Be backed to realise your goals and grow - right from the start

For Rosie Jarvis, being supported means being motivated to perform at her best. Now an Associate at BDO Marlborough, she’s climbed through the ranks since starting as a graduate and says her colleagues and managers empower her to keep growing and learning.

We spoke to Rosie about her BDO journey and what it means to be backed to realise her goals.

Tell us about your BDO journey.

“After finishing my Bachelor of Commerce, I started at what was Leslie & O’Donnell in a graduate role in 2011 - Leslie & O’Donnell later joined the BDO New Zealand network as BDO Marlborough Tasman. I was interviewed and hired by Paul O’Donnell, who is now our Managing Partner, and he became my mentor through the Chartered Accountant (CA) process and beyond. I got my CA in 2015 and then progressed to an Associate position.

BDO’s values closely align with what we had at Leslie & O’Donnell, which made the transition really smooth. Being part of the BDO network is fantastic – we have access to so many resources within the network and can reach out to people across the country (and beyond!) with specialist skills. We’re encouraged to use the wider network and have conversations with people across offices, which is great for my personal development and for ensuring our clients receive the best possible service.”

What does it mean to be backed to realise your goals?

“It means feeling valued, recognised, and appreciated for the work that I do. At BDO, I’ve been able to have direct conversations with managers and senior leaders from day one. In Blenheim, our open-door policy and flat company structure mean there’s an open culture where everyone feels encouraged to speak up. I feel like my opinions and questions have always mattered, which really helped my confidence after joining as a fresh grad.

Having that support makes me feel more motivated to work harder. I don’t have to wait for a quarterly meeting to discuss my progress or share my ideas – it’s an ongoing conversation. As well as being able to informally catch up with our leadership team at any stage, I also have formal goals in place with defined steps to help me achieve them. This ties in with BDO’s structured learning and development programmes – I’ve completed two leadership courses, which my managers encouraged me to participate in, and I appreciate the technical resources available to the BDO network. BDO Marlborough Tasman is now supporting me through the Certificate of Public Practice.”

How else does BDO support you to grow?

“Flexibility is so important to me, especially since having kids. With both of my children, I never felt any pressure to rush back to work, and when I did come back, the terms were flexible to suit what worked best for me. I’m now back to full-time hours, with every second Thursday off to spend with the kids and the ability to flex my start and finish times.

This flexibility has been invaluable and has helped me to continue progressing in my career – I can keep learning, growing, and contributing to the team. Our Director at BDO Marlborough Tasman, Alex Barton, really demonstrates this growth and flexibility, as she has three children and has continued to progress in her career. It’s inspiring to see her lead by example.”

At BDO I’m my best when… "I’m supported by my peers and leadership team, given opportunities to grow and learn, and empowered to contribute my unique skills and ideas to drive success for our clients and the firm."

Interested in a career at BDO? View our current opportunities here or read our other BDO colleague stories.