I Always Knew: 5 Years Later

This week, I celebrate my 5 year mark with KPMG in Canada. With this milestone, I thought it would be fitting to reflect on my journey and career thus far.

Taking it back to my Ryerson University days (Go Rams!), I remember walking down Bay Street on my way to class. I was so intrigued by all the business women walking alongside me on their way to work. I watched them walk into the tall buildings, ready to take on their busy day ahead. The sense of self-confidence these women conveyed really inspired me. I may not have known how I would get there or what exactly I would be doing, but I always knew that, one day, I too would be one of these business professionals. It was my goal.

I always knew business was for me. I attended Ryerson’s Ted Rogers School of Business Management, majoring in marketing and minoring in communications. I appreciated that the program exposed me to different subjects that all play a critical role in business overall. I valued the commerce degree I was working toward because of its versatility.

I wasn’t exactly sure where I would end up after I graduated from University, but I always knew I was taking the necessary steps to achieve my vision.

November 2014: My big break came when I got an interview with KPMG for a role in National Quality and Risk Management. I never imagined myself as an internal compliance auditor, but nevertheless, I was grateful for the opportunity and liked the idea of challenging myself. Overall, I always knew this role would be the stepping stone for my next goal. Through building my reputation with the firm, I aimed to join KPMG’s marketing team.

April 2016: After a year and a half of doing internal compliance audits, my vision became reality when I joined the Market & Account Development team, supporting Real Estate and Private Equity portfolios. I loved account management because it gave me variety, working on different accounts, and I was exposed to the different type of work we could do for clients. Although it wasn’t 100% traditional marketing, I realized that I really enjoyed being an account manager.  

November 2018: Two and a half years later, I was ready to take on a new challenge. I took on an opportunity in the National Tax group as a Project Manager. Similar to my first role, I never imagined myself in Tax. However, I knew that stepping outside of my comfort zone would allow me to continue to grow.

October 2019: Fast forward 5 years later, and my journey has led me to where I am today- on KPMG’s Digital team. In such a short amount of time, I have learned so much and been involved with such incredible initiatives. I am so grateful to have the pleasure of working with such talented individuals on my team. I am continuously inspired in this fast-paced environment. I never would have thought I would end up here, but I always knew I would end up where I am supposed to be.

Final Thoughts

Since starting with KPMG, my career path has been far from traditional. When I think back to my initial interview, I vividly remember the question I was asked: “Where do you see yourself in 5 years”? Interestingly enough, I don’t think I was too far off with my answer: “I see myself in a different role, because I will continue growing”. I always knew I wasn’t going to stay in that initial role, but never could I have imagined that I would end up where I am today.

One thing is true- you don’t always need to have a solid plan. In fact, even if you have a plan, it’s okay if you don’t stick to it. As long as you say YES to new challenges and allow yourself to do things that are outside of your comfort zone, everything will work out. It’s quite simple actually, at least the way I have experienced it. If you always do your best, have a good attitude, be kind and willingly want to continue to learn and grow, you will succeed in anything you do.

Thank you to the leaders and mentors who have shaped who I am today, both as a professional and in my personal life. Thank you for giving me a chance to prove myself and allowing me to continue growing to become the business professional I always wanted to be. I always knew I would achieve my goals as long as I took the necessary actions, and I still plan on doing so in the future.