Organisation: The Treasury, NSW Government
Job Title: Graduate Program, NSW Treasury
Word Limit: 1 selection criteria, 500 words
Location: Sydney
I enjoy working in challenging environments, in particular, ones that allow me to utilise my skills and provide me with opportunities to grow and develop. I have always had a strong commitment to ongoing development as evidenced by my completion of a Master of Professional Accounting and my current CPA studies. I would value the chance that this programme provides to gain a range of new skills and knowledge.
I also noted that the programme values the ability to solve complex issues. Throughout my career, I have found that I have a strong aptitude for investigating issues, analysing findings and coming up with both creative and practical solutions. While employed with sgfleet, a motor vehicle leasing company, I was responsible for ensuring the accuracy of 20,000 leasing packages. When I commenced in the role, there were hundreds of errors reported every month. I investigated each discrepancy, reviewing historical data and examining files to determine the source of the error. I then liaised with various areas within the company to correct the error. When I reduced the error rate to nine, Macquarie Leasing (the finance company partnered to sgfleet) invited me and the CEO to dinner.
I also look forward to working in a strong team environment. During my professional career, I have developed excellent, productive relationships with team members. I enjoy the exposure to the diverse skills, knowledge and expertise that comes with working within a team. It is an opportunity to learn from others, see things from a different perspective and contribute your expertise to enhance the skill mix. In my current role, I work closely with a range of other staff, both in-house and overseas (GE outsourced some of its services to a supplier in India). In particular with overseas staff, I often stay back late (due to the time differences) to help them resolve issues and problems. This approach ensures we deliver an integrated service to our clients.
I also have a strong commitment to excellence in client service and would appreciate working within an organisation that supported this focus. At sgfleet, I dealt closely with clients, sometimes in difficult circumstances caused by payment errors. I was always polite and respectful and did my utmost to help them resolve any issue they may have had.
I have proven skills in the provision of financial management and accounting services across a number of industries. My professional experience includes budget management, managing month-end and year-end financial functions, reporting, credit management, account reconciliation, and accounts receivable and payable. These experiences have given me excellent organisational skills, with the ability to juggle multiple priorities and meet a range of reporting and financial processing deadlines. In particular though, I have enjoyed contributing to managing the budget, working with other financial colleagues to review data and information and then provide valuable analysis and commentary to managers. Working within Treasury, I would be given a much broader view of this process and would gain experience working with experts in public financial management.
