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For my first job out of college, I've been with a very small (two
partners, non-auditing) CPA firm for a little over a month now, and I
still find myself making at least a few daily (albeit small and
correctable) mistakes or forgetting a few steps about which I need
confirmation from the bookkeeper who's training me. Thankfully, I am
still being trained on the different write-up/compilation/payroll
clients, but it can be somewhat embarassing forgetting a few steps
(albeit perhaps in a slightly different form) that I've been told about
two or three times. The problem really is that I must be trained
really with _every_ write-up/compilation/payroll client because each
one in general has unique aspects about which I must know. SOmetimes,
the variation is only slight, but it's still a difference. We have
about 400 clients in total (to which most only receive tax and advisory
services), but only do payroll/write-up, etc., for around 80 clients.
But, like I said, these 80 clients consist of drastically different
types/forms of businesses.
Add to all of this that the software we use (Creative Solutions)
sometimes does weird things to stored data. Or, perhaps it's the case
my firm's computers/network causes weird things and not Creative
Solutions. Regardless, bank recs from prior months that were once ok
sometimes get screwed up, making doing the current month's bank rec
impossible until you figure out what the computer did to the other bank
recs. I still think this is good experience, but I do wonder if it's
this difficult for me right now, how difficult it'll be come tax
season.
For those of you who started in public accounting in a small or
medium-sized firm (or even large firm), how long did it take you to get
comfortable with all the different client and system variations?
partners, non-auditing) CPA firm for a little over a month now, and I
still find myself making at least a few daily (albeit small and
correctable) mistakes or forgetting a few steps about which I need
confirmation from the bookkeeper who's training me. Thankfully, I am
still being trained on the different write-up/compilation/payroll
clients, but it can be somewhat embarassing forgetting a few steps
(albeit perhaps in a slightly different form) that I've been told about
two or three times. The problem really is that I must be trained
really with _every_ write-up/compilation/payroll client because each
one in general has unique aspects about which I must know. SOmetimes,
the variation is only slight, but it's still a difference. We have
about 400 clients in total (to which most only receive tax and advisory
services), but only do payroll/write-up, etc., for around 80 clients.
But, like I said, these 80 clients consist of drastically different
types/forms of businesses.
Add to all of this that the software we use (Creative Solutions)
sometimes does weird things to stored data. Or, perhaps it's the case
my firm's computers/network causes weird things and not Creative
Solutions. Regardless, bank recs from prior months that were once ok
sometimes get screwed up, making doing the current month's bank rec
impossible until you figure out what the computer did to the other bank
recs. I still think this is good experience, but I do wonder if it's
this difficult for me right now, how difficult it'll be come tax
season.
For those of you who started in public accounting in a small or
medium-sized firm (or even large firm), how long did it take you to get
comfortable with all the different client and system variations?