As the national capital, Canberra is home to offices of many large accounting firms. Many of these work closely with the government and gaining a graduate position in this city is likely to lead to a challenging and rewarding career as an accountant. But it's not just accounting firms who take on accountants in graduate positions. Many banks, smaller firms and federal and territory government agencies seek graduate accountants through their own employment programs.
As a popular place to live and work, Canberra is a competitive jobs market - and graduate positions are always highly sought after. Each year, the city produces many highly qualified graduates from its large student population. To cater for this, Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand run annual employment seminars in the city, providing professional development and networking opportunities for accountancy students. These events give students the opportunity to take part in mock interviews with HR representatives of companies looking to take on graduates in the following years while connecting students and graduates with employers actively hiring.
Many of the graduate programs on offer in Canberra take applications a year in advance. However, a number of smaller firms may advertise graduate positions with a shorter lead, right before the new working year. Many of these positions commence in late January or early February. Salaries in the larger firms and federal and territory government departments hover around $70,000.
Those who land graduate positions in Canberra often find they have greater support than their peers in other cities as their employers are willing to invest the time into their graduates to ensure they continue on a positive career path in the firm or department. While there are often strong loyalties fostered in the relatively small city of Canberra, there are still plenty of opportunities to make career moves from an initial graduate position.
Auditor in the Assurance Audit Services Group at ANAO at Australian National Audit Office (ANAO)
Performance Analyst at Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) at Australian National Audit Office (ANAO)
Performance Analyst at Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) at Australian National Audit Office (ANAO)
Master of Anthropology at Australian National University (ANU)
Accountant in Business Services at Pitcher Partners at Pitcher Partners