1. 10/27/12 8:09 PMConfessions of a Newbie Accountant « Oregon Society of CPAs
Page 1 of 3http://oscpablog.orcpa.org/2012/03/21/confessions-of-a-newbie-accountant/
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Confessions of a Newbie Accountant
March 21, 2012 by Heather Zeitzwolfe
I started my career as an accountant two months ago. I was thrown right into tax season (sink or
swim) but I’ve been able to keep my head above water. Everyday I learn something new. I am
fortunate to have wonderful mentors at work, who give me guidance, yet allow me to figure things
out on my own. I agree with Benjamin Franklin who said, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I
may remember, involve me and I learn.” It is very exciting to finally apply what I’ve learned in
school and reinforce my knowledge through hands-on experience.
During my first week on the job, I created 1099’s using specially designed software. I know this
may sound like dullsville to an experienced accountant, but until that week I never gave 1099’s
much thought; for all I knew they were produced by the Form Fairy who snuck them into people’s
mailboxes after dark. This task was particularly thrilling to me because of the fancy official IRS
printed red forms. Before the amusement of the 1099!s subsided, I was on to bigger and better
things.
I soon moved on to tax returns and have been immersed in them ever since. Call me a nerd, but I
think this stuff is fun and surprisingly entertaining. To paraphrase Forrest Gump’s mom, sifting
through people’s tax documents is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.
They come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and strange odors. Sometimes a client’s handwriting is
illegible or the documents are covered in weird dark stains or they have the appearance of being
chewed by a dog. I find these nuances utterly delightful because they give the whole experience a
humanistic character and helps create a painted picture far beyond the numbers.
On a less chipper note, I now have two nemeses at work. Soon after my start date, I was exposed to
the evil nature of reconciling retained earnings. This can be a maddening process, which none of
my professors warned me about. In my textbooks it was an easy piece of math, but in the real
world it has yet to be that simple. But worse still, my biggest archenemies are the staples clients use
to hold their tax documents together. At our office we scan all of our work papers, therefore each
staple must be painstakingly removed (http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/80965997/).
For some reason, many clients feel the need to load up their stack of Goodwill charitable donation
vouchers with three to four staples. Removal of these tiny metal beasts typically results in wasted
time and occasionally even a nasty paper cut.

2. 10/27/12 8:09 PMConfessions of a Newbie Accountant « Oregon Society of CPAs
Page 2 of 3http://oscpablog.orcpa.org/2012/03/21/confessions-of-a-newbie-accountant/
My biggest adjustment has been the 10-Key adding machine,
(http://www.ehow.com/way_5172109_learning-10-key-adding-machine.html) which I hadn’t
used since 1985. In the university system we are taught to use scientific calculators, however no one
in my office even has one of those but me. Sometimes I accidentally bump my 10-key, which sends
off an array of alarming noises including a frightening, “Ahhhh!!!” from me as I jump out of my
seat. I really am trying to embrace the 10-key, but I’m embarrassingly slow when using it. On the
other hand, the lightning fast abilities of my coworkers makes my jaw drop; especially one, which
I’ve nicknamed The Adding Ninja.
Like Sisyphus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisyphus) and his rock, those tax returns keep
coming towards me in an endless avalanche; as I finish one, the next one comes rolling towards me.
Despite all the stress and the impending, monumental deadline, I guess you can say I’m
surviving. Yeah, the hours are long and I’m living on little sleep, but hey, let’s face it.. that’s what
caffeine is for.
(http://oscpablog.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/hz_adding_cup1.jpg)
Posted in Accounting Degree, Public Accounting, Tax Season, Work/Life Balance | Tagged 10-key,
Newbie Accountant, tax documents | Leave a Comment
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3. 10/27/12 8:09 PMConfessions of a Newbie Accountant « Oregon Society of CPAs
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