We caught up with Kirsten Lane, one of our secondee’s – to gain an insight into how she found her Aussie adventure. This odyssey sprang to life with a simple “why not” mentality, a testament to the spontaneity that often leads to the most remarkable experiences. This time ‘round we chose to capture the essence of her expedition by catching up both at the end of her first and then final week at ESV.
Week One
What inspired you to become a secondee?
I was just taking advantage of the opportunity in front of me. Especially after the pandemic and travel grinding to a halt, it was essentially a case of ‘why not?’. Also, my sister had temporarily lived in Australia a few years ago, and with the stories she had told me, I wanted to experience that too.
What are your initial expectations for this experience?
From what I’d read on the website and experienced in the interview, I was expecting to join a firm that’s friendly and values their staff. I’m interested to see what the auditing processes are like, see what Australian work life is like, and then be able to take that knowledge home with me. I am expecting to do some audit work of course, but I can’t pretend that I’m not mostly looking forward to traveling and exploring Sydney.
What do you hope to learn or achieve during your time?
I want to be useful to the audit team as opposed to them wishing I’d get on the plane back home! I want to be able to adapt and generally improve my skills & take advantage of a new pool of knowledge to draw from.
The Final Week
How have you found Australia/Sydney?
I have LOVED it! I think I came across at a great time of year, the weather is just something else. The fact that on the weekend there is so much to do and I’ve been able to travel around other areas to explore, not just Sydney. I’ve loved it. I was overwhelmed at first, daunted by the “big city” but now it doesn’t feel so big anymore.
What has been a highlight for you?
It sounds minor but when we completed a job and sent all the documents to the client, we got a really nice email back from them, and that was just a really fulfilling moment.
What advice would you give for anyone thinking about doing this?
In summary, do it! I think it’s coming across with an open mind and saying yes to everything. I tried things I would never typically do like play netball in ESV’s Corporate Games team and do the iconic Seven Bridges Walk. I gained such a wide range of experiences by stepping out of my comfort zone. I would tell anyone to come out here and do it.
How have you found ESV?
Extremely friendly, I think that’s the primary thing I’m going to take away. The people are awesome, and it’s a huge part of ESV’s identity. It’s really present in everything from the website to social media, however getting to experience it is something else. It was also a huge part of how the experience is advertised and it’s rare to truly get what you were advertised.
If you know someone who would be interested in knowing more about the ESV secondee experience, please reach out to our People & Culture team via email – [email protected].
