Claire Mortimer a Senior Accountant at Accru Melbourne has just returned from a two month secondment in Toronto. Read her story below.
Recently I returned from a two month secondment at Rosenswig McRae Thorpe LLP in Toronto, Canada. The opportunity arose through Accru and Rosenswig McRae Thorpe’s involvement with the CPA Associates International (CPAAI) network. I was lucky enough to be selected for this valuable international experience, like several past team members of both firms.
Having been with Accru Melbourne for six years, the opportunity gave me the chance to experience a different working environment. I was pleased to find that Rosenswig McRae Thorpe had a very similar friendly, young and vibrant culture to Accru. At Accru Melbourne we have four key values (we care about you, we do the right thing, we create opportunities and we enjoy what we do) and I was impressed to find these values were also lived at Rosenswig McRae Thorpe.
During my time with Rosenswig McRae Thorpe, I was able to work with a wide range of businesses from various industries. While I was surprised at how many tax and accounting concepts were almost identical in Canada, it was interesting to learn about Canadian specific areas such as state/province specific taxation. I also have a strong interest in accounting software, for both accounting firms and business, so I found working with different businesses and systems fascinating.
I found that as a city Toronto had many similarities to Melbourne, in terms of culture, city layout and the fact they’re both fantastic cities to live in – the main difference being the chilly Canadian winter! Rosenswig McRae Thorpe is located in the heart of Toronto’s thriving financial district, by living and working in the area I got to experience Toronto at its best!
I was also lucky enough to follow my secondment with four weeks of annual leave. During this time my Fiancé joined me to travel through Canada and the United States.
This international experience has been very valuable to me on both a professional and personal level and I would highly recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity. Thank you to both Accru Melbourne and Rosenswig McRae Thorpe an opportunity that I will never forget!
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