The SEFA career event
While Julia was enjoying her studies and the subject of economics, she was looking for a way to apply what she was learning. “It was quite a lot of theory and I was trying to understand how the concepts I was learning actually show up in the real world. So I signed up for several company events at the university’s career event run by the economics and business student association ‘SEFA’, without any strict expectations, just open to discovering new opportunities. I hadn’t heard of Reanda before that, but I joined their case study event out of curiosity.
During the Reanda case study, and reflecting on it afterwards, I realised that I felt very comfortable. The representatives were open-minded and interested in everyone’s input. I liked their mindset: they emphasised quality over growth. At Reanda, growth is seen as a product of good work rather than the main goal. I thought that was a refreshing and realistic approach to things.”
Reanda’s first work student
Julia started at Reanda in March 2023 and worked sixteen to twenty-four hours a week, combining it with her studies. Since she was the first student worker at Reanda, she collaborated with the team to establish a structure that worked well for both sides. “I hadn’t worked in audit before, so I started on a small, task-by-task basis – picking up things I could handle across different clients. It was a realistic way to ease into the field and start building an understanding. I really appreciated how much the team invested in me and how supportive they were. The beginning was definitely challenging; there was a lot to take in. But with time and guidance, I developed a clearer understanding. It helped that I could focus on the details first and build towards more independence. And it gave me the space to actually enjoy the work I was doing and get excited about auditing.”
A fresh perspective
“As a work student I always felt like a full member of the team. That’s something I really value about Reanda; there’s a lot of mutual respect, regardless of your background or experience. It’s a very diverse team, and everybody brings something unique to the table. Even as a student assistant I felt I could contribute something meaningful. Coming in with an academic mindset gave me a different perspective, and that was appreciated.”
“Working at Reanda is almost like a cross pollination”
There’s a diversity in every aspect at the firm. “We have clients in a wide range of industries, and our team comes from all over the world. People have different educational and professional backgrounds, which means we also have different working styles. It creates a kind of cross pollination; you learn from a collective of others while also bringing your own strengths to the table.
That’s also what I find so interesting about auditing. You get to see how a whole range of companies across different fields operate from the inside. At Reanda, that’s especially true because of how broad our client base is. It gives you a unique perspective.”
The transition from work student to full time
Julia continued her work as a student assistant auditor for close to a year. “From January 2024 I focused on finishing my studies and then I took a bit of a ‘study sabbatical’. In September, I joined Reanda full-time as a junior assistant auditor.”
“I really liked being able to fully commit. I had more responsibility and felt more ownership over my work. That made it more exciting, seeing something through and being proud of what I contributed. At junior level, the supervisors also ask what we are interested in. Some juniors try out projects in different departments as well and then come back to audit. As for me, I went back to the SEFA event, this time with Reanda, to help run it. I share my story with students and answer their questions because I’ve been on the other side of the table, figuring things out and looking for direction. Back then, I didn’t have a set plan, but I’m happy with how things worked out. I’m glad I took the opportunity when it came, because it led me here. Right now, I’m enjoying the work, the company culture, and my colleagues. I feel like I’m growing and I’m proud to grow alongside the company, and to be a part of this journey.”
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