To become a chartered accountant, there are two pathways in the Netherlands in terms of studying for it. Through university, you follow an economics track after which you do a master’s to get your RA certificate. Another route is straight from secondary school to take the university course at Nyenrode. During that goal-oriented course to become an RA, you start working in accountancy right away. Romana is in her third year of this course as an assistant accountant and is happy to explain why she chose this direction.
After her vwo, Romana took a gap year to have all the time she needed to choose the best course of study. With a vastly expanded subject package, everything was wide open and making that choice was not easy. During her gap year, she became more and more convinced that she did want to go to university, because she did have her pre-university diploma, but going straight to work would also suit her. Therefore, during her research, she ended up at Nyenrode University, and for a couple of years now she has been combining studies with work to eventually get her chartered accountant’s diploma.
As an SME firm, Borrie knows that competition with the big accounting firms in the Netherlands is considerable. There is a generous budget for recruitment and selection of students there, and the reputation of a big firm will also play a role. For Romana, however, it was immediately clear that she wanted to work at Borrie. The sequence of work at Borrie particularly appeals to Romana. The start is with bookkeeping, which is actually the basis, then with compiling annual accounts, and now she deals with auditing, and visits her clients independently.
“When I went to apply for a job, I mainly looked at the atmosphere the website gave off, as I didn’t really have a good idea of the services and tasks involved in the profession yet. Therefore, I hope my story will inspire others with a healthy interest in accountancy to apply to Borrie,” Romana said.
“That my choice fell on Borrie for a reason is now certain for me. I can still see myself working here in 30 years’ time. I chose for my feelings, not for an immediate car or the highest salary. There is plenty of room here for career advancement opportunities and colleagues’ doors are always open if I have questions about my studies.
