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Daily life as an intern accountant?

  • 29-03-2011 12:15am
    #1
    joebo24
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4 ✭


    Hi, im considering my options at the moment in terms of my future career. I would just like to know what exactly an accounting intern does on a daily basis in their first 3 years. Also whats the average pay for these 3 years. Any advice welcome!


Comments

  • #2
    Pandoras Twist
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,375 ✭✭✭Pandoras Twist


    Do you mean a trainee accountant?

    The starting wage in big 4 appears to be 20-23,000

    And what you do every day depends on what area you go into, e.g. audit or tax


  • #3
    joebo24
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4 ✭joebo24


    Pandoras Twist wrote: »
    Do you mean a trainee accountant?

    The starting wage in big 4 appears to be 20-23,000

    And what you do every day depends on what area you go into, e.g. audit or tax

    Ya a trainee accountant.

    I would like information on both if possible! Thanks


  • #4
    macannrb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 311 ✭✭macannrb


    joebo24 wrote: »
    Ya a trainee accountant.

    I would like information on both if possible! Thanks

    See salary surveys for details of salaries, but PT is on the mark for starting salaries

    an intern is a fairly boring job, you do some photocopying and some tedious work chasing confirms etc

    thats pretty much the same for first year as a trainee, note the high fail rates. If you pass the exams, you get to stay where the work doesnt really get that more exciting but you do have more pressure as you go up the chain of command.

    Not for everyone, but its a good stepping stone to a lot of professional careers which are finance related


  • #5
    KenHy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 441 ✭✭KenHy


    Wages are much closer to 20k than 30k!

    As for day to day it depends on where you are. There is no typical day, but in the first year it is likely to be very tedious. Chasing confirmations take up a good bit of time, but I think the photocopying aspect may be a bit over exaggerated, Don't know anyone who spends much time at that!


  • #6
    collegeme
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 512 ✭✭✭collegeme


    If you go for a smaller firm than the "big 4" you will probably do less photocopying and more hand on accounts prep, tax returns etc.


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  • #7
    deirdre452
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9 ✭deirdre452


    Well I don't know if I'm in a minority but I started this intake in a 'big 4' and I have to say I have a very varied 6 months so far. Having worked on some long and short assignments on different clients, from manufacturing, agri and pharmacheutical. Being in the office chasing confirms and admin stuff has been very little.

    There is no typical day with audits, but the general areas you will have responsibility for in your first year are bank, debtors, NCA, inter-company and payroll. You will have the responsibility for testing these areas by talking to the clients finance team, getting documentation to support what they have in their TB and talking over issues you have found with the others on the audit team. In your first year you will also get your fair share of stock-takes which are not as bad as people think apart from the ones you have to do in the snow, but those are rare.

    That has been my experience anyway, I have friends who have started in smaller practices who are mainly accounts prep and VAT returns stuff, but its really up to the individual to make the most of the training they are getting.


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