partners and what various staff members’ positions are because everyone seems to get along quite well regardless of their title. BDO has a different identity than the other National firms – we service clients of all shapes and sizes, all makes and models. It gives our staff the opportunity to see many things throughout their careers and it keeps things new and interesting.

How has working with students contributed to your career as a CA?
Students have a lot of new ideas to offer. We have adapted ideas from students’ co-op reports into practical office practices. A new voice can bring up an idea sometimes that just needed to be heard. Some students have said, “Well, if we’re doing this process, shouldn’t we take the next step and do this process as well?” It may seem logical and obvious to one person, but sometimes these things slip by the attention of others.

What top three skills would you say are the key components to being a successful CA?

• Communication – both verbal and written
• The willingness to learn – and continue learning
• Creativity – and the ability to think on your feet

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Kristy Kwan, Senior Manager, Vancouver

What do you like best about working at BDO Dunwoody?
This may sound cliché but it's definitely the people I work with! The relationships with my mentors have taught me about so much more than just technical skills and I hope I've done the same for the people I’ve mentored.

How has working with students contributed to your career as a CA?
The best way to know you understand something is to teach it.

If you could give future CAs one piece of advice, what would it be?
Always be open to learning. I still learn as much now as I did when I was a student.

If you weren’t a CA, what would you be?
I would probably be in sales or advertising -- I was a cosmetician prior to becoming a CA and I've been told that I'm very persuasive!

What top three skills would you say are the key components to being a successful CA?

• Time management
• The ability to converge divergent viewpoints
• Listening skills

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Jeanne Millis, Partner, Brandon

When did you realize the accounting field was right for you?
About 5 years after I got my CA

What do you like best about working at BDO Dunwoody?
The limitless opportunity and challenges. Although hard work and life long learning can be stressful, for me, they are the key ingredients to having a fulfilling and rewarding career.

What do you think makes BDO unique?
The combination of our size, services and location make us uniquely suited to provide a wide range of services to every sized client.

If you could give future CAs one piece of advice, what would it be?
Seek out the niche and work environment that makes you happy. There are many specialties and opportunities – keep looking until you find your place.

If you weren’t a CA, what would you be?
An actuary or a lawyer

What top three skills would you say are the key components to being a successful CA?

• The ability to learn
• Communication
• The ability to adapt

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Olivia Mui, Senior Manager, Markham

How did attending University of Waterloo influence your decision to become a CA?
University of Waterloo offers a specialized program for the accounting students pursuing their chartered accountant designation. The co-op program allowed me to understand what it is like to be a CA.

What did you enjoy the most about the program and/or University of Waterloo?
Since the accounting program is a specialized 4 year program at University of Waterloo with a class of around 200 people, I developed good friendships with my classmates over those years. To this day, some of us still gather regularly and often turn to each other for professional advice.

What do you like best about working at BDO Dunwoody?
BDO Dunwoody has the atmosphere of a smaller firm but with the infrastructure and support of a large firm. The partner to staff ratio is low, thus staff members interact with the partners for each engagement. Everyone knows each other by name in the office. BDO also has a very good national team that provides professional training on a regular basis and provides support on more complex issues.

What do you think makes BDO unique?
BDO Dunwoody has clients that are mid-sized and ranging from sole proprietors to public companies. As a staff, because you get to work on engagements with different industries, you get an idea of what you like and what you don’t like. This helps to decide on a future career path, whether in a public firm or in the industry. In addition, because of the size of our clients, staff members are involved in the planning, execution and finalization of each engagement. This means that if the engagement has tax or accounting issues, staff members get a chance to work on it.

If you could give future CAs one piece of advice, what would it be?
A CA is not just a number cruncher. Instead, a CA is responsible for gathering both financial and non-financial information for his/her users so that he/she can make accounting, tax and operational decisions that could determine the success of a business.

What top three skills would you say are the key components to being a successful CA?

• Adaptability – We meet different clients with different industries and background on a daily basis. We must understand what is important to their business and be able to communicate our professional advice to them.
• Problem solving – We should be able to identify problems, analyze them and provide recommendations.
• Good interpersonal skills – Often, we assist our clients in meeting with their bankers, lawyers and other business partners; therefore, we need to communicate effectively and instill confidence to develop and expand business relationships.

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Cedric Paquin, Manager, Winnipeg

How did attending Le Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface influence your decision to become a CA?
The university arranged presentations from the CASB and the CICA once a year. These presentations exposed me to the CA profession.

What did you enjoy the most about the program and/or Le Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface?
Having most of Fridays off.

What was your favourite course and what was your least favourite?
My favourite course was philosophy and my least favourite was translation.

How did you determine what area you would like to specialize in?
I am specializing in tax. I enjoy working with clients who have a desire to be successful and are passionate about their businesses. Working in tax allows me to help them realize their goals by providing advice in an area of their businesses that they do not fully understand.

When did you realize the accounting field was right for you?
My summer job during school was working as a fishing guide in a fly-in fishing resort in northern Manitoba. My clients were generally wealthy business men. The advice that many gave me was that, if I wanted to go into business, I should become familiar with accounting. I took the advice and never looked back.

What do you like best about working at BDO Dunwoody?
The ability to work with a variety of owner-managed businesses in a variety of industries. I also think that working closely with Partners and mentors is a great learning experience that will benefit me in the future.

How has working with students contributed to your career as a CA?
I believe that teaching is the best way to learn. Training our new students and working with them as they progress through the CASB program, and ultimately write the UFE, has been a great way for me to keep up to date with recent developments in the profession.

If you could give future CA’s one piece of advice, what would it be?
Ask a lot of questions. Work on as many engagements and assignments as you can until you find the area that you enjoy the most. And don’t give up; success on the UFE is a great feeling.

If you weren’t a CA, what would you be?
I would probably still be a fishing guide

What top three skills would you say are the key components to being a successful CA?

• Resourceful
• Self motivated
• Communicative

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Tim Sothern, Partner, Kitchener/Waterloo

How did attending Wilfrid Laurier University influence your decision to become a CA?
WLU’s business program was second to none and their accounting students were well known to pass the UFE. Also, the accounting classes at WLU were relevant and interesting

What was your favourite course and what was your least favourite?
My favourite course was Business 111/121. My least favourites were Math 108/109 and 2nd Year Statistics.

Did you complete your co-op term at BDO?
Yes.

If so, why did you choose BDO for your co-op placement?
BDO gave me the ability to become a larger cog in a smaller wheel. I knew I would have direct interaction with clients and that appealed to me.

What do you think makes BDO unique?
The key difference at BDO is the personal relationships that you develop with your clients. You are seen as an integral part of their business teams and not a commodity.

How has working with students contributed to your career as a CA?
Working with students has enhanced my teaching skills, which has allowed me to teach our firm’s professional development courses as well as at the ICAO School of Accountancy.

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Glenn Ventrcek, Partner, Alliston

How did attending Brock University influence your decision to become a CA?
The accounting program there is geared specifically for students that want to become CAs.
Also, after doing varsity sports for 4 years, I realized that I needed a solid occupation.

What did you enjoy the most about the program and/or university?
There were only approximately 100 people graduating in the program – big enough to meet other people, but still small enough to make lifelong friends.

What was your favourite course and what was your least favourite?
My favourite course was likely Management Accounting 3P21. My least liked was English 1P90 (it was on a Wednesday night for 3 hours).

How did you determine what area you would like to specialize in?
I enjoyed the management accounting and the financial reporting side. This helped me realize that getting both the CMA and the CA would help me down the road. Brock offered all 51 credit hours to get the CA and there were no additional classes required to write the CMA entrance exam.

Did you complete your co-op term at BDO?
I was a non-coop (due to varsity), but I did do an 8 month co-op in my 4th year for a firm in Peterborough.

Describe your favourite school memory.
The various Ontario university finals for the varsity cross country running team. We always had a lot of fun. I also lived on campus for 3.5 years – lots of stories could be told.

When did you realize the accounting field was right for you?
After realizing that there are a lot of great athletes out there, I knew I needed to find a solid career. I was already good at math, so I just continued in this direction.

What do you like best about working at BDO Dunwoody?
The variety of the clients and staff. Also, the ability to travel – I did an 18 month secondment to Melbourne, Australia.

What do you think makes BDO unique?
The variety of people working together to help clients.

Describe your most memorable / favourite experience working with/as a co-op student.
As a manager, I had many opportunities to work with students. Having clients appreciate their efforts is memorable. Also, seeing them achieve their goals of passing the UFE is a great experience.

