A firm like ours plays host to people with different backgrounds, interests, personalities and expertise.
Félix-Antoine Ste-Marie, Tax Manager, talks about his career path and what drives him.
How is your career path unique?
I don’t know if I’d say that my career path is unique. There are many lawyers who decide to specialize in tax! But, in an accounting firm, I believe that this background gives me a certain perspective that has definitely helped me progress.
I have a Bachelor of Law, I studied common law, I’m a member of the Bar and I have a Master of Tax. It was a long process that eventually led me here. I was hired as a Consultant. After a year, I was appointed Senior Consultant and the following year, Manager.
If I was able to quickly take on more responsibility, I think it’s because I “landed” in a firm that doesn’t curb advancement. With the right attitude, the desire to learn and the necessary technical skills, you move forward quickly.
In your opinion, what’s the key to success?
If there’s one thing to remember in any job, but especially in tax, it’s this: no one expects you to have all the answers.
In school, we study the basics, but in the field, it’s something else entirely. The source of a problem is not always obvious, and the solution even less so. We’re usually in grey areas. Clients—often business leaders—have objectives in mind, and our team must find the best way to achieve them, taking many parameters into account.
Through all this, I serve as a kind of interpreter, a bridge between law firms, the authorities and accounting. This is where belonging to a multidisciplinary firm becomes a major asset. I have access to a wide range of expertise and points of view that allow me to delve into the problem and come up with a solution that I wouldn’t have considered otherwise.
By drawing on the wealth of our collective knowledge, we can help our clients more effectively. And that’s always our goal: to support people who are passionate about their business so they can grow and prosper. Their passion is contagious and motivates me to constantly develop my skills and always do better.
So, here’s my advice to succeed: ask questions, believe in yourself, never hesitate to ask for help and surround yourself with colleagues who want to see you progress.
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The new social and professional landscape is driving people to broaden their horizons. The regions are gaining in popularity, particularly in eastern Quebec.
Periods of social upheaval are conducive to challenging one’s lifestyle. In June 2020, after a turbulent quarter, 41% of Quebecers said they were ready to change employers (Angus Reid survey). Greater openness to the new teleworking lifestyle also allows professionals to expand their options.
The appeal of wide-open spaces, combined with technological accessibility, are contributing to a resurgence of interest in settling in the regions, particularly in the territory covering the Bas-Saint-Laurent, Gaspésie and Edmundston.
Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton has positioned itself as a major employer that adapts to the needs of its environment and context in order to meet its people’s expectations.
What does it mean to work with us?
The regional experience aligns with the firm’s global vision and is based on the following principles:
Despite the distance, we are together virtually
Long before the pandemic, our teams were connected and equipped with state-of-the-art technology to respond to their clientele’s geographic and strategic context and regional, provincial and international networks.
For us, enjoyment and collaboration are essential
We are a united group. Our employees are known for their ability to listen to their clients, colleagues and collaborators. The team spirit that characterizes us is an important asset that contributes to successfully supporting our clients in the recovery of their business, safely and with agility.
Our successors are involved in the decision-making process
We believe that to see further as a professional also means having the opportunity to contribute to the development of the regional economic fabric, to participate in something greater. Our team makes room for young people, allowing them to get involved in various committees and progress quickly within their team.
We leverage differences
Within our firm, our service diversity and an appreciation for expertise make it possible for our staff to work on a wide range of files and client profiles and even explore career opportunities. The multitude of activity sectors in the territory is certainly reflected in the variety of our projects. Eligibility for subsidies means we have been able to help a significant number of companies from sectors particularly affected by the crisis.
Quality of life on a daily basis is our mantra
Flexible working hours, proximity to home, a long-standing absence of traffic, abundant nature, breathtaking scenery and teleworking are distinctive and valuable assets today.
Our regional signature is now part of a new setting, reflecting a whole new social and professional dimension. Our people convey the employer brand, discover them in our video clip and learn about their Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton experience. This unique moment illustrates the regional closeness that symbolizes the very essence of who we are: a firm with a human dimension.
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The daily life of recruiters is not limited to the analysis of resumes, but is multi-faceted. Let’s see what Julie Villeneuve has to say about her role in our firm.
What do you like about your role as a recruiter?
I have the chance to recruit for different teams, and therefore, to meet a variety of candidates. Each person has his or her own personality, history, background and motivations. That’s what’s enriching for me, because I don’t recruit job titles, I look for people who have a way of being, a vision and a personality that match ours. I love the human side of my job.
Using this approach, I’ve been able to talk to people that would surely not have been considered elsewhere. Here, we understand that new skills can be acquired. It’s attitude that’s important.
Before, our function was primarily administrative. Now we have a true advisory role. Our expertise allows us to hire professionals who will quickly find their place and grow within the firm. There is much more added value in this approach than simply ticking off all the boxes on a skills checklist.
Do you have a favourite question you ask during an interview?
I ask people to forget about the position they’re applying for and describe their ideal position. This lets me get a better idea of their interests, motivation, career objectives. In fact, this question once let me redirect a candidate towards a position that was more suitable.
In your opinion, how do you evaluate a successful interview?
For me, a successful interview is one where each party—the firm and the candidate—leaves with all the information needed to make an informed decision. A job interview is an exchange, a discussion. When each party learns something about the other and comes away with a better understanding, then you can say that the interview is a success, no matter what the final decision is.
Because this human side is an integral part of our culture, our consultants want to be in direct contact with candidates at all stages of the recruiting process. We don’t have an automated filtering system, and no one falls into an anonymous inbox. Are you interested in working with us? Contact one of our recruiters!
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When your company offers you the means to achieve your ambitions, take the chance and turn it into an opportunity to move up the ladder.
Senior Tax Manager Olivier Levesque shares his story about how by jumping feet first into what life throws our way, we can move forward successfully.
What makes your career path unique?
The summer I obtained my bachelor’s degree, I did an internship in taxation at the Chicoutimi office. The team must have seen something in me, because I was offered a consultant position before I even started my master’s degree. In my second tax season, I was invited to comment on the federal and provincial budgets on the radio. That was the opportunity that launched my career.
I loved this experience and, the following year, I was offered the chance to participate in the government budget analysis during the lockdown. For two years, in 2018 and 2019, I was there with my team at the lockdown and was invited to discuss it in various media outlets.
I was also invited to co-host the 2019 partners’ meeting and make myself known to the firm’s partners. By saying “yes” to an interview (even though I wasn’t sure I was up to the task), I opened doors to several projects that I am passionate about.
That’s the beauty of working in a team like mine. Regardless of my title, years of experience or age, I had the support of my bosses to go for it.
What do you think is the key to success?
If my story can teach anything to people starting out in an accounting firm, it’s probably that, to be successful, you have to seize every opportunity, internally and externally!
For me, success is far from being measured by my title. If you’re satisfied with being a manager or consultant, you’re confined to one role. To move forward, you have to go beyond responsibilities and expectations. You have to create tasks for yourself, always say “yes” and, most important, make sure you deliver something you can be proud of every time.
Whether the project is big or small, it’s worth the effort because you never know into whose hands it might end up. In my experience, it’s very rare to sow a seed and nothing grows, it’s just some things take time!
