The strategy that landed a job

"I have had the privilege of studying with some very skilled people, and we have encouraged and inspired each other. I also realised early on in my studies which sectors I wanted to work for, which allowed me to be very deliberate in choosing classes."

Holte explains that his most important strategy to get a job before he graduated was participating in corporate presentations for the various companies he was interested in.

"I tried to be active in order to make a good first impression, and I also wanted to get the best possible picture of the companies I was considering."

The goal was to find out which company would be the best fit, and at the same time provide the greatest opportunities for development.

In February 2017, six months before the master's thesis deadline, Holte received a job offer from BDO.

More than just numbers

As a BDO Associate, Holte has a varied workday characterised by close contact with customers, follow-up of various projects and a lot of general auditing, which Stian believes is far more exciting and wide-ranging than most people think.

"Auditing is more exciting than it might seem, as there are many statutes and rules to adhere to, and there are always new things to learn along the way. I often refer to different collections of laws over the course of a workday, particularly the tax code documents and the Limited Liability Companies Act, since we prepare a lot of corporate documentation such as amendments to articles of association and general meeting protocols.

Apart from what Holte calls general auditing, he also assists as an Associate in financial advice and assistance related to transactions undertaken by the various companies.

"I think auditing is a discipline that is highly rewarding if you want to tackle other financial challenges in the future, because you learn how accounting works and how different companies are structured," says Holte.