How has working with students contributed to your career as a CA?
In our environment, we need to constantly learn and adapt. The accounting profession is ever-changing. Students can bring a totally different perspective to a client.

If you could give future CAs one piece of advice, what would it be?
Work with as many different clients that you can and keep an open mind.

If you could go back and do one thing differently (during your co-op), what would it be?
As a recent grad, I took a job at an accounting firm that specialized in servicing a real estate developer. I worked with that client for 10 months a year. After 2+ years, I realized that there is more to accounting than just dealing with real estate. In order to get my CA, I needed a broader range of experience.

If you weren’t a CA, what would you be?
Either teaching or owning my own business.

What top three skills would you say are the key components to being a successful CA?
Learn to listen
Remember that we are in a client service industry – a little appreciation goes a long way
Keep learning

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Daryl Maduke, Senior Manager, Vancouver

How did attending British Columbian Institute of Technologies (BCIT) influence your decision to become a CA?
While attending BCIT, I was fortunate enough to have a number CAs as instructors. I was able to get to know, and grew to respect, a few of the instructors who helped guide me to the CA designation.

What did you enjoy the most about the program and/or BCIT?
I enjoyed the smaller classroom sizes at BCIT, as well as the instructors who were able to introduce real world work experience examples into the curriculum.

What was your favourite course and what was your least favourite?
My favourite course was Tax (Levels 1 and 2) and my least favourite course was Marketing.

How did you determine what area you would like to specialize in?
After spending approximately 4.5 years focusing on the audits of public companies, an opportunity in our tax department became available. I decided to make the switch, as I had always enjoyed tax while in school and made sure to take every opportunity I could to work on the tax sections while I was in audit. I enjoy the technically challenge environment of tax.

Describe your favourite school memory.
One of my favourite school memories was the various field trips that I went on as a child; they always seemed like such an adventure. I remember my first trip to Science World and being so impressed and excited when I walked through the doors of what looked like a giant golf ball.

When did you realize the accounting field was right for you?
My original path after high school involved completing an undergraduate science degree with a major in physics. After deciding I was no longer interested in working in a lab for the rest of my life, I went to BCIT to complete my Financial Management Diploma and was fortunate to meet and be mentored by a few CAs. It was after this experience that I decided that a CA was right for me.

What do you like best about working at BDO Dunwoody?
I think the best things about working at BDO are the people and the culture. During my interview, I distinctly remember how impressed I was with the people that I met, and how willing they were to help each other.

What do you think makes BDO unique?
Our staff and culture is what makes BDO unique.

Describe your most memorable / favourite experience working with/as a co-op student.
The most memorable experience I had working with a co-op student was the first day on a large audit. The co-op student arrived and I was the senior on the job at the time. I remember asking the co-op student to complete the audit procedures for a few sections, including a GST reasonability test. The co-op student looked up at me and asked, “What is an ‘audit procedure’?
I haven’t taken that class yet.”

How has working with students contributed to your career as a CA?
Working with, training and helping to develop students’ experience in accounting has helped improve my career as a CA. It is a very rewarding experience.

If you could give future CAs one piece of advice, what would it be?
If I could give one piece of advice to future CAs it would be to always maintain a balance between your personal life and professional career. As a professional, the time commitments throughout the year can vary significantly, but it is always important to ensure you keep a balance so that you don’t burn yourself out.

If you weren’t a CA, what would you be?
If I wasn’t a CA I would have been a police officer.

What top three skills would you say are the key components to being a successful CA?
The top three skills, in no particular order, would be:

• Time management
• Interpersonal skills
• Technical Knowledge

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Philip Weinstein, Partner, London

When did you realize the accounting field was right for you?
I realized the accounting field was right for me when I realized that I did not enjoy organic chemistry.

What do you like best about working at BDO Dunwoody?
Every day is different as I work at BDO.

What do you think makes BDO unique?
BDO’s people and its concentration on smaller and medium sized enterprises make it unique.

How has working with students contributed to your career as a CA?
By asking interesting and challenging questions, accounting students offer a different perspective – one that I have not thought of.

If you could give future CAs one piece of advice, what would it be?
Keeping and open mind with some healthy skepticism will make every day an interesting one as an accountant.