Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions from people who are interested in joining our graduate or internship programmes. See our New graduates and interns page to apply or learn more!
Grad and intern applications
We are looking for final-year accounting students ready to kickstart their career after finishing their studies. We support our grads to become fully qualified Chartered Accountants through either the Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand (CA ANZ) or Certified Public Accountant (CPA) pathway, so you need to be studying a degree relevant to this. Our Taranaki office welcomes candidates with broader business degrees.
We offer graduate roles in a variety of service lines across our national offices: Audit, Business Advisory, Tax and Business Recovery and Restructuring.
Applications are open from 3 March to 7 April. This may be extended but we encourage you to get your applications in as soon as possible because we fill roles as we go.
Early. We process applications as they come in and will close positions early if they are filled.
No, if you are within 24 months of finishing your degree at the time of application you can apply for any of our graduate roles.
Provided you continue to fulfil the legal Immigration NZ requirements on your student visa, we welcome applications from international students for our graduate and internship roles.
Please ensure you provide us with a copy of your valid student visa when you apply.
Most of our new grads start in February each year, however our offices may offer alternative start dates to be flexible around your individual study plans. For example, the Auckland office offers a July start date as well.
We generally look for accounting students in their penultimate year of study who will be eligible for the CA ANZ or CPA pathway upon graduation.
The intern programme runs for 12 weeks over the university summer break. It starts in mid-November and ends in mid-February. We have a closedown period of approximately three weeks over Christmas and New Year.
Currently, we only have an internship programme at our Auckland office. You can choose between two pathways for our 2024/25 intake:
- Business Advisory/Audit – complete two six-week rotations in each service line to get a taste of both and help you make an informed decision about which you would prefer as a graduate. If you are already certain of the service line you want to be in, that's great! We still recommend you try this programme and you can walk away with exposure to the range of CA jobs available to you.
- Tax – complete the entirety of your internship in the tax team.
Both options include two “Shadow a Leader” days where you will interact directly with either a manager or director for the full day to get a taste of working in a leadership position in a CA firm. There is also the potential to be involved in client interactions and meetings.
Our Taranaki office also takes interns during the university semester breaks. This opportunity is designed to give you a good foundational office experience and could include anything from general office work across our different departments to specific accounting and audit work. This is dependent on what work is available and your previous experience.
Head to our New graduates and interns page or follow us on social media for more information. We will also be attending university careers fairs throughout the year, so please come and have a chat with us and our current graduates if you have any questions.
The application and interview process
As much as your CV and academic transcript are important to us, we also want to get to know the person behind the grades, what makes you tick and why you think a career at Baker Tilly Staples Rodway would be the right choice for you.
Be sure to include why you want to work for us, any extra-curricular activities you are involved in, part-time work, volunteer work, hobbies or causes you are passionate about. The list is endless, but we are keen to hear about it all!
Please contact the recruiting team at the office to which you made the application to let them know.
Please note this in your application and our recruitment team will be in contact with you.
We will update you via email and if you attend an interview, you will receive a call where you can request feedback.
Our interviews tend to be informal and conversational. It is our chance to get to know you. We recommend the following to prepare:
• Explore our website and New graduates and interns page
• Look up common interview questions
• Research interviewers
• Be prepared to answer questions about yourself with examples. i.e. when you have demonstrated teamwork
Life at Baker Tilly Staples Rodway
In keeping with our values, we encourage a more relaxed work environment and that includes how we dress.
We trust you to make good professional judgements every day – we believe this should extend to what you wear. We leave it to you to decide what is appropriate depending on what your day entails.
For example, if you are working in the office, you might not want to wear a suit or if you are meeting with important clients, you might feel this is appropriate.
We recommend keeping a pair of shoes and a business jacket at work so you are always prepared for any occasion.
We know starting your first job after graduating can be daunting. At Baker Tilly Staples Rodway we look after our staff and ensure they are well supported to succeed. On your first day you will be assigned a “buddy” who will help you settle in and answer all your questions. Our grads also take part in our mentorship programme, which means you will be assigned a mentor with whom you will have regular check-ins.
You and the other graduates from across our New Zealand offices will also take part in our national induction programme, where you will receive both technical and soft skills training.
You will also receive guidance on getting started on your CA ANZ or CPA pathway and be provided with all the support you need both financially and through paid study leave for exams.
Each office has its own policy on flexible working. However, we understand the importance of work-life-balance and trust our employees to manage their workload and personal commitments in a professional manner without compromising our clients and colleagues. This may mean you need to work from home or alter your working hours to attend a doctor’s appointment or balance family commitments.
We have a supportive, inclusive and friendly culture. We take fewer graduates each year compared with some of the larger firms, which means you'll be more than just a number. You will receive the diversity of experience you need to map out your career, as well as comprehensive support from staff at all levels of the business from your peers through to directors.
Our grads have the opportunity to get involved in loads of activities and groups, so you can get to know each other, have fun and give back to the community. These include sports clubs, volunteer days, cultural events and just catching up for lunch or a drink together after work.
Baker Tilly Staples Rodway is proud to be a member of Baker Tilly International, a top ten global network of independent accounting and business advisory firms.
In New Zealand we have member firms in Auckland, Waikato, Tauranga, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington and Christchurch. Our directors own their businesses so we can make local decisions to suit the NZ environment.
This means you’ll benefit from our global and national reach and expertise while enjoying our local agility and flexibility.
At Baker Tilly Staples Rodway, diversity, inclusion and belonging is who we are rather than what we do. We celebrate and value the identities, perspectives and contributions of every person.
Inclusiveness and belonging empower everyone to grow and bring their talents to the table, which expands the opportunities for our business to grow and thrive. These elements create an environment where all team members are valued, and where we can bring your authentic self to work each day. Through this we can continue to be the network of tomorrow, now.
We are committed to doing all we can to improve environmental sustainability. Our firms are dedicated to reducing our impact on the environment by diminishing waste and making conscious choices when it comes to our offices and supplies.