My name is Max Beckert, and I am a Senior Consultant in the Tax service line, working in the Corporate Tax sub-service line. I work in the Christchurch office and have been with EY for almost three years exactly. I studied at the University of Canterbury, completing a double degree in LLB (Hons) and BCom, major in Tax and Accounting. Since joining EY, I have completed the EY Diploma in Taxation, been admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court and will have finished my Chartered Accountancy qualifications in May.
Describe a typical day
I start the day by clearing emails and checking my meetings and commitments for the day. I usually grab a coffee and catch up with some colleagues before getting stuck into some work, as first thing in the morning is the best use of my brainpower. I usually have various meetings both internally and with clients, nearly all remote at the moment. During my lunch break, I sometimes go for a run around the park or walk around the CBD. This is followed by client work in the afternoon until it's time to go home.
My ‘typical’ workday tends to be seasonal. This means that from January to March, the focus for our team is tax compliance (i.e. income tax returns). From April through to October, we focus on tax provisions for statutory reporting purposes. Throughout the year, we have regular ad-hoc tax advisory work, including Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), tax due diligence, ad-hoc requests and queries from clients, structuring, distributions to shareholders, etc. No day looks the same.
What’s one highlight to date?
The opportunity to attend the International Intern Leadership Conference hosted at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
I was the NZ representative along with six Australian representatives (one from each Australian office) who travelled to America to attend the conference. The conference hosted 3,000 interns from across the global EY network where we had the opportunity to network, listen to inspiring keynote speakers and meet some of the Executive Leadership Team. In addition, we got to go to Disney World, attended large gala dinners and other social functions. It was a mind-blowing experience.
What’s your advice for incoming graduates and vacationers?
Your career path is seldom linear. Make the most of any opportunity presented to you, but more importantly put yourself forward for potential opportunities.
Be an active listener and never be afraid to ask questions.