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What is a day in the life of an accountant look like for someone ?

I am a high school student looking for advice for a school project.

business finance accounting accountant financial-accounting cpa
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Alexandra’s Answer

Hi! I work in tax accounting. This is what an average day for me is like. Please note that there are many different types of accountant jobs and also different projects, so no two days are completely alike. But, generally, I check my email and respond to questions either from colleagues or from the client directly. I also have a lot of conference calls during the day. Some are internal (with my team) and others are with clients. As far as work when I am not on calls or emails, it really varies, but I generally do the following:

- prepare or review tax returns
- prepare or review memos or PowerPoint slide decks to be delivered to a client
- do reasearch
- contact experts in certain areas and ask questions
- take notes
-summarize results of research
- contact the IRS or state tax authorities about notices our clients received
- read about tax developments such as new laws, or proposed legislation
- attend trainings on new tax rules
- draft and deliver trainings for others on tax rules

I also train new members of my team, interview new candidates for positions at our firm and do volunteering work.
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Victor’s Answer

Depends on what life you want to make out of as an accountant. Most accountant's jobs are 9-5 behind a computer in a corporate setting. There are some roles where you can work remotely anywhere around the States. This will also vary based on the type of accounting profession you choose to do. To simplify, you can go through the following route:

Audit - You are in a sense reviewing another Company's financials and making sure what they are reporting is consistent with a set of rules (GAAP.)

Tax - You will be providing tax services to corporations or individuals.

Accounting Advisory - You will utilize your skillset of accounting knowledge to answer specific questions Companies hire you to do so.

Corporate - You work within a Company's accounting department where you manage and record the accounting records.

Non-general Accounting Roles: These roles are not as common for an accounting folk; but if you put in enough effort, you can score it too:

FDD - Financial Due Diligence
Rx Consulting
Finance Accounting Consulting Transformation
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Alexis’s Answer

Hi Ryan,
Life as "accountant" can look like a lot of different things, especially at a Big4 firm!

I personally got my CPA and started out doing audit work. During my time in audit, I worked a lot with platforms such as Alteryx , Tableau, and PowerPlatform. I ended up transitioning to a role within our "Customer Success" group that helps bridge the gap between client facing business groups and technologists who work deeply with code.

Another colleague states that:
Personally, I think Accountant role varies among different industries. I worked 2 years as a loan accounting specialist in my previous role in banking industry. My day-to-day involves booking journal entries, general ledgers, reconciliating bank statement and review loan closure processes. All of these tasks require a lot attention to details and familiarity of the procedure as they tend to share repetitive characteristics.
My role in PwC is rather different from my previous role, now I am working as a consultant in financial service, data and tech field. My day-to-day is quite different depend on the project progress. It requires learning and understanding new concepts quickly, making full utilization of resources you have, communicating efficiently with others.

I think this just goes to show that "a day in the life" can look like many different things, and no matter where you start out, you can also pivot to an area that you enjoy more. Starting out in accounting can give you a really strong base to decide to take your career in many different directions!

Whether you’re starting college or finishing up your studies, Access Your Potential Career Readiness and Digital Skills curricula are available to help you grow and discover what you want for your career. Sign up to have access to these free programs and more at Access Your Potential (see link below)!

Alexis recommends the following next steps:

accessyourpotential.pwc.com
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Sarah’s Answer

I work as a remote Senior Auditor for a public accounting firm. This is my typical day-to-day:
1. Hop online around 8:30-9am
2. Answer any team messages or client emails that were missed from the previous/current day.
3. Check in with the staff on my teams to make sure they are all set for the day ahead.
4. Check any newly uploaded documents of support from clients/recordkeepers
5. Start on my tasks for the day.
6. There are team calls and client calls that happen all through the day--some days there are no calls.
7. Towards the end of the day (around 5:30-6:30 during non-busy season) I create my plan for tasks for the next day and release my time for that day (billable hours spent on certain clients)
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John’s Answer

There are many different types of accountants; but typically day-to-day, accountants are working with computers, specifically Microsoft Excel to perform analysis or other tasks. You may also work with other ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) or accounting systems to post journal entries or perform other tasks. You'll also be working with teammates to accomplish tasks, so communication skills are still important. Accounting jobs often require you to be able to work independently on tasks that require you to solve problems and be self-guided, but also able to work in teams to solve larger problems.
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Harry’s Answer

Hi Ryan. There are many good answers from others. However you ask a broad general question with no right answer. I guess my answer is, There is not normally a typical day (even with an entry level position.) If you have a knack for problem solving, are logical and want to see that things balance or provide a correct answer to management that gives them a proper direction to move in, you will do just fine.
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Katherine’s Answer

As an accountant doing several different jobs over the years, my brother has done everything from trying to convince bosses not to adopt a software program for the entire company that is inferior and would make his job harder, to hiring and training new people (!), to giving presentations to company officers, to sitting at a desk staring at screens and using macros while trying to avoid getting a cold from the air conditioning blowing right on him, to traveling to locations where the company owns property as part of vacations/inspections, to making phone calls to people he really doesn't want to have to talk to because they will have a bad attitude about what he has to tell them, to cleaning up record-keeping or financial messes created or just un-carefully left by other employees and clients so the clients or more likely his company will save money, to making sure things happen by crazy monthly deadlines and working late hours to make sure it all happens in time.
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Kylen’s Answer

In my experience working in public accounting in the audit field, there are times when the workload can be challenging, but also rewarding. There are periods of both intense work and relaxation. Starting out in the firm can be a significant learning curve, but it's an excellent opportunity to develop new skills and knowledge.

I find that audit is an excellent area for those who enjoy learning, as it demands a logical and analytical approach to problem-solving. It's a diverse field that allows you to work with clients from various industries and sectors. Working with larger clients can provide a more tangible sense of impact.

Overall, I think that accounting is a dynamic field that requires hard work and dedication, but also offers many opportunities for growth and development.
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Matt’s Answer

Hello Ryan,

That's a fantastic question you've asked! Always keep in mind that the world of accounting is vast and varied. So, how my day unfolds might be quite different from another accountant's day. There's a whole range of specialties to consider - tax accounting, bookkeeping, auditing, cost accounting, forensic accounting, financial planning & analysis, and internal controls, just to name a few. Each specialist has a unique daily routine, which is what makes this field so exciting - there's a wealth of opportunities waiting for you.
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PRASANJIT’s Answer

The services which an accountant provides are as follows:
Management Consultancy services.
Taxation services.
Bookkeeping.
Statutory audit and internal audit.
In winding up of companies, they act as liquidators for the company.
Accountants also act as arbitrators to settle of disputes.
Thank you comment icon Your advice was so helpful! Ryan
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John’s Answer

There are many different types of accountants, many people think of accountants as tax professionals: filling out tax forms, doing tax research, or other tasks related to taxes. However, there are many other types of accountants. One is auditors, these are accountants who are basically checking the work of other accountants, they will perform procedures to ensure a company is operating effectively. There are also more typical accounting jobs in companies, these accountants will help manage the finance side of the business and may perform analysis related to cash flows and revenue; they will also be responsible for financial reporting. Most accounting jobs involve working with people and working with computer systems to perform various types of analyses.
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