Updating Results

Laura Barber

4.54 AM

It’s go time – with an F45 class at 5:15am, I’ve worked out the exact time to set the alarm and not be late while getting those last four minutes of sleep!

6.30 AM

I’m back home to get ready, grab my lunch for the day and have a quick breakfast. I then head down to meet my colleague who fortunately lives next door and makes the journey to work more enjoyable. The walk flies by when it’s non-stop chatter on the way to the bus stop.

BDO Laura Barber with her colleague

8.00 AM

We are in the door and it’s coffee time. After rounding up the troops, we head down to the building’s café and catch up on everyone’s weekend adventures while we wait for the hot cup of magic that will get us through the day.

BDO Laura Barber coffee time

8.30 AM

First thing first, I read through my emails to see if anything new has popped up or if I have received jobs back from review. Depending on what I find, I update our team’s workflow spreadsheet with what I’ve got planned for the day. This way we can all keep track of our workload while having a central location for everyone to see what you’re working on.

BDO Laura Barber checking her emails

9.00 AM

Our weekly workflow meeting takes place each Monday morning to organise the team for the week ahead. Once the chatter of everyone’s weekend dies down, we each take a turn to list our three priorities for the week. This allows both managers and my peers to know what I’m working on, and what capacity I may have for jobs arising. We also ask the group to share any new learnings they may have, which can range from converting PDFs to excel documents (life-changing!) to the consequences of failing to meet your super obligations.

BDO Laura Barber workflow meeting

10.00 AM

Back to work and it’s time to get stuck into my tasks for the day. This can range from preparing a tax return for an individual, analysing a company’s profit and loss statement or calling the ATO to organise a payment arrangement on behalf of a client. No two days are the same!

12.30 PM

It’s time for lunch with my colleagues. Most days we spend our lunch in the breakout room with leftovers or something easy such as sushi. We also try to organise a weekly team lunch somewhere fun on a Friday.

1.30 PM

Back at my desk and I’m right where I left off. I’ve got Activity Statements to complete and some MYOB processing to get done. As a graduate, I complete several clients’ activity statements on a monthly basis for my Managers. This is consistent work which forms an important part of a business’s tax compliance.

BDO Laura Barber with her manager

A few clients require assistance with managing their online accounting files. Whilst we have dedicated teams for bookkeeping, there are a few clients that we look after ourselves. For me this involves reconciling bank statements, performing market revaluations on trading stock, completing monthly payroll obligations and maintaining asset registers. This provides a behind the scenes view of what most clients are completing themselves and simply sending us the final accounts. Knowing what each account is comprised of allows a much deeper understanding into what a P&L reflects.

5.40 PM

As the day draws to a close I like to make sure I update my workflow to reflect the tasks I have completed or highlight those which I need to flag for tomorrow. As a huge fan of lists, I also like to leave a post-it of the most important tasks for the next day.

6.00 PM

Work-life balance is important to staff at BDO, assuming all client requests are met in a timely manner. With organisation and communication, staff are able to enjoy all their favourite outside work activities. This being said, it’s time to head home, and there’s nothing better than a walk or ride to clear your head.

BDO Laura Barber before going home

8.30 PM

As a self-confessed Nanna, it’s time for bed to get enough sleep before that 4:54am alarm goes off. Goodnight!