[Anonymous]

After weeks of training I worked on my first real audit engagement. It was just me and the in-charge and I was told to read the procedures and go interview different people about their process so I could document. After my third person I was about ready to cry. I had never interacted with a client with me asking the questions and asking for documents. My in-charge basically had the “sink or swim” mentality and tomorrow I have more interviews to do and the thought of it traumatizes me. I’m pretty sure I have screwed it all up and will get a ton of review comments but my in-charge after seeing me come in flustered on the verge of crying just said it’s tough but I’ll eventually get it. Would it be totally acceptable to show up tomorrow and just tell my in-charge I have absolutely no freaking clue what it is I am doing or even supposed to be doing? Just thinking about it again made me start crying :'( I hope I can do this.

[UNC MAcc]

Thank God our generation didn't have to fight WW2.

B - 89
A - 80
R - 78
F - 86

CIA, CFSA, MBA, MAcc (too many f'ing degrees and certs, I know, trust me)

[UNC MAcc]

Thank God our generation didn't have to fight WW2.

B - 89
A - 80
R - 78
F - 86

CIA, CFSA, MBA, MAcc (too many f'ing degrees and certs, I know, trust me)

[MonkeyVA]

@CPA Dilemma…I was a lot like you when I started working. Super timid and I thought every time I wasn't perfect, that meant I was failing. It's not true and don't let yourself feel that way. You're not going to know everything right away. Auditors ask a lot of questions because typically, they don't understand all the processes. It's ok. Do your best. Learn what you can. And don't let negative people, including yourself, get you down. The good thing is that you want to be great! It's just not going to happen on your first day. Just prove to the in-charge that you are willing to learn and do your best.

The people who think they know everything generally don't. The ones who admit they don't know everything are generally willing to learn. Keep your head up!! You'll do fine!

Also, kick negative people out of your life. Not worth your time.

AUD - 77!!!
FAR - 71, 73, 72, 73, 77!!! DONE!
BEC - 75!
REG - 75!

[MonkeyVA]

@CPA Dilemma…I was a lot like you when I started working. Super timid and I thought every time I wasn't perfect, that meant I was failing. It's not true and don't let yourself feel that way. You're not going to know everything right away. Auditors ask a lot of questions because typically, they don't understand all the processes. It's ok. Do your best. Learn what you can. And don't let negative people, including yourself, get you down. The good thing is that you want to be great! It's just not going to happen on your first day. Just prove to the in-charge that you are willing to learn and do your best.

The people who think they know everything generally don't. The ones who admit they don't know everything are generally willing to learn. Keep your head up!! You'll do fine!

Also, kick negative people out of your life. Not worth your time.

AUD - 77!!!
FAR - 71, 73, 72, 73, 77!!! DONE!
BEC - 75!
REG - 75!

[UCMCPA]

Unc Macc….

L O L.

FAR - 84
AUD - 94
REG - 86
BEC - 86

[UCMCPA]

Unc Macc….

L O L.

FAR - 84
AUD - 94
REG - 86
BEC - 86

[tough_kitty]

^ what he/she said…..

FAR: 81 (May 2013)
BEC: 81 (July 2013)
REG: 83 (August 2013)
AUD: 82 (November 2013)
California CPA since 1/30/14

[tough_kitty]

^ what he/she said…..

FAR: 81 (May 2013)
BEC: 81 (July 2013)
REG: 83 (August 2013)
AUD: 82 (November 2013)
California CPA since 1/30/14

[tough_kitty]

Gotta look at it as a challenge. Do your research and do your best! You must have taken the auditing class. It should have some info about the procedures… Gotta be creative if your in-charge person isn't willing to help.

FAR: 81 (May 2013)
BEC: 81 (July 2013)
REG: 83 (August 2013)
AUD: 82 (November 2013)
California CPA since 1/30/14

[tough_kitty]

Gotta look at it as a challenge. Do your research and do your best! You must have taken the auditing class. It should have some info about the procedures… Gotta be creative if your in-charge person isn't willing to help.

FAR: 81 (May 2013)
BEC: 81 (July 2013)
REG: 83 (August 2013)
AUD: 82 (November 2013)
California CPA since 1/30/14

[lleon]

Have some confidence.. yes, be humble and acknowledge mistakes and don't feel bad admitting to the in-charge that you need help (and do ask for help), but also have a lil swagger and confidