Role: Temporary accountant, Expertise Ltd.

What is your job? I am a Chartered Accountant with 20 years' experience. I go to clients premises to work full-time on a temporary basis, usually to cover for client staff who are on maternity leave or to do project work. I have worked primarily in the reinsurance and telecommunications industries, in roles ranging from accountant through financial controller to chief financial officer.

What is your favourite part of the job? I enjoy the variety — working at different companies and in different roles, meeting new people. It is always interesting discovering how different companies approach common problems — how their systems and procedures work and trying to use my experience to help them improve. I enjoy going back to old clients and seeing how they have changed and developed. I can schedule long vacations between contracts and have had the opportunity to travel all over the world because of that. That is a huge bonus to doing temp work.

What is your least favourite part of the job? I have had a couple of contracts where the work has been tedious — I have a low boredom threshold. I don't like saying goodbye to everyone at the end of my contracts, but am always excited to move on to the next and know that because Bermuda is a small place I usually run into people anyway.

What is your most interesting experience at work? Handovers for maternity leave covers are always interesting, especially when it is the mother-to-be's first baby. They range from a leisurely three or four weeks to one frantic morning when the baby decided to come early and the mother was having contractions in the office. She was desperately trying to tell me as much as she could about the job and all I could think was that she needed to get to the hospital before she gave birth right there in the office! I enjoy getting thrown in the deep-end, but that one was a little unnerving.

What would you be doing otherwise? I'm really not sure. I've been doing this for eight years now, and can't imagine being tied into one job indefinitely. I have become quite involved with some clients and have toyed with the idea of staying permanently, but ultimately I am always glad that I didn't. I would miss my time off, too.