Student careers

If you believe that business is about more than the balance sheet and profit and loss statement, then this could be the team for you. Our audit specialists and technical experts focus on the bigger picture.

BDO has one of New Zealand’s largest dedicated audit teams and access to a network of experts around the world in over 100 countries

To be great at Audit you need to have an eye for detail as well as being very thorough. Audit is like CSI for accountants. At BDO you’ll undertake audits for a wide range of clients from smaller and mid-market sized firms through to corporate and listed companies. As auditors, we look to see if the clients’ statement about their financial position are true, fair and accurate. We work closely with their finance team and other key people to get to know their business well and understand the risks they face. We then identify any weaknesses in their financial statements, business systems or culture, and advise them on suitable solutions.

If you choose Audit at BDO you’ll spend a lot of time at our clients’ premises, which is a great way to absorb the atmosphere of the business and get a sense of its culture, how the people like to work and what motivates them to perform. These are great things to learn about business as a new grad.

Read our blog from Antonio Bateson, a 2022 BDO grad, about his experiences in his first year working in Audit at BDO Wellington here. 

Learn more about Audit

As businesses grow, so do the challenges they face. Our Advisory team provides personalised services to clients based on their unique needs and to meet the challenges at every stage of their life cycle.

To excel in BAS (Business Advisory Services) you need to not only understand financial concepts, but also be a great communicator, be able to work with and without guidance and as part of our team.

In Advisory, we work alongside businesses to help support and manage their financial affairs. We look after the basics such as tax compliance, day to day accounting requirements, payroll and preparing financial statements, right through to the more complex stuff such as growth strategies, tax planning and asset protection. 

We take our time to get to know our clients really well, comparing where they are now with where they want to be, and taking a good look at how they are currently doing things so we can offer real value. One of the best bits about working for BDO is that you work with these clients from day one. This means you get to see and hear first-hand how the work we do helps our clients.

Read our blog from Zoe Morrell, a current BDO grad, about her experiences working in BAS here.

Learn more about Advisory Services

Tax touches all aspects of people’s lives. If you are creative and enjoy problem solving, then Tax is for you. Our team of tax specialists back businesses with practical, innovative and robust solutions.

You will be responsible for an array of matters, from assisting individuals and liaising with Inland Revenue, to complex cross-border transactional work. Our tax practitioners undertake a variety of work on a daily basis where no one day is the same.As a graduate in our tax team, you will hit the ground running from your first day where you will be expected to make valuable contributions to the work our team undertakes. In addition to compliance work, a small glimpse of the work undertaken by recent graduates includes preparation of transfer pricing reports, involvement with mergers and acquisitions, tax due diligence reviews, and preparation of various tax opinions and tax structuring advice. We add value to our clients’ businesses, while helping them achieve their short-term goals and long-term vision.

Read our blog from Lydia Jackson, a 2022 BDO grad, about her experiences in her first year working in Tax at BDO Auckland here. 

Learn more about Tax

Are you wanting to qualify as a Chartered Accountant within the next few years? Then it’s good to know that we are the 3rd biggest CA employer in New Zealand and hold Recognised Training Employer status with Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand.

When you’re ready to commence your postgraduate qualification and begin your journey to becoming a Chartered Accountant, we will support your CA program pathway and studies to achieve this.