Nicole joined the Audit & Assurance team at Grant Thornton through what felt like a series of coincidences. While Nicole was always good with numbers, she considers herself lucky to have landed in audit.

‘In high school, I was told I’d be good at accounting, so I pursued business at university. During this time, I received a mailout from Grant Thornton inviting Dean’s List students to apply for the vacationer program, which I applied for. After my interview, I was told that audit was well-aligned to my personality. A few weeks of work experience later and I was offered a graduate role which commenced in 2012.’ 

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In 2016, Nicole moved over to London with her now husband as she wanted to gain experience in commerce. As it turned out, she didn’t enjoy her commerce roles as much as audit. After two years in the UK, Nicole moved back to Grant Thornton Australia.

What have been some of the most pivotal moments in your career so far? 

‘The moments that stand out are when colleagues challenged me to grow or when they supported me through change. I wouldn’t be where I am without the team around me. Working in the UK in commerce allowed me to understand the ‘other side’ of an audit. It helped me better grasp how businesses operate, and the real pain points clients face during audits.’

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in your field?

‘Believe in yourself and ask lots of questions.  You’ll be surprised by what you can achieve through self-confidence and curiosity.’

After experiencing life outside of audit on the other side of the world, Nicole decided she wanted to return to Australia.

‘Audit is dynamic – no two days are the same and I missed that in industry. I also missed the people. The culture at Grant Thornton is something special.’