Accountant
(Female, Age 37) from Longwood, FL
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 37 who works as a Accountant in Longwood, FL. 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 | $84,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 40 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Longwood, FL |
| Years Experience | 5 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 work for a large national accounting firm as an associate. There are over 5000 employees in the USA
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I am assigned national clients which I audit monthly and prepare reports for. Normally I work on projects for 1 month. At that point, there are criteria that need to be met before a new client is given to me.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
Health Insurance,401K,Paid Time Off
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.
Absolutely. There are teams of 5 persons that work on a common client. Duties are given out at the beginning of the project and we have weekly followup meetings to gauge our progress.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
I work in a large office building (10 stories high) that our company takes up the top 3 floors. Our department is on the ninth floor and I work usually at a table with 1 other colleague.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 3
Benefits: 5
Hours: 6
Co-Workers: 1
Supervisors: 2
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 7
The Actual Work: 2
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 | First thing in the morning is to prepare my binder and make sure all needed paperwork is there. I then commute to work which is a 60 minute drive on the interstate. |
| 8am to 9am | Look at all incoming amails from corporate. Check assignments for day if not working on ongoing project. Every Friday at this time we have a meeting to discuss where our team is on the current project. |
| 9am to 10am | Begin mathematical computations needed to generate report for client. I do this for 3 hours at least everyday.There is a partner that double checks our work to make sure that it is accurate. |
| 10am to 11am | All work is put in the computer so that our divisional head can go over it and make sure we are on target to finish the project on time. At 1030 am every day we have a conference call with our contact at the company we are working on. |
| 11am to 12pm | As a head, I am responsible for monitoring the progress of our 5 person team. This includes some travel to other employees in our town. |
| 12pm to 1pm | We have lunch between 12 and 1 pm. Most days this involves working through most of lunch. The company encourages taking at least 30 minutes for a mental break as well. |
| 1pm to 2pm | Work continues and most days I create a report that I call in. The call is transcribed and posted on the company website. |
| 2pm to 3pm | Most mathematical computations are completed by 3 pm. All daily reports are due by 3 pm of the following day. |
| 3pm to 4pm | WE have a team huddle at 4 pm and wrap up for the day. Most projects are usually 2 weeks in length. The final report usually takes about 2 days to put together. |
| 4pm to 5pm | I place my folders in my binder and begin to head home. We may have a work meeting at 5 pm to discuss our next client but these are usually 1 hour in length. My commute home is 1 hour. |
| 5pm to 6pm | |
| 6pm to 7pm | |
| 7pm to 8pm | |
| 8pm to 9pm | |
| 9pm to 10pm | |
| 10pm to 11pm | |
| 11pm to 12am |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
I found my job at a recruiting fair at my university during the last year of my masters program.
What was the application process?
A resume was handed to my employer at the job fair and they set up interviews at the spot.
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
I was interviewed by 2 managers- a department head and then a Human Resources person who gave the job specifics (income and benefits). The last step was a trial week on the job I have today.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
The basic questions were “What specific field of accounting do you like the most and the least?” and those related to where you would want to be in 10 years.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Because my job varies so much week to week, it is hard to really prepare. There are reference books availableif I need to find out specific information.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
The training for my current job was on the job. They literally through me in the fire and let me learn from my mistakes. Every client I work on is different from the past.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Absolutely my education was very specific to my job requirements. My masters program is geared for those in my current job.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
My summer internship was great because it introduced me to my fellow coworkers and allowed me to see what a day in the life of a senior tax accountant was like.
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
One would need to get a masters in tax accounting. This is usually a 3 year program at most universities. Once that is completed, there is a national examination that must be passed.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
A person doing my job should be excellent in time management. Organizational skills are key so that a colleague or manager can pick up in case you are moved to another assignment. We work in teams of 5 so one should be friendly and be a team player.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
A masters degree in Tax Accounting is required.
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
One should build up their resume at a large multinational firm first. If one could become fluent in a foreign language it may open up many doors.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
I would love to stay at my current company perhaps moving up the corporate ladder. My current job would be a great stepping stone for that career path.
What are your current career goals?
Career goals is to expand myself at this company. Negative aspect would be longer hours at the job.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
HARD WORK DOES PAY OFF!!!!
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Senior Tax Accountant | 3 years | 90000 | I supervise the consuting department within a large multinational accounting firm |
| Prior Job 2 | No other job experience |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3.8
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.5 | Univ. of Florida | AB Finance |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
3.3 | Univ. of Florida | Masters Tax accounting |
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