Ange Burgess

6.00 AM

The alarm goes off! If I’m not already awake – it’s time to get out of bed and start the day. Hubby makes me a delicious coffee to start the day while I make our two kids’ lunches (Lucy is 10 and Sam is 6).

I’m an “older” graduate at KPMG – having made a career change after 20 years in the TV production industry and requalifying at Waikato Uni with a Master of Professional Accounting. I’m living proof you don’t need to feel stuck in one career for life. At the risk of sounding cheesy, it’s never too late to follow your dreams!

7.15 AM

I arrive at work and have a quick chat with colleagues in the kitchen before logging in and checking my inbox.

The first thing I usually do is review and update my Workflow planner and figure out what my priorities are for the day. As a Tax consultant, I am usually working on several clients and tasks at once, with varying deadlines and levels of complexity. I make sure I know what I must focus on for the day and tackle the hardest stuff first while my brain is fresh.

7.30 AM

This morning’s first task is to complete my CAANZ study pathway to send to the Learning and Development team. KPMG supports graduates to become Chartered Accountants by providing recommended divisional pathways, financial assistance and paid study leave when enrolling in CAANZ. Most grads start their CA journey in their first year, however, I delayed mine due to family commitments. I’ll be starting my study in 2023 and this is likely to involve a paper per term with approximately 15 hours of study on top of work commitments per week.

8.30 AM

I meet with the Director of my regional tax team to go over a project we are working on for a large corporate client in the property sector. 

10.00 AM

I am one of the mentors of the 2022 interns' Financial Literacy Prosperity Project group. I have been an integral part of the team getting KPMG’s Financial Literacy project off the ground this year, developing on the start the 2021 interns made (which included me this time last year).

“Project Money’s” aim is to deliver two interactive sessions in person to Year 5 & 6 primary students to give them the knowledge and tools they need to be financially successful as they grow up.

I join the group’s team meeting call where they are presenting their ideas for the videos and activities.  I offer advice and guidance as they ask for it and let them know they’re doing an incredible job and that I’m impressed with the progress they’re making.

10.30 AM

It is 100% coffee time now! I join a few members of the Tauranga Tax team and we walk to our favourite coffee spot in town to get our caffeine hit. We chat about our kids and the crazy lead-up to Christmas.

12.30 PM

It’s the social club’s Christmas lunch! I head to the kitchen in the office where the social club have put on an incredible lunch of glazed Chrissy ham, with yummy salads and buns. I’ve opted to join the Tauranga office’s Social Club. $13.00 of my pay each month is automatically deducted from the social club, and this means I can take part in all the awesome events they hold during the year.

4.00 PM

The afternoon is spent bottoming out final changes on a voluntary disclosure document with a Director and drafting two emails to the property client.

5.45 PM

I sign off for the day and head home to hang with the kids and hubby – we’re going to finish putting the Christmas tree up tonight!

What I LOVE about my days in the Tauranga Tax team is:

• The variety of tasks and clients I work on.
• The ability to stretch myself each day to grow my understanding.
• The fact that I have can make a positive impact personally and enable others to do the same in fuelling New Zealand’s Prosperity for all New Zealanders.
• The knowledge that I am 100% supported by my colleagues.

I know that we add value to our clients & communities through our collaborative team effort.

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