Expect the unexpected. It’s pretty hard to pinpoint a day in the life of a first year Audit Associate because no two days will ever be alike. Ever!

Every day is different with new situations with multiple different clients. I think that’s the best part of being an auditor. You can’t really say what we do is boring because we always have to be on our toes with whatever may arise.

As a first year associate, you’ll be dealing with the easier audit areas like the cash section and searching for unrecorded liabilities testing, any sections that don’t require a lot of judgment.

As you progress, you’ll be given harder sections and be trusted to work on more difficult tasks. It really all depends on your team, the client, and how big your firm is. The smaller the firm, the more likely it is that you’ll be seeing a lot more sections in your first couple of years.

Now that I’m a Senior Auditor, here are a few things that I wish I knew coming in as a first year Audit Associate:

1. It’s Overwhelming

You will be completely overwhelmed starting out. It’s a guarantee. School does not prepare you in any way to be an auditor. Thanks a lot Audit 101! But really, there’s just no way to learn about auditing from a lecture. You’ll learn almost everything on-the-go as it’s happening and put it into real world applications.

So don’t panic when nothing is clicking in the beginning. It’s normal for a first year associate to not get the big picture for several months in. Even though most things aren’t really coming together like you would hope so, take every task and everything that you’re learning in and go with the flow. It’ll all make sense eventually. If you’re looking for a place to find your first audit job, check out Acctal Jobs.

2. Ask Questions!

If you don’t understand what you’re doing, then ask for clarification. There’s no point in spinning your wheels and wasting time when you don’t understand something. This also avoids rework by your seniors if your work isn’t done correctly.

However, be sure to take some time to try to figure things out yourself using your resources (experienced associates on your team, firm research material, etc.). You shouldn’t always rely on your seniors to baby you through your work.

3. Learn, Learn, Learn

Ask those relevant questions, take notes, and take in those new learning experiences. Don’t do it just to appear like you want to learn. You must be a willing learner without being that one new hire that’s too eager. The last thing you want is to annoy your seniors with redundant and repetitive questions. Seniors are there to help you, not to answer the same questions over and over again.

Take anything that’s thrown your way and learn from it. During your first year you will be asked to do mindless work like binding or making copies. Oh yeah, makin’ copies! The copymeister! (SNL anyone?) Well, we all just have to start somewhere.

Pay attention to what you’re given and use it as a learning opportunity. Get familiar with those reports, memos, or confirmations because you’ll be dealing with them a lot more later on and you’ll be the one responsible for compiling them.

In your first year, you’ll also become all too familiar with those dreaded review comments. Often times they’ll be trivial or even on the verge of condescending but try not to take it personally. These comments are meant to teach you no matter how silly they seem!

4. Communication is Key

Something I didn’t really expect is how important of a role communication (both written and oral) played for an auditor. We’re in constant contact with our clients, coworkers, and supervisors alike.

E-mails and phone calls must ride that fine line of being aggressive, getting straight to the point but at the same time being cordial, even when your client is unapologetically uncooperative. Trust me, you’ll get lots of those clients. Keep your cool, breathe, and always stay professional.

5. Find a Mentor

Connect with a senior or manager that shares the same values and level of work ethic as you. Take those qualities you respect and even the ones you don’t to figure out what kind of leader you want to become.

6. Get Your CPA, ASAP

The first year is confusing and overwhelming and it seems logical to push the CPA exam back until you feel more comfortable in your new position. Well think again. Get that CPA license as soon as you start or even better, try to start before your job begins. Yes, you’ll be more comfortable in your position a few months in but as you move up the ranks, you’ll have more responsibility, more work, and a lot more stress to deal with.

This is coming from someone who pushed it off and ended up studying for FAR at the same time I was promoted to senior. Save yourself the all-consuming stress and just get it out of the way as soon as possible. You’ll thank me later.

Your first year will be one of the most eye opening experiences of your life but it’ll go by in a flash. Soon enough you’ll just be one of the regular staff, talking shop with some beers at happy hour (just don’t get too crazy and act a fool). Take it all one day at a time and have fun learning, young padawans!

What Should A 1st Year Audit Associate Know To Succeed? 

The CPA exam tests entry level knowledge required to be a Certified Public Accountant. Getting a perfect score of 99 doesn’t mean you will be a better CPA than someone who got a 75. So don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t get a higher score. The magical 75 proves that you put in the exact amount of study time needed to pass. Your exact CPA exam score has little to do with your career, but it can help you in a few ways.

The CPA exam in made up by four sections in accounting. A higher score on one section could mean that this in an area you should look into when selecting your career path. For example, if you barely studied and got a 90 in the AUD section and actually enjoyed taking that section, maybe a career as an auditor is the right path for you. However, this shouldn’t be the sole determiner for your career path. Instead, use your score breakdown as a hint to what field in accounting you would most likely thrive in.

What Are Employers Thinking?

There are a lot of opinions out there regarding whether or not to put your score on your resume. Some people say that they would hold it against you if your score was higher, while others could care less as long as you passed. To state licensing boards and future employers, passing is the only part that matters.

Imagine if you were having to hire someone from hundreds of resumes. You are not going to take note of every candidate’s score and rank them from lowest to highest in order to make your decision. This would negate all the other important factors that are necessary to be an outstanding employee. Sometimes it can even come off as arrogant if you put your high scores down among a sea of applicants who did not. Remember, all they want to know is if you passed, and here’s why.

It’s public knowledge that the CPA exam is by far one of the most difficult tests in the nation. Committing to take the exam requires hundreds of hours of study and dedication. Passing the exam means much more than the numerical value of your score; it speaks to your ability to take challenges head on and your ambitious work ethic. This is what matters to employers, not the exact score you got on the exam. A good equivalent would be to state the prestigious university you went to on your resume, but leave out your transcript and grades.

The Bottom Line

CPA candidates are hardworking people and employers are looking for these qualities along with others including who you are as a person, what you can bring to the table, and what value you can bring to the company. Employers are not going to be able to discern these important things though your scores. Your chance for an interview or hire is not solely based on passing the CPA exam but instead on a whole bunch of other considerations like your background, extracurricular activities, skills/abilities, education, and whether or not you would make a good fit with the organization’s culture. This is important to remember when stressing about your score, because it is meaningless compared to all the other elements considered to become a hired CPA.