How Big Four Articles Builds Your People Skills | Rudi Witkowsky

In today’s episode, we are joined by Rudy Witkowski CA(SA), the Half-Week Accountant and fractional CFO.

We chat about how your network and ability to meet and deal with other people is your greatest differentiator in your career and in your articles.

We also chat about:

How choosing a gap year after articles instead of a secondment led to backpacking through Asia and teaching English;
Why qualifying as a CA is the starting point, not the destination;
How external audit developed his people skills, credibility, communication, and resilience;
Why positivity only matters when it is backed by competence, reliability, and consistency;
The lessons he learned from competing on Tropica Island of Treasure, including teamwork, communication, mental toughness, and never taking your eyes off the prize;
Why turning a passion into a full-time career can sometimes negatively change your relationship with it;
How Rudy moved into fractional CFO work and developed the Half-Week Accountant model;
Why CAs should focus on the value of their skill instead of simply counting hours;
Why delivering work too early can reduce its perceived value and create more pressure;
How saying “we” and presenting yourself as part of a team or entity builds trust and credibility;
Why you should never say, “I’ve never done that before”;

Enjoy!

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03:15 - How travel and a gap year after articles sparked the freedom bug

08:28 - Why CA is a starting point, not the end of the journey

09:20 - People skills, positivity, and credibility in audit

13:10 - Ethics, competence, and character in professional life

14:49 - The Tropica Island of Treasure experience

15:57 - Why you should never take your eyes off the prize

18:01 - Why your network is your strongest asset

20:55 - The pressure of turning a passion into a full-time career

23:16 - Why side passions can remain valuable outside your career

24:50 - Working smarter, not harder, in finance

28:47 - Why CAs should value skill over clock-watching

29:52 - Why you should never deliver early just to look fast

33:25 - The danger of getting overloaded with extra work

34:07 - Why saying “we” builds trust and credibility

38:33 - Never say, “I’ve never done that before”

39:48 - Learning HubSpot overnight and saying yes to opportunity

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