5 Lessons I Learned After 9 Years in Public Accounting

Nine Years. Time is relative. Still, nine years is a very long time - almost 1/3 of the time I have been in this universe.

Throughout these nine years, there are definitely ups and downs. Just like in life.

Amazing days. Stressful days.

Days where you feel super motivated and you can take on anything in the world.

Days where you feel you shouldn't have been here to begin with.

Perhaps, it is the perfect time to reflect on lessons learned after nine years working at a public accounting firm.

There are certainly a lot more than 5 lessons, but for the sake of the attention deficiency in all of us, I will walk through my Top 5:

1. First Impression Matters

None of us wants to admit we are superficial, but after all, we create a first impression after 7 seconds from interacting with others . The not-so-good first impression is also like an annoying mosquito in your hotel room - you know it's there, and it takes some effort and time to get it out. Make sure you don't let the Halo Effect impact your long-term performance at the workplace.

Creating a persona is also a two-way street:

1. It really takes time spending with someone before they are comfortable revealing their true thoughts and self.
2. If you made a bad impression at the forefront, it takes time to repair the damage.

As some say, you don't know someone until you've played a game with them. So next time, plan a competitive social event after work and let your true personality shine (hope it doesn't go the wrong way, of course).

2. Everyone Is Replaceable

It's a harsh truth for all high-achievers to accept but:

You are really not as important as you think.

If you think you are, then perhaps it's time to do a "self-ego" check!

Public accounting is very well prepared for the high churn rate, evidenced by the number of documentation we need to do. Of course, it doesn't mean you should assume anyone can do your task, and do not take ownership of your work. But it does mean, stay humble, stay calm, and ask for help if needed.

One good thing about being in a large corporation is that there are many people with a similar skill set as yourself, no matter if you are in tax, audit, or consulting. As long as you have the ability to forward emails and notes, someone will be able to carry forward with the work you were doing. Also, for any teams without a backup for a skillset, please have a contingency plan because it really reduces the stress for all the team members.

With the popular saying goes "we are not saving lives here," and it's true.

It also means that for your well-being, please don't work from the hospital at night after a surgery, which I unfortunately have witnessed before. Cause it's not sustainable and you really shouldn't.

3. Say "Yes" Carefully

I still remember when I went through my program (in public accounting, "program" means your "work schedule") with my coach as a senior associate, she always told me to leave a bit of buffer in case interesting projects or opportunities come up. If my schedule is at 80% capacity, in reality, it's likely to be 110% already, as ad hoc things always appear when you least expected.

Growing up, especially in the Eastern culture, I tend to say "Yes" too often. Putting your hand up for opportunities which are in line with your goals and interest is the right thing to do. However, it's also very easy to put your hands up too often.

Like Every. Single. Time.

Assess carefully on how many opportunities you should accept before doing so.

Also, be careful when "volunteering" for opportunities.

I still remember as a new associate, there was usually a "downtime" after busy season, where I started asking managers for work. The typical response is that they will put me in mind if something comes up. And for some reason - might be due to the law of attraction, things usually come up simultaneously.

And when this happens, it is sometimes challenging to say no. And what happens if that you end up underperforming on everything as you spread yourself too thin.

So ask yourself:

?What you are most passionate about?

?What do you actually find interesting?

?What aligns with your long-term career goals in life? And do these opportunities will get you one step closer to these goals?

Also, sometimes long-terms career goals do change, and if there is absolutely something you are so interested in that you would grind through 12 hour days for it, you should do it. Because sometimes you do regret it afterwards.

The question to ask yourself is:

What opportunities would you take on in a heartbeat, rather than ones you are thinking "meh" on the inside but pretending you are interested in?

Assess whether the potential opportunities align after reflecting on the above, before saying the big "yes".

Final note on this point, if you are a keener and have the energy to take on more than others, do it! I never ever regret trying and experimenting. Sometimes, you will never know if you are interested in something just because you have not had experience with it. I have learned my likes and dislikes after having an attempt at many things, so especially if you are in an early stage in your career, take the time to explore.

It also will shape yourself into a better, well-rounded professional down the road. And also builds up your network with people in many different areas.

4. Be Kind, To Everyone

Be Kind. It sounds so simple, doesn't it? You might be thinking, "Kelly, I am always so nice to my team! My partners! My mentees!" That's why we need to emphasize the "everyone" here.

Firstly, when we work in a large corporation setting (or even small ones), there are many individuals we sometimes lose sight of, who are also very important contributors. There are a gardeners for the office plants (which there was at the firm I worked in), office managers who manage the office suppliers, our billing admins or cleaning staff amongst numerous others.

There are many people we encounter every day, who are quietly contributing to the office and to society, and we sometimes forget to acknowledge their efforts. These unsung heroes work diligently behind the scenes, often without seeking recognition or praise.

So, be kind to everyone you bump into. Hold the door for them. Put the mugs into the sink. Just smile and say good morning or hi. Sometimes it's that simple. And it makes all the difference to create a great culture and environment we want to work in.

Secondly, we often head straight into the details of a project or tasks during a meeting (virtual or in-person) because we are always on a rush,, especially in a fast-paced environment. However, I find the small talks, even for a few minutes, is really important for bonding and showing you care.

If you see someone is not in a good mood, just ask how they are. Sometimes, they might not want to tell you, but acknowledge that you are aware that they are under the weather that day. And let them know if they ever want someone to talk to, you are happy to be a listener.

Sometimes, in life, we all just want a listener. Someone who is willing to offer a few minutes in their busy schedule to listen.

All of us have had difficult times in our lives, and so does everyone else. As the old saying goes, treat others how you want to be treated.

5) Stay Curious

As children, we are all curious.

"Why is the sky blue, mom?"

"Why shouldn't I touch the stove?"

"What happened to the stuffed animal I brought home yesterday?"

We asked tons of questions. As a child, we are not afraid to ask.

But as we grow up, it gets harder and harder to ask questions, even if we have them in mind. We think, often overthink, before we allow ourselves to speak up.

We became afraid of being judged. We become the ones who might be in the management position, and we'd rather be the expert in our area than the student in something we are not familiar with, from the bottom once again.

Our egos get in the way, as we feel the comfort and safety of knowing. When we are not the one who knows and who are in control, we feel vulnerable. We stick with what we actually know and have the expertise in, but in reality, the wealth of knowledge is like a never-ending ocean.

In this day and age, even though we can easily ask questions through ChatGPT or searching on Google without fear of judgment, we have somehow developed a tendency to be lazy. Too lazy to type or prompt for the answer we are looking for, and then taking the time to digest the information. Even when we have the luxury of getting the answers in a matter of seconds.

Being a passive learner became a habit. We only consume information which are fed to us.

With the world advancing at such an astonishing speed, curiosity is something we should prioritize.

I have witnessed numerous changes for the past nine years, as we move from platform to platform, systems to systems. Every year, there is something new that we have to learn. Staying on top of industry trends also make or break you as a professional. If you don't even know what's going on in the various sectors right now, how do you understand or empathize with the client?

The first step is purely admitting that there is a lot in the universe we do not know. And it's ok! We are humans. We don't have all the training data in the world working 24/7 or enough capacity to store all the knowledge, but there's nothing wrong with it. At the same time, it also doesn't mean we stop learning all together because of that.

There is a difference between being confident and curious. Asking questions and admitting you do not know everything is a form of confidence. Throughout the nine years, I realized I started asking more questions when I gained the confidence to know that some things might not be in the area I am familiar with, and asking is the quickest way to gain the knowledge I was missing.

P.S. Thanks Tracey Jennings for teaching me this.

TL;DR

To summarize:

1. Create a good, or at least a neutral, impression when you first meet someone. Cause it takes time to rebuild your persona.
2. Everyone is replaceable. Look after yourself.
3. Pick and choose things to say "yes" to.
4. Be kind, to everyone. To everyone you encounter because you never know what is going on in other people's lives.
5. Stay Curious. Let go of your ego and pick up the drive to learn.

Final Thoughts

Some people say blogging is dead in 2023. But I believe if you have interesting and provocative thoughts and opinions to share with the world (aka. the internet), there will be readers. As both reading and writing are very self-healing activities, which is what all of us need at times.

This is my own self-reflection, and self-reflecting from time to time is what makes us improve. It's like stopping during a road trip and looking back to see what went well, what can be done better, before moving on.

And I promise, even though I love technology and AI, I won't be writing these blogs with ChatGPT. Well, at least not entirely ?? I truly believe even with the increase of efficiency with Gen AI, we are still able to tell the human touch in written or verbal form, and the further we head down this road to new discoveries, the more precious these human touches are.

What do you think about the 5 lessons I learned? Let me know your thoughts or share you own experience! ??