NAME: Christopher Shaw

SCHOOL: U of T, St. George Campus. Bachelors of Commerce

COMPANY: Deloitte

AGE: 24 years old

DESIGNATION: CA.

Why do you think the accounting profession is important?

It creates a framework upon which everything can be judged. You can’t compare apples to oranges, right? Everything has to be compared on the same set of standards. It allows us to say “Well, my numbers say this, and your numbers say that, so you’re better than me’ versus two different standards.

Can you describe a typical day?

We work a lot with Excel and Power Point, creating presentations and reports for clients. Usually I get to the office, talk to the senior manager, get to know what my tasks are going to be, and we usually have a staff meeting every Monday to make sure everyone is utilized during the week, and to help alleviate any sort of burdens people might have.

So far, what has been the most excited aspect of your job?

I do recruiting for U of T St. George, and I really enjoy it because I can go back and meet the students and let them know of my experiences. It’s hard for a student who wants a certain career path but doesn’t know anyone in that field. They don’t have anyone senior to them saying “Do you really like this? Are you sure this is for you?” So I can go back to campus and really communicate with them, and understand their needs and wants.

I was surprised to discover how much movement accountants have within a firm.

Exactly. There’s no red tape. At Deloitte, they want you to get the best experience possible, and they offer a wide range of services – tax, audit, financial advisory, and consultation. Obviously you don’t just snap your fingers and go, but it’s a lot easier than coming in externally.

What did you do to set yourself apart from your peers to get where you are?

It was familiarity with recruiters. They have recruiting events in August, September and October right before applications go in. And what students have to realize that they have to go to these events, and they have to get to know, or at least try to get to know everybody. And not just the partners or the senior managers, but actually the junior staff; believe it or not, they have a significant role in deciding who is a good candidate and who is not. On a daily basis you’ll be interacting with people who are a year older than you at the firm.

Conversely, how important is teamwork with the people you work with?

Nobody wants a Debbie Downer. Even if it’s a long day -- and there are long days and hard days -- you just have to try and stay positive, and contribute. If everyone is staying till two in the morning and you’re leaving at four, then obviously there is something wrong.

What misconceptions about accounting did you have as a student prior to working Deloitte?

A lot of people think it’s bookkeeping. And a lot of people think it’s tax. You say “I’m an accountant” and they say “Can you do my taxes?” I don’t know anything about tax, only enough to pass my exams. We have a tax department that does tax, but not everyone in accounting does taxes. An accountant can offer such a wide range of services. And that’s really important, especially when you're dealing with huge organizations.