George Gaidow
I joined the ATO graduate program at the end of January 2011
having enjoyed my last long summer holiday after university had finished for
the year.
The first two weeks were a blur of introductions and
inductions, getting to know the organisation, my fellow graduates and the
expectations required of me for the next 12 months.
The graduate year has seen me exposed to two different areas the ATO administers; tax and superannuation. With my background in law I
was able to readily apply the skills and knowledge I had acquired during my
undergraduate degree to the work I was given within the first few weeks of my
interpretive assistance rotation. This was complemented by the training and
support of colleagues as they helped me transition into my new career. The
second rotation has seen me work in the active compliance section of the ATO.
Once again I have been able to use my legal background, but with a more direct
application through the application of my knowledge and understanding to come
to a quick resolution to the compliance issue.
I have benefited from the support of the teams by enhancing
my skills as a communicator, negotiator and team member through my day to day
interactions with tax agents, work mates and fellow graduates.
The training I have received has given me a broad
understanding of the tax system and how different aspects interact which I can
build upon over the next few years. The training received is comprehensive. It
consists of both technical and corporate knowledge; equipping you for the
future by receiving technical knowledge and being able to practise corporate
skills within the graduate group.
I have been fortunate enough to join an organisation that
actually values and promotes work/life balance, by being able to maintain an
active social life that is on par with my days at university! That is not to
say that it is all games. The program does require a commitment to study to
achieve and exceed the competency that the wider Australian public expects of
the ATO and its employees.
If you are looking to join an organisation that spans the
country, provides training and support and promotes a work/life balance, the
ATO is the place to be.
Vanessa Afonso
On graduating from university I worked for a medium-sized
accounting firm and slowly found myself feeling disillusioned by the lack of
responsibility given, work variety, personal flexibility and
less-than-impressive income. Fortunately for me, tortuous conversations with
friends about their fantastic jobs with the ATO occurred at the right time,
because I went onto the ATO website and made it in time to apply for the
2011 graduate development program intake.
In 12 demanding, challenging and enjoyable months, I have
worked conducting audits on self-managed superannuation funds, providing
interpretive advice to a range of clients on international law issues, and as a
contact centre officer providing immediate tax assistance over the phone to the
community, all while studying a wide range of accounting, law and corporate
subjects. I have been able to carry out my work autonomously right from the
start in every area I have worked in, being given the opportunity to show the
teams and myself what I am capable of achieving.
In my roles, I have:
- made
decisions regarding how to deal with taxpayers I have found to be
non-complying
- provided
tax knowledge and advice to the community, tax professionals and
multinational corporations both over the phone and through reports
- assisted
in creating an ATO interpretive decision document which is available
publicly for anyone seeking assistance or clarification of the ATO’s view
on that particular tax issue.
I was able to achieve this due to the support of all the
staff I worked with throughout the year, and the education, work
flexibility and relaxed, professional work environment which the ATO provides.
I have attained a wealth of knowledge,
experience, skills and workplace contacts which are invaluable for me as a
professional, and for my future as a taxation officer for the ATO.
The working conditions in the ATO are also fantastic. Aside
from a competitive salary package, I don’t worry about becoming bored with my
job as there is a great variety of work in the ATO and opportunities to move
around that leaving won’t be necessary. The varied and extensive work histories
of the many staff who have been here 20, 30, 40+ years are a testament to this.
I also enjoy the feeling of independence I have not only in terms of conducting
my work, but the hours I can start and finish, and the ability to take time off
for the extra hours of hard work put in (otherwise known as flex leave).
After two-and-a-half years I left the accounting firm where
I was working as a ‘junior accountant’ to start my new role as a graduate taxation officer for the ATO. I can say without hesitation that I don’t regret
my decision to apply for the ATO’s graduate development program, I only regret
not having applied two-and-a-half years earlier.
Calum Howard
Good friends, great experiences and a wealth of information.
These are the three main things provided to me by the ATO as part of their
graduate development program.
I joined the program in January 2011 straight after having
completed a joint Bachelor of Business, Bachelor of Laws degree and was
immediately struck by the work/life balance in place at the ATO and the
availability of a great support network in the form of graduate managers,
trainers, team leaders and my fellow graduates.
The program provided me with two rotations; one where I had
to provide interpretive advice and the other where I engaged in active
compliance work. My first rotation was in the administrative, business and personal taxes centre of expertise where I spent my days assisting in the
development of ATO taxation rulings and providing legislative advice to other
areas of the ATO and external bodies such as the Department of Treasury. My
second rotation in indirect tax - refund fraud allowed me to liaise with
taxpayers, examine and investigate claims made in business activity statements
and successfully develop my previously non-existent auditing skills.
In addition to the day to day rotation work, the one day per
week training provided by the ATO graduate program, from the trainers to the
materials, was first class. A comprehensive suite of tax technical topics
provided a great foundation in taxation law concepts and knowledge, while the
corporate training program allowed me to develop the important presentation,
teamwork and strategic thinking skills that are useful in all walks of life.
Probably the best thing about the ATO graduate program is the career prospects available. As the ATO is such a large and
diverse organisation, it is amazing how many different jobs exist. With the huge emphasis the organisation places on the value of
graduates, it really does mean the opportunities for progression and new
challenges are vast.
The ATO graduate program has without doubt been an
interesting, engaging and motivating experience and I would not hesitate in recommending
the program to anyone who values support, loves to learn and is seeking a
successful professional career.
Kendy Chuang
I joined the ATO graduate program
in January 2011 with a double degree in finance and science. I am glad I made
this decision as the program has offered a challenging but also rewarding
experience.
The program commenced with three weeks of intense training
and provided me with a solid background about the ATO as an organisation and also
a brief overview of the tax system. Although I do not hold a degree in either accounting or law, I was not disadvantaged in any way.
During the year, I was placed in two diverse work rotations – interpretative assistance and active compliance. It was interesting to see the
broad range of work types offered by the ATO and how the different work types
impact on the Australian public. The work is challenging and can be difficult
at times, but there is always a high level of support provided.
Throughout the year, I have been given the opportunity to be
involved in numerous work conferences and projects, which provided me with
opportunities to network with my colleagues and learn more about the ATO.
I
have enjoyed working in the ATO. The ATO has maintained its reputation to offer
exceptional technical and corporate training and work practices for its
graduates. As the ATO is one of Australia’s
largest government agencies, it provides even greater development opportunities
suitable for its employees. I am excited, keen and looking forward to my future career in the ATO.