Episode #118
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! ____________________________________________________ Timestamps 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 ________________________________________ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala ________________________________________ Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtoca Follow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA Podcast Subscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast
