Zuzana Blazejova

Senior Manager, Tax

Zuzana thinks that KPMG is an excellent company when it comes to team work.
She has been working for KPMG since July 1997. Throughout these years she has had the chance to attend many interesting workshops in Slovakia and abroad.

1. What did you study and why?

I studied marketing because I didn't like numbers and I wanted to find creative work. Now I am a Senior Tax Manager in KPMG in Slovakia where I nearly always have to use creative thinking. However, I have to work with the numbers, too. :o)

2. Did you think about work in KPMG as a student? How did this company attract you?

During my studies some marketing students, myself included, assisted KPMG with one market research project. The company attracted me with a young team of very nice people and pleasant working environment.

3. When and how did you hear about KPMG for the first time?

The first time I heard about KPMG was when I worked on this marketing project. Before that we had a short workshop about KPMG where they introduced us to the company.

4. Why did you choose KPMG?

Pleasant people interested me the most, and I wanted to work with them. Moreover, I found out that in KPMG in Slovakia I would be able to use German because the company also offered their services to German-speaking clients and I wanted to improve my foreign language skills.

5. Weren't you scared of the stereotype, which is a dreaded prejudice in this kind of job?

I only had a rough idea of what to expect from working for KPMG. I wasn't worried of the routine though because from my earlier experience I knew that tax is very broad and can be very interesting.

6. What were your expectations of working for KPMG?

I thought that as a new employee I wouldn't be able to do the "normal" work straight away but the "helping" work only. However, from the very beginning we were involved in tax advisory, which I found very interesting. Moreover, I really enjoyed all the mandatory training and workshops from the beginning of my career at KPMG.

7. What career expectations did you have at KPMG?

I expected that I would improve my knowledge of tax issues and that I would learn how to lead team work. I also hoped that because of the international background of KPMG I would meet many interesting people and travel to many exciting places. My hopes became true indeed.

8. What about your first moments? Did you feel confused or were your colleagues helping you to fit into the team?

KPMG is an excellent place when it comes to team work. Our more experienced colleagues were helping us all the time and were willing to help us with our professional problems. At the beginning I really enjoyed the fact that senior staff didn't act like we were the new ones and they were the more experienced - we have always worked as one team. From assistants to partners we are on a first-name basis which really helps to create a relaxed atmosphere at work

9. Which positive experiences marked your stay at KPMG?

I have been with KPMG in Slovakia for more than eleven years now. During this time I had a chance to attend a huge number of trainings in Slovakia and abroad and I also met many nice and clever people, some of whom are now very close friends. KPMG gave me the opportunity to obtain the Tax Advisor certificate and KPMG lets me attend professionally attractive conferences where I can meet colleagues and tax professionals from abroad and gain new contacts. Thanks to KPMG I saw places which I might have never seen otherwise, such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Dubai and Johannesburg. What I really like about KPMG is that we are remain young in spirit, thanks to a great team atmosphere. When you work for KPMG, you simply have to keep learning new things and take opportunities for your personal growth, be it in tax, advisory or in foreign languages.

10. When it comes to professional experience, what has being a tax advisor taught you at KPMG?

I have learnt how to lead huge projects and I have no problem managing several tax due diligence projects at the same time. Step by step I specialized as a tax advisor in international acquisitions and transactions in real estate, which is very challenging and by no means routine. I also learned to lecture and present at international tax workshops and conferences.

11. How would you describe your value and what are your possibilities in the professional market with your long term experience in KPMG?

Very often I get tempting job offers, especially from various agencies. Despite many lucrative offers I decided to stay with KPMG in Slovakia for now because I like my job, the working environment and the atmosphere of the company as well as the people I work with every day. If I wanted to change my job and company, with my experience I wouldn't have any problem at all- whether in Slovakia or abroad.