Reflections on My First Bookkeeping Job: Is This Experience Typical?
What Was Your First Job Like?
Lately, I’ve been pondering whether to share an update about my first job experience as a bookkeeper. I’m feeling uncertain about whether my situation is typical, and I’m eager to hear about others’ experiences in their entry-level Bookkeeping roles.
Your Background
Did you step into your role with any previous experience? Perhaps from college or online courses?
Learning Curve
Were you thrust into learning everything simultaneously—tasks like reconciliation, entering and paying bills, invoicing, and renewing business licenses—or did you take on responsibilities progressively? How many times did someone guide you through a process before you were expected to handle it independently?
Support and Independence
How closely did your colleagues or supervisors monitor your output each day? How much time passed before you could work autonomously?
Work Environment
Is it normal for everyone around you to seem perpetually stressed, juggling too many tasks at once?
These questions have been on my mind lately. I’m grateful for the chance to learn and grow in my role, but I’m uncertain if I’m truly gaining a quality education. Often, I feel overwhelmed and like I’m improvising as I go. While I understand that confusion and stress are part and parcel of starting any new job, I’m genuinely unsure if what I’m experiencing is typical. Should I consider exploring other opportunities?
One response
Embarking on your first entry-level Bookkeeping job can be a complex and sometimes overwhelming experience, but many have navigated the same path you’re on. Here’s a detailed account of what my first Bookkeeping job was like, which I hope will provide some clarity on what you might expect and help you assess your own situation.
Initial Experience and Background
Coming In With Experience:
I started my Bookkeeping career with a moderate background in finance. I had completed a few college courses related to Accounting and had taken some online classes on platforms like Coursera to bolster my understanding of basic bookkeeping principles. While I did not have professional experience, these courses gave me a foundational understanding of concepts such as double-entry bookkeeping, fundamental Accounting terms, and the Accounting cycle.
Learning Curve and Training:
When I first started, everything felt pretty overwhelming. Bookkeeping includes a range of tasks—you might be expected to manage reconciliation, entering bills, paying bills, invoicing, and occasionally dealing with renewals of business licenses. My experience was such that I was introduced to each task incrementally; however, the timeline and pace at which these were introduced varied greatly. For instance, I spent the first couple of weeks focusing entirely on reconciliation while supervised closely.
Training and Expectations
Step-by-step Guidance:
During my initial weeks, my supervisor walked me through each process several times. It typically took about two to three walkthroughs per task before I was left to try things on my own. There was a tacit understanding that mistakes were part of the learning process, which alleviated some pressure.
Feedback Mechanisms:
My supervisor regularly checked my work. For the first couple of months, we had daily end-of-day reviews, which slowly spaced out as I became more adept at handling the various tasks. This gradually built my confidence and allowed me to learn from my errors.
Work Environment
Stress and Workload:
In terms of stress levels, they can vary significantly depending on the specific environment of the workplace. In my case, the environment was moderately stressful due to occasional tight deadlines. However, it was not an incessant state of stress, and there was support from colleagues and management whenever the workload intensified.
Becoming Independent:
It took me around three months to feel comfortable handling tasks independently without constant oversight. However, if a particularly complex or new situation arose, I knew I had the resources and support to seek help.
Reflection and Consideration
Feeling overwhelmed is quite common