Artika Sharma

"I love meeting with clients to discuss their numbers and what they mean in practical terms. We do accounts for a broad range of clients, from trusts and partnerships to companies, sole traders and farmers.

Artika graduated from a Master of Management Studies in Accounting at the University of Waikato after completing her undergraduate degree. She seized the opportunity to take "all these really cool papers" that weren't available to her at undergraduate level.

"When I applied for this job, my master's degree really stood out to my employer, because research skills are crucial to the job. Whether it’s doing research into tax issues, or finding supporting documents to show clients when they ask you questions, or simply seeking solutions to issues."

"All my colleagues are passionate about furthering their knowledge and they encourage me to use my research skills in the work that I do."

"I found my master's degree to be very flexible. I went into university for classes two days a week and the rest of the time was self-study. So you still have time to do other things and enjoy a social life!"

"My research supervisor was very supportive. We bounced ideas off each other and I was constantly inspired by him. The culture of Waikato Management School is amazing, more so than I was expecting."

"My advice to future students is to ensure you study the areas that you’re passionate about. For example, forensic accounting is something that I'd like to work towards in the future."