What does a day in your shoes feel like? And what are the key skills that can make or break a career in your field?

We’ve asked a diverse group of Apolitical members to share their career story with us and the tips they have for junior public servants. In this article, Xian Fan explains why it’s important to follow your intuition in their role as a senior program auditor.

What is your current job title?

Senior Program Auditor

How do you spend most of your time on an average day?

Most of my time is spent on reviewing documents from taxpayers, identifying if any significant mistakes were made by taxpayers in their tax returns and determining actions.

What did you do before?

I was a public accountant with public accounting firms in the past.

What are the most important skills someone needs to excel in your field?

Analytical skills and communication skills are the two most important ones to be a good auditor.

What's the best part of your job?

I like most the freedom in selecting areas for audit focus, picking samples and determining if the mistakes are significant or not, all based on professional judgement.

What advice would you give to future public servants interested in a career in your field?

Follow your intuition. If you feel something might not be right, try to prove it. Your intuition comes from accumulated experience.

Want to share your own career story with the Apolitical community? Use this form to let us know about your job.

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