Samantha Spence

6.00 AM

I usually wake up around this time or a little bit earlier. I am then greeted by my dog Indie eagerly awaiting her morning walk. I aim to walk for around 30 minutes if I am going into the office. I like to begin my day this way as it allows her to be active and I too get to start my day with a positive mindset.

When I get back from my walk, I have a shower then get dressed for the day and leave for the train station.

7.00 AM

I then use spare my time, during the train ride, to relax by watching Netflix, listening to music, or studying for my Chartered Accountancy unit. I’ve just finished my most recent unit so luckily, I can forget about that for a couple of weeks and enjoy some shows or music. It is then only a 5-minute walk from the station to the office.

8.00 AM

I begin my workday by reviewing my emails and replying to those that require a response. Once I have read an email, I like to move it into the corresponding folder or delete it, so my inbox has only emails I need to action. Often the emails I receive daily are from the Senior Associate on the engagement team or the client.

I then move on and write a list of tasks categorised by the deadline for the day. I then check Audit Dashboard which is the platform we use to send requests to clients regarding supporting documents and schedules. I can see the documents I required from last week’s client have been uploaded so I begin my day by vouching for what is there. With no variances, I accept the request on Dashboard and upload my work paper into the engagement file.

I try to use the standing desk once a day to break up all the sitting.

9.00 AM

Our Associate group meets once every two months for a coffee catch-up. We elect an associate to run the meeting where they will go through an agenda with comments from the seniors and managers.

It is a time for our group to raise anything we deem relevant and to catch up both personally and professionally. Our minutes are then discussed at Manager’s weekly meeting. I ordered a large mocha and discussed our upcoming training session and experience using the new work paper templates.

10.30 AM

I check my calendar to confirm the meeting room for the engagement team meeting. An engagement team meeting is held multiple times during an audit but mine today is a planning meeting with the Senior Associate and Manager. The Manager provides insight into the previous year’s audit and changes to the client’s operation. The Senior Associate then progresses through the engagement tracker which consists of the cycles for planning, fieldwork and concluding. Each engagement member is allocated cycles to complete, and the testing procedure is discussed.

The planning meeting is a great time to ask technical or client-related questions to assist in completing your designated cycles. I requested planning documents I had not completed before to ensure I was continuing my development.

11.30 AM

I return to my desk and review the cycles allocated to me on the tracker. I begin by making requests on the audit dashboard for all the supporting documents I require from the client so I can draft the documents while I wait for a response. I move on to reviewing the ASX announcements and board minutes, considering if there is an audited impact in the current year. This is also the stage where materiality is set, and the engagement is scoped in preparation for fieldwork.

I send an email to the client to arrange a meeting this afternoon to complete the walkthrough procedures.

I often colour-coordinate the tasks to show which are complete, in progress or yet to be started to stay organised and make the progress of the audit clear.

12.30 PM

Time for lunch. Today most of the 2022 graduates are in the office, so we decided to sit in the kitchen together looking out to Kings Park.

2.00 PM

I move into a quiet room and set up my computer ready for the client meeting. I ensure my walkthrough questions are prepared and start the meeting. After a quick introduction and explanation of the purpose of today’s journal entry walkthrough, I commence asking my questions. Each question aids the understanding of the processes in place for posting and reviewing journal entries. I discuss the software used, the user access and the review process. After asking all the questions I thank the client and ask if they have any questions about the planning support required, if the questions require an answer I reply confidently and accordingly.

I go back to my desk and finalise the walkthrough documentation ready to upload to the engagement file. I will refer to this document when I am testing journal entries at fieldwork.

3.00 PM

4.00 PM

Time for an afternoon pick-me-up! In the Audit team, we love snacking and sugary treats. I usually take the sour straps and a watermelon lollipop. After getting my sugar hit, I go back to finishing the planning documents from this morning as the client has responded to my requests.

4.30 PM

Time to end my day. I save what I was working on, review my checklist and tick those that are completed. Before I leave for the train station, I have a quick look at what meetings I have tomorrow and if I am in the office, working from home or at the client site so I can ensure I am organised.