Surviving the Busy Season - Tips for New Joiners
By Cristina Joy D. Cancela
IT's crunch time! As an accountant, perhaps at this time you are already questioning your career choice.
With financial statements and income tax return filing deadlines around the corner, this period is exceptionally
stressful. But everything will be worth the sleepless nights, the never-ending workload and long hours at the
office. The things that you will learn about accounting, auditing, teamwork... are unmatched. If you have the
knowledge and the right level of confidence to deal with clients, public practice is undoubtedly right for you.
As an external auditor for more than a decade, I am sharing here some tips to help new auditors not just to
survive but to thrive during the busy work season.
1. Learn the basics of accounting and auditing
When you enter the world of external auditing, the minimum expectation from you is that you have the grips with
the basics of accounting and auditing. Not only will that help you better understand the accounts and procedures
that you will perform, but it will also give you the needed boost and confidence to carry on with the engagement.
2. Learn to take down notes
During the busy season, everyone is literally busy — from seniors up to the partner in-charge. You will be receiving
reminders every now and then, and you must ensure that you understand the tasks assigned to you. However, you should
also be aware that your heads, too, have their own work allocation, which includes managing clients. If you're the
partner, it always helps to take notes of your staffs' concerns. Personally, I always encourage my team members to
write down notes so there will be no repetition of explanations and reminders, and to ensure that they will not miss
key information.
If paper and pen is not your thing, you may use Microsoft OneNote, a digital note-taking app that provides a single
place for keeping all your notes, research, plans and information — everything that you need to remember and manage
your work at the office or from home.
3. Ask questions if you must
When I was a junior auditor, I found it very difficult to ask questions, especially during the busy season because
everyone is swamped with what they are doing. However, I came to realize that if I do not ask my seniors on highly
technical, critical or sensitive issues, I will not know exactly what I am looking for or resolve them correctly.
Accounting is highly technical, and it's unlikely that a new auditor will be a financial statement or accounting
expert in an instant. New auditors are often adamant on asking questions, but April 15 won't wait for you. Some
accounting issues are sometimes beyond a new auditor's skill set, and the answer often is available from a more
experienced senior or colleague. Partners and managers, on the other hand, should be sensitive to the reasons
when a staff is hard up on completing tasks.
4. Do not aim for perfection
When you start doing your working papers or documentations, you can't help but wonder whether you are doing the
right thing or not. You may want to constantly seek the advice of your senior or check if everything is good. This
is the crucial point wherein you have to have a good understanding of your audit procedures. As long as you have
followed everything according to the audit program, then your work is ready to be signed off.
Getting a lot of review comments on your work should not discourage you but rather encourage you to do better and
improve the next time.
5. Take breaks when you can
Whenever you have the chance, do a quick break for water or coffee, or even a quick exercise or stretching. Just
because everyone is so busy and doing late hours work doesn't mean you need to do the same. Working without a break
for long hours will make it difficult for you to focus and is counterproductive.
6. Make it as fun as possible and celebrate
Busy season is busy but this should not hinder you from having fun at times. It does not have to always be about audit
work. A few minutes of having a good laugh with your team or with the management will surely help everyone to loosen up
and be revitalized.
And no matter how big or small your achievements are, celebrate it and recognize your accomplishments and efforts. A
positive attitude does wonders to keep that passion burning and endure the tough requirements of a busy season.
It is indeed a tough time, there's no doubt about that, but if you follow the tips above, I'm sure you can survive the
busy season. Plan, organize and prioritize... do not procrastinate. Good luck!
Cristina Joy D. Cancela, CPA, is a senior partner of Paguio, Dumayas & Associates, CPAs (PDAC),
(PrimeGlobal Philippines) and a member of the Media Affairs Committee of the Association of CPAs in Public Practice (Acpapp).
Her opinion does not reflect in any way those of these institutions.
Source: Surviving the Busy Season - Tips for New Joiners - Manila Times