When Eleanor Wong was deciding what she wanted to pursue as a career, she knew one thing for certain—she didn’t want to be an accountant.
“My family is full of accountants,” Eleanor explains. “Plus, the idea of working in an office cubicle seemed unmotivating to me.”
Eleanor explored many different fields of study in university, ranging from psychology to chemistry and biology to nursing. And then one day, in an introductory business course, she learned the basics of accounting and realized that it might be a better fit for her than she thought.
“I guess it runs in my blood,” Eleanor laughs. “I really like numbers and the idea of working in an office was becoming more appealing because of the stability and routine.”
After completing the Bachelor of Accounting degree at BCIT, it was time for Eleanor to look for a firm to work at while completing her CPA. While she didn’t know exactly where she wanted to work, she had a few ideas in mind.
“I knew that I wanted to work for a mid-sized firm,” she says. “Work/life balance is important to me, so working at a large firm with very long hours and high demands wasn’t what I was looking for.”
When Eleanor found RHN, she knew pretty quickly that it would be a great fit.
“After my interview, I knew immediately that RHN had the kind of culture I wanted to be a part of,” says Eleanor. “Everyone is very encouraging and supportive—I didn’t know a workplace could have such a positive and fun environment!”
A Day in the Life of a Client Services Accountant
As a Client Services Accountant at RHN, Eleanor enjoys a varied workload, and no two days are the same.
“I usually start my day at the Richmond office by checking my to-do list and making sure I know which files I’m working on and what needs to be done,” Eleanor explains. “As I’m preparing files, I would usually have a list of queries for the managers and directors, who are always easy to approach and happy to assist.”
But Eleanor’s work extends past working in the office. Some days, she is out on field work.
“It’s kind of like a field trip with the team!” Eleanor says. “It’s fascinating going to clients’ offices or workspaces to learn about their business and how they work.”
Eleanor is grateful to be developing so many skills and gaining a breadth of experience at RHN. She is planning to start the CPA program later this year and continue to grow her career.
Looking for a CPA firm that feels like home?
RHN is always looking for new, energetic team members to work at our four offices in Richmond, Vancouver, Kelowna and Osoyoos. If you want to enjoy varied work, a balanced lifestyle and a supportive environment at a public practice firm, we’d love to hear from you.