The first month of busy season
January is behind me, and "busy season" for public accountants is in full swing. Apparently February gets even more intense than January, but the light at the end of that tunnel is that things start to slow down a little bit in March (so they tell us).
In a way, working so much is enjoyable, because I'm learning that I can survive while working 10 hour days for 6 days a week (at least). I think a lot of people my age, including myself, don't know what it's like to really have to work. We go to college, are encouraged to socialize and figure out what we're passionate about, and then we graduate and head into the working world expecting to get a job working somewhere where we'll really be appreciated for our expensive degree. (A lot of people my age did learn about working hard with little appreciation at a much earlier age, so that is definitely not a blanket observation of all recent college grads.)
Whatever I do next in life, whether it's getting my PhD, starting my own business, or continuing on at this CPA firm, I think the mindset that working a 10-12 hour day with no weekend is reasonable if that's what you need to get the job done.
It's a bit like the mental state I need when trying to push myself to keep running when I start getting tired (usually a quarter of a mile in! I'm not a great runner, so mybe this is a bad analogy?). Just because you're feeling a little fatigued is no reason to stop - your body has the ability to keep going.
I imagine that will serve me well if I ever start my own business, since entrepreneurship takes so much dedication to get everything going.
Then again, those of you out there who have been working hard for years are probably laughing at me right now since this is just a normal way of being for you!
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February 6th, 2011 - 02:29
I have had the pleasure of working in various companies before graduating from college. I’ve got to say that the environment effects how you feel about your work. If your co-workers are good to work with and there are no micromanagers, you feel better about the work you do.
Unfortunately I’m working at a company right now that makes me feel demoralized at the end of the day. If there was a different boss and the company had different outlook on what their employees have to offer, I would love the work I’m doing. Instead, I can’t wait to find a new job.
So far my experience shows that if you love what you do and you’re in a positive environment, putting in more than 40 hours a week is more do-able and at times you’re actually excited to get the work done.
February 6th, 2011 - 09:19
Definitely very true! I might not get along with everyone I work with to the point where we’d be friends, but I do feel like I want to do good work for them.
Good luck finding a better place to work – nothing is worse than spending 8 -9 hours a day somewhere that makes you miserable.
February 6th, 2011 - 19:27
Hi Kellen, I’m not laughing, but I am smiling… because you seem very wise and sensible. I believe that whenever we challenge ourselves, as you stated, we are proving our own strength. And the interesting thing is, the more you do something tough, the easier it becomes. Good luck with the accounting season.
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February 18th, 2011 - 22:56
I think the season is getting tougher… I’m looking forward to an afternoon off sometime in the near future! But we’re officially halfway through!