Accountant
(Female, Age 47) from Lafayette, IN
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 47 who works as a Accountant in Lafayette, IN. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Accountant |
|---|---|
| Salary | $30,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 50 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Lafayette, IN |
| Years Experience | 3 years |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
I have my own business. I work alone as a sole proprietor.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I do bookkeeping and preparation of various governmental tax forms for small businesses. I prepare business and personal income tax returns.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
retirement plan
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
well compensated
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
I enjoy interacting with clients and prospects daily on the phone, by e-mail and in person. My clients rely on my professional advice and to help them comply with government regulations. I network with prospective clients and with others with whom I can exchange connections to prospects.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
I enjoy working at home; it’s relaxing and distraction-free. I meet with my clients at their place of business and I attend networking activities that allow me to get out of the house and interact with people.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 5
Benefits: 6
Hours: 7
Co-Workers: 4
Supervisors: 3
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 2
The Actual Work: 1
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | I checked my e-mail. I was reminded of an upcoming tax webcast and I scanned an accounting association e-newsletter. I confirmed a meeting for this afternoon with a tax client. I work with tax clients (both business and personal) on an annual basis, as opposed to monthly and quarterly business clients with whom I work on a regular basis. For monthly and quarterly clients, I do bookkeeping, accounting and preparation of various tax returns (payroll, sales, estimated, etc.) |
| 8am to 9am | I headed to a meeting with a client to deliver completed tax returns. Since we both work from my home, we met at a local coffee shop. On the way to the appointment, I stopped to check my post office box. |
| 9am to 10am | I delivered tax returns and records to a client. He asked a few questions. I answered most but said I’d research one to make sure and get back with him. I stopped at the bank to deposit the check I received from the client. |
| 10am to 11am | A client called and said he wanted to stop by to pick up his completed tax returns, but he changed his mind about e-filing and said he wanted to mail in his return instead. I told him I’d need to print out copies for him to mail and would have them ready by tomorrow afternoon. I began working on preparation of a corporate tax return. |
| 11am to 12pm | I continued working on a corporate return for a quarterly accounting client. I printed a trial balance and general ledger for the year and reviewed them for necessary adjutments. I headed to a Rotary meeting. |
| 12pm to 1pm | I had lunch with fellow Rotary members. I chatted briefly with other members of the finance committee. I exchanged business cards with someone new I sat next to at the meeting. |
| 1pm to 2pm | I stopped at a few clients’ businesses and delivered their completed accounting work. I gave a client a refresher on processing his payroll, because I noticed his numbers were not coming out they way they should. He was appreciative of this. |
| 2pm to 3pm | I checked phone and e-mail messages. I returned a call to a bank manger who wanted to give me a referral for a start-up business. I returned a call to a corporate tax client’s bookkeeper who had questions about some numbers on the tax return balance sheet. I responded to some e-mails, confirming some meeting dates/times. |
| 3pm to 4pm | I picked up where I left off on the corporate tax return and began entering the numbers into my tax software. This is somewhat tedious work once you’ve done it before. But there are often issues that come up that are unique to the client that make it interesting. |
| 4pm to 5pm | I went to my meeting with a tax client to go over a letter he received from the IRS requesting additional information. He had claimed some credits on a tax return I prepared for him that were being challenged. This is basically considered a “correspondence audit” by the IRS. |
| 5pm to 6pm | I attended a small business of the month event sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce and a local bank. The individual being honored is a tax client. I networked with some other business owners and exchanged business cards with some new ones. |
| 6pm to 7pm | I went for a walk with my husband. We headed to a dinner out with church members. Several of the church members are clients. |
| 7pm to 8pm | I delivered completed tax returns to a tax client that was at the dinner. They agreed to review them when they return home and would contact me if they had questions. I reminded them that they need to sign the e-file forms so I can electronically file their returns for them. |
| 8pm to 9pm | I socialized at the dinner. It’s important to develop personal relationships with prospects to gain their trust. Even if they do not do business with me, I know that my name may come to mind if they run into someone who’s looking for an accountant. |
| 9pm to 10pm | I watched some television with my husband. We discussed our evening out. We discussed our plans for the next day. |
| 10pm to 11pm | I got ready for bed. I laid out my clothes for the next day to give myself an early start in the morning. I headed to bed. |
| 11pm to 12am | Sleeping and dreaming about the next days’ work and what it has in store for me… |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
I researched on the Internet.
What was the application process?
I filed the necessary legal paperwork to start up the business.
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
I did not need to interview to start my job.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
This does not apply.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
I’ve gained useful experience from the various jobs I’ve had before starting my business. I got accounting and tax experience and developed the necessary skills through my various jobs.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
The training for my position was mainly my prior jobs in accounting and taxes. I also do a lot of research and learning on my own to figure out how to handle new things for which I have no experience.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
My accounting degree gave me the basic accounting knowledge I need to do my job.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
I had internships and work study experiences that gave me experience in applying my accounting knowledge. I learned to 10-key, got to do tax research, and worked on large spreadsheets with macros.
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Get an accounting degree and CPA certificate. People generally have an automatic trust in CPAs. Get experience in accounting and taxes. Then you’re ready to start up your own business.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
You need good organizational and time management skills to keep on top of the files generated from the work and the tax filing deadlines, and to balance your marketing and operations tasks. You need to be approachable and knowledgeable in accounting & taxes so people will feel comfortable working with you. You need to have a strong work ethic and be disciplined and self-motivated enough to work without supervision.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
You need at least basic accounting and tax skills and some experience applying those skills in the real world.
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Be prepared to work hard and to have enough money to carry you for the first year or two until you build up your client base and start generating money from the business.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Having my own business is part of my career plan.
What are your current career goals?
My current goals are to continue to grow my business and to continue keeping up on the changing tax laws.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
It’s a lot of hard work but it can be rewarding.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Tax Accountant | 1 year | 40000 | I did research and analysis of federal and state tax laws. I advised departments on tax issues and managed a variety of tax business processes. |
| Prior Job 2 | Accounting Supervisor | 2 years | 40000 | I supervised a staff of seven in payables, receivables, payroll, fixed assets, and customer service. |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:4
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.8 | Texas A&M University | Accounting/BBA |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
3.5 | Purdue University | Gen’l Mgmt/MBA |
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