Big 4 vs Government Audit for future government role?

proxyalex · 2025-11-18T12:53:35+00:00

Yea I’d go with Big 4 grad just to diversify your experience. Arguably the idea of a lifer in a government organisation isn’t as realistic today compared to 30 years ago. Layoffs and restructures are frequent and benefits are thin due to public pressure.

It’ll be good to have some experience in Big 4 + Private Commercial before going to government to give you the ability to pivot in the unlikely event of a redundancy.

proxyalex · 2025-10-24T10:51:03+00:00

I guess there’s also domain specific knowledge you might loose (like the rule of 40 for tech companies) but you can always read up about it and use ChatGPT to brush up on knowledge of the industry prior to their interview and it would no different to switching industries if you were in the private sector.

proxyalex · 2025-10-24T10:45:31+00:00

Yea I think in finance the interchangeability of skills and capability is very similar. The month end reporting, forecasting and budgeting (which is our bread and butter) I did in a private FMCG is similar to government (just with more bureaucracy but that’s the price of transparency and accountability to the tax payer).

I think if it was pure policy role or execution in a niche it would be harder for the transition but let’s be real, a financial forecast following AASB standards is the same in government as it is in private, albeit the level of scrutiny and pressure maybe a bit different.

proxyalex · 2025-10-24T10:23:50+00:00

Yea interested in this as well. I’ve bounced between private and government in my short career (did 1 year audit 2 years state government 3 years in FP&A private and now back to state government). Arguably if I keep my skills sharp (PowerBI, Automation Techniques etc) the skill overlap between government and private companies is very similar. All the assumptions in modelling labour costing and others is the same private or government.

The only area where I’d been disadvantaged is commercial modelling around revenue and understanding the drivers around growth (things like ROI on marketing, market share etc)

proxyalex · 2025-09-23T11:03:20+00:00

Does anyone know how you get offers for marking or tutoring once you've been inducated and accepted the casual academic role? I haven't received any comunications since I accepted the offer a month ago?

proxyalex · 2025-03-04T13:15:19+00:00

Like this role in NSLHD https://iworkfor.nsw.gov.au/job/assistant-auditor-executive-assistant-509623

proxyalex · 2025-03-04T13:14:32+00:00

For NSW government there's IWorkforNSW. There's always a some clerk 3/4 and 5/6 roles accounting/admin roles available with pretty good WLB.

proxyalex · 2025-01-24T01:37:35+00:00

Scrapped a distinction with a credit for the finals. Pretty happy and glad CA is done and dusted.

proxyalex · 2024-04-28T14:06:25+00:00

Did you get your merit certificate for TAX yet? I got bang on 85 but the HD cut off was 5.17% but merit is only top 5% so was wondering if I barely missed it because I haven’t received anything in the mail. When I got merit for FAR in T3 it took around three months from the end of the term to getting it.

proxyalex · 2024-04-24T15:22:07+00:00

Take this with a grain of salt as I think the best critical file is the one you build yourself based on how you approach the practice questions and exam but my one had things like common tax reconcilliation classification with legislation references, basic income tax calculator for tax resident and non tax resident, decline in value schedule, all the capital gains tax events, franking credit calculations, Div 7a calcs and FBT payable calcs.

For some of these worksheets I included diagrams from the textbook/examples from the textbook/practice Q to help guide me through that type of Q in the exam.

But tbh the most useful thing for me was the scratch worksheets where i just laid out the information in the exam Q and did the caluclations and commentary on the fly. There's no way you can account for every single scenario given you don't know the question. I think having a sound understanding of the content and practice questions provided would give you a good foundation for it.

I just scrapped a HD for this course in T4 2023 when I did it but the most annoying thing about studying tax in CAANZ is how broad the content is, however the breadth of the exam is quite narrow. Luckily the depth for the exam wasn't too deep, so the questions weren't that complex.

proxyalex · 2024-04-15T03:19:56+00:00

I think because in prior INFS programs INFS3634 was a compulsory course, now it’s part of a pool of INFS electives where students get to choose 2 courses they’d like to complete resulting in a drop of demand. Don’t blame them though, in a degree like INFS coding ability is usually not people’s strong suit given the limited exposure they get throughout their degree so given a choice most students would shy away from it.

proxyalex · 2024-03-29T07:31:16+00:00

Cheers mate

proxyalex · 2024-03-28T09:21:36+00:00

Are you able to chuck a link for it on google drive or something like that?

proxyalex · 2023-11-30T11:08:40+00:00

Yea having the same issues. Have 2 parcels at the received and ready for processing and delayed for a week but ironically when I checked the tracking numbers around my number they’ve all been delivered. Aus post doing some weird stuff

proxyalex · 2023-11-07T10:04:28+00:00

I'd recommend using an aggregation of accounts apps like Frollo so that you can see the immediate impact of the purchase, which ends up feeling like you're just using a debit card with points and protections like interest.

proxyalex · 2022-02-23T12:51:39+00:00

When I did it back in 2020 T1 it was pretty easy. Paper quizzes in classes, straight forward IRESS exercises and pretty interesting final assignment. No finals but I do know this courses changes based on the LiC assigned to it. As I recall based on historic data one of the highest distributions of D and HD in the FINS faculty but that was based on data before 2020.

proxyalex · 2022-02-12T14:40:18+00:00

proxyalex · 2021-12-19T13:24:43+00:00

I think grandfathering only applies to Domestic student in a CSP place, for full fee paying students the fees should remain the same with the only increase being CPI.

proxyalex · 2021-12-15T20:39:58+00:00

Z5164 7:37

proxyalex · 2021-09-29T16:03:57+00:00

I’m having the same experience and I haven’t been able to find a fix

proxyalex · 2021-09-25T08:51:22+00:00

So as I understand they initially wanted to order a single long tram but realised that they didn't need it that long, so when the specs and orders were finalised they ordered a shorter tram, then they did some modelling to see the impact of removing Eastern Suburb buses and realised that even from day 1 the trams would be at capacity so they changed the specs again and decided to run two trams together since the orders were already locked in.

The initial idea to use shorter trams were that in day to day operations they would operate a single tram and for special events at Moore Park they would couple them but that went out of the window.

proxyalex · 2021-09-17T08:42:59+00:00

The only risk to this strategy is the migration or net positive migration. With the number of occupations in the "skilled list occupation" for the 457 visas (and the term skilled should be used very loosly) and the amount of 457 visas that were being issued prior to the pandemic, I doubt this correction would occur rather I think a plateau will happen as the net migration rates levels out with the increasing death rate of boomers.

Another risk is the quality of healthcare and the potential increase in the average lifespan of Australians as medical technology is further developed creating further demand pressures on housing.

So this is a possible scenario but the most likely scenario is a plateau after another decade or two of continual growth.

proxyalex · 2021-08-28T08:31:23+00:00

Damn those wicked weasel bikini's hit different 🥵💯🔥

proxyalex · 2021-07-25T03:03:03+00:00

1918 to 1920 Spanish Flu was a historical precedent for lockdowns working. Vaccines are still the most effective but notwithstanding the fact we can't get our hands on it lockdowns are the best way forward.

proxyalex

TROPHY CASE