Leo's CRA Journey: [Part 3] Reflections

Leo Ng is a fifth year BBA candidate in the SFU Beedie co-op program who worked at Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for 8 months.  He shares what training is like, learning on the job, and in this article he shares his overall reflections on what it was like to work as a Taxpayer Services Agent.

This year, our co-op team of 30 students came from Simon Fraser University, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and the University of the Fraser Valley. On a personal basis, I have been fortunate to develop lasting friendships with students from different faculties and institutions that I would otherwise have not met if it were not for my time at CRA. From a professional point of view, the performance feedback from my team leader has played an intrinsic part in my continual development over the last eight months as a Taxpayer Services Agent. 

Even though my career path is not in accounting, working on a full time basis at the Burnaby Fraser Tax Services Office and learning about the workings of the Canadian tax system has been a beneficial experience this year. As a BBA candidate concentrating in human resource management, the communication methods and continually asking probing questions to guide taxpayers with their enquiries were the two noteworthy learning experiences that I will always remember in my future career. Working as a Taxpayer Services Agent enabled me to further develop my communication skills and become more confident in different demanding situations. My experience on the job has allowed me to witness what CRA truly meant in its service commitment to Canadian taxpayers.

From the average Canadian family enquiring about a straightforward tax credit to post-secondary students enquiring about their tuition credits, my two co-op work terms at CRA were invaluable personal milestones. Helping taxpayers with their tax enquiries from different backgrounds has broadened my understanding and view of the numerous real world circumstances that many Canadians face every day. 

Beyond the Article:

• For more about Leo, follow him on Twitter.
• Interested in working at the CRA?  Read more about them on their website.
• For more student perspectives of the CRA, check out "A day in the life of a taxpayer services agent at the CRA"

*Lead image from Altralto.