5:00 AM

My alarm goes off at 5 am (which is earlier than normal), but it’s wonderful to open the curtains and look out to the ocean on one side and the Star Casino on the other.

Today I’m waking up in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast, where I’m completing a local government audit. We have a team member who is on secondment from the Office of the Auditor-General of British Columbia, Canada, so as a team we decided to wake up early today to do a beach walk and watch the sun rise. Having an international team member on the audit has been a great experience, and I’ve enjoyed chatting about our differences and similarities both within and outside of work. As a team we did more touristy type activities on this client visit, which made for a fun week together.

QAO provides opportunities for our staff to work in another audit offices on secondment, such as in New Zealand or Canada. Staff in those offices work on secondments at QAO in return. This is a 4- or 6-week experience that includes working with a different team, learning international auditing differences, and immersing yourself in a new culture. And it’s certainly an opportunity that I will be putting my hand up for in the future!

7.30 AM

We arrive on site and set up in one room so the whole team can sit together. This means we can easily discuss challenges and findings in the individual areas we are auditing, which may impact on other audit areas or the rest of the team. I’ve found that these opportunities to listen to how others face challenges and work through options for a successful outcome is a great way of learning and up-skilling.

I open our caseware file, which houses all the audit files, and filter to those I’m assigned to. The team starts looking into testing, research, or organising further meetings for their individual areas. I then check my emails and messages to put a plan in place for the day ahead.

8.30 AM

Most auditors are coffee enthusiasts, and the Gold Coast team is no exception! As a team we walk down to the local coffee shop, place our orders, and discuss our plans for the day including anything that’s urgent. It’s always nice to connect with your team and get some downtime away from your screen and desk.

9:30 AM

The best part about being on site at the client’s office is that you don’t have to wait for an email response or a call back on a query. I can walk straight up to my contact and discuss any variance, ask for further clarification, or request reports.

Currently, we’re on an interim visit. This means we will be asking the client for sample documentation to confirm details in the system are correct and that processes have been followed as per the client’s internal policies and procedures.

10.30 AM

I’m working on payroll this week, so I need to confirm the client is following its new starter, termination, and pay run processes.

I start by looking at the most recent version of the client’s policies and procedures, and then review the walkthrough notes that were completed at the start of the year. I missed the initial walkthrough meeting for this client, so it’s important that I’m across this document. It contains sample documents, written meeting notes, and a sample of the testing procedure – all of which help me get a good understanding of what I need to be testing.

11.30 AM

I start obtaining sample documents for the new starter process. Sometimes you have a sample size over 50, which can take some time to go through, but for this visit my sample size is 13.

There is a sampling size methodology that the whole office follows, which keeps consistency throughout all the audits.

I make sure the documents have the correct details listed on them, the appropriate personnel reviewed and approved them, and that they agree to the payroll system.

12.30 PM

The whole team goes for lunch together – this is more common on travel jobs. At head office your table at lunch usually fills up with all the people you have previously worked with who you haven’t seen for a while due to client site visits, working from home, or travel jobs.

Today, some people bring in their own food, others go to the local cafés, and I pop into the local sushi bar (which has amazing curries, rice bowls, and assorted sushi rolls). We all meet in the client’s lunchroom/kitchen area and chat about our weekend plans and what each of us is looking forward to this year.

I’ve quickly built close bonds with my QAO teammates, and already become friends with colleagues outside of work. This has been from working closely together on audits – it doesn’t matter whether you are on a 2 person or a 15-person audit, I’ve found the same collaborative spirit in all teams I’ve worked in. This is conducive to making great friendships. 

1:30 pm

After lunch I continue working through the sample documentation I’ve received so far and ask for clarification on any outliers.

While doing this, I make sure my other tests have samples selected and I’ve asked for documentation. This will help ensure there are no delays (such as having to wait for information from the client) and I can start testing the samples as soon as I receive them.

2.30 PM

In the last hour of the day the team comes together for a check-in.

We all discuss our individual areas and workload. If one team member is behind and another has capacity, this is the space to discuss and shuffle work around.

I share that I am progressing well and awaiting documents and information from the client that I will follow up on tomorrow. One team member is having some difficulties in their area, so the manager organises a separate meeting with them for tomorrow morning to work on a plan of action.

This meeting allows managers to keep on top of timelines and workloads before the end of the visit. It also helps them adjust work throughout the client engagement, which sometimes can be as short as one week.

3.30 PM

It’s home time! We all pack up and head to the car to drive back to our accommodation, discussing dinner options on the trip back. We found a taco Tuesday special yesterday, so we’re keen to find something equally amazing for tonight.

We decide on a tavern with a range of food options for the whole team, and after some downtime at the hotel we head out for our dinner adventure. Everyone has a great time and we return to the hotel to get some sleep, ready for another day at the client’s office tomorrow.

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