What does an accountant do?

Accountants help businesses understand their finances, spot opportunities and risks, meet obligations, and make informed decisions for the future.

You could be a private accountant, focusing on the finances and business needs of one organisation. Or if you work as a public accountant, you’ll advise a range of clients on areas such as tax, audit, business advisory and compliance.

Our network offers a range of chartered public accountancy roles, including four possible career paths to grads and interns: Business advisory, tax, audit or insolvency. Each involves different types of work and this article will cover the fun bits that broadly span them.

Why should I become an accountant?

Accounting is fascinating

Most people don’t get to see the ins-and-outs of how businesses work, but as an accountant, you’ll get a front row seat to understand the financial story behind how businesses operate.

Your insights will help clients strengthen performance, manage risk and make informed decisions – not just tick the compliance box. Once you have some experience, you’ll be a spotter of trends and anomalies, noting whether a business is thriving or heading for trouble.

You’ll be a strategic advisor

You’ll hold a privileged position in being able to help businesses achieve their goals. Imagine being the trusted advisor of a business that’s still thriving decades later, in part due to your guidance. When there are economic shifts, global disruptions or other instances that go awry, you’ll be one of the vital strategists who help businesses weather the storms; or at very least try to ensure the best outcome for stakeholders.

An accounting career offers variety

As a chartered accountant you’ll be able to help businesses of different sizes across a range of industries and locations. And while you’ll likely start out in one service area, over time many of our accountants have dived into niche offerings, such as Property and Construction, Trusteeships, Team Japan, or Sustainability and Climate Change.        

It’s all about the people

While facts, figures and compliance underpin everything we do, our work as accountants is deeply people-oriented. You’ll get to develop trusted relationships with business owners and might end up working with some of your region’s (or even New Zealand’s) most brilliant businesspeople.

Will AI replace accounting jobs?

There’s no question that AI has changed how we operate. Like all forward-minded industries, accountants are adapting to meet the changing times.

But AI isn’t a substitute for the human experience. Our outlook is that people like to work with other people and we’re here for the long haul. We translate financials into something understand and workable for clients, having developed relationships with them and learned the nuances of their businesses and needs.   

In regards to grads and interns, we want people to start their careers with us and to help them grow and develop into well-rounded accountants and business advisors. Some of those people will be our future leaders. A company – in our case a network of offices across New Zealand – won’t run itself. 

What are the benefits of working for a mid-tier over the Big Four or a small accounting firm?

It’s all about personal preference but naturally we think mid-tier networks hit the sweet spot! Like the Big Four (Deloitte, EY, PwC or KPMG), mid-tiers have the benefit of being part of an established national and international accounting and advisory network.

In our case, we have eight offices in seven regions across New Zealand and have been named by student job search platform Prosple as New Zealand’s “Best Overall” accounting and advisory grad employer for 2026.

We’re also a member of Baker Tilly International, recently named Network of the Year at the International Accounting Forum & Awards for the second time.

Mid-tiers typically take fewer graduates than the larger firms, which can bring a more personalised experience. At Baker Tilly Staples Rodway you'll work with a wide range of businesses in different industries; and receive comprehensive training and support.

Like small accounting firms, our offices are independently owned and deeply rooted in their local communities, offering an experience that feels meaningful and personal.

Most of our offices have a strong social component, bringing the opportunity to get to know other team members, 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.

The big myth about accounting (hint: It isn’t boring!)

In the mid-2000s you might have seen – or heard others talk about – a popular TV sitcom called Parks and Recreation. In one scene, an actor said, “I’m actually about to take an in-house job doing accounting for an accounting firm.”

“Ugh. Almost fell asleep during that sentence,” his co-star replied.

While people who don’t enjoy working with numbers might find them as exciting as watching paint dry, accounting is fascinating if you have a flair for numbers, want life-long learning opportunities and are curious to find out what it takes for businesses to be successful.

You’ll be using your brains and knowledge to help businesses endure or maximise their situation during the most difficult times or go from strength to strength in good times. That can bring tremendous satisfaction!    

It sounds amazing. Where do I sign up?

If you’re wholly untrained, many universities and polytechnics across New Zealand offer accounting or other degrees that provide eligibility for the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) or Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) pathways.

From there you can apply for a role as an intern or a graduate accountant (of note, our Taranaki office also welcomes candidates with broader business degrees).

Baker Tilly Staples Rodway typically starts recruiting for its annual grad and intern programmes in March and reopens the campaign around July if there are additional opportunities.

We also offer roles for experienced accountants and other professionals with expertise in services offered by our network, providing you’re qualified and have the right to work in New Zealand. See our current vacancies here.

We’d love to hear from you!