We would like to introduce you to Timm. He commenced working as a tax graduate in our Melbourne firm earlier in the year.
When Timm was researching graduate positions, a friend who already worked in HLB’s Business Advisory division recommended he apply for a role in the firm’s tax team.
What’s your ‘Team HLB’ story?
I wanted to work for a mid-tier firm, like HLB, for two main reasons. Firstly, I wanted a diverse client base. An opportunity to work with many different types of clients across a range of industries. Having a variety of clients is engaging and teaches you a lot!
My other reason was that I wanted a real work-life balance. I was looking to work somewhere that still gave me the time to catch up with friends or pursue my hobbies during the week.
The standout factor for deciding to work at HLB, is that it is an award-winning firm and is held in high regard. Once I started working at the firm, it quickly became obvious that HLB’s partners encourage the team to be themselves and to develop personal relationships with clients and each other. This really appeals to me as I am a very social person.
Follow Timm as he walks us through a day in the Melbourne office
8:45am
I start at 8:45 – however on days that I have football training, I like to come in at 8:15 so that I can leave early to make it to training on time.
I always go straight to the kitchen to make myself a coffee and hopefully catch a chat with someone along the way. After that I like to check my emails and then map out my main priorities for the day.
The tax team meets daily for a morning discussion. We run through our work plans and share any good news – whether its about work or something personal.
Mid-morning
Mornings are usually dedicated to client work, whether it’s tax compliance or general advisory. I like to take a break mid-morning to eat a snack and grab another coffee. I then go and sit at my desk and enjoy my coffee and continue working on the client work I have been assigned.
Lunchtime
The office has a large kitchen area. I go and heat up my lunch and sit with others from the tax or business advisory teams.
The weather is nice, so I am going out for a short walk. I’ll then be feeling refreshed and keen to get some more work done.
3:00pm
I have received an email requesting that I make some calls to the ATO on behalf of a client. I spend most of my afternoon alternating between a client’s compliance work and talking to the ATO.
As the day starts to come to an end, I’ll schedule a time to sit down with my manager to review some of my work. It’s a good time to ask questions and to receive feedback.
It doesn’t happen everyday however…
The Melbourne firm has a very full calendar of social events! The first function I went to was a trivia night. It was a great to enjoy some pizza, a few drinks and have a laugh with everyone in the firm.
Timm’s advice for graduates
Listen to everyone around you and be ready to learn something new every single day! It is crazy how much you learn; even short and random conversations can teach you things about the profession. Taking on each day with the mindset of wanting to learn something new, will help you develop. It will make you excited for work each day.