The Northern Territory has the lowest unemployment rate in the country with graduate accounting jobs found in a number of sectors, from large corporations and government departments to support roles in independent businesses.
The economy of the Northern Territory of Australia is fuelled by industry such as mining with its largest exports being petroleum and natural gas (33%). This means accounting graduates searching for jobs in this region are likely to find many opportunities within large energy firms.
The territory's capital city, Darwin, boasts the most varied opportunities in the NT with the following major organisations and financial and energy companies known to hire accounting graduates:
However, the NT’s other major settlements, including Alice Springs, Palmerston and Katherine, also provide entry-level accounting jobs for recent graduates in a range of sectors such as banking, retail and healthcare.
Graduate-level jobs in these sectors include payroll officer, bookkeeper, accounts clerk, credit controller and invoicing clerk. Tourism is another big economic driver in the NT, thanks to iconic attractions Kakadu National Park and Uluru, making hospitality and travel viable areas in which to seek bookkeeping positions.
In Darwin, a master of accounting can expect to make an average salary of $63,725.
Across Australia, job prospects for accounting graduates are growing with 80% of accounting graduates finding full-time work within four months of graduating. Competition, however, is stiff for the best roles, but there are many ways to get a foot on the ladder if you are an accounting graduate in the Northern Territory.
Work experience with any financial institution – or the accounts department of a sector you wish to work in – will give you practical experience which will impress at interview. Although not all work experience is paid, a number of larger financial companies such as KPMG and BDO as well as energy firms such as BHP Billiton offer internships and graduate programmes in the Darwin area.
For those wishing to work for the government, the Northern Territory Public Sector (NTPS) Graduate Development Program lasts one to two years and can provide an excellent career opportunity for recent graduates of all disciplines. It is also worth registering for graduate accounting job alerts through Grad Australia.
Corporate Finance Manager at Jardine Matheson in Hong Kong at Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
Senior Associate at EY at EY Australia
Bachelor of Science at University of Western Australia (UWA)
Risk Consultant at KPMG at KPMG AU -changed
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Economics at Monash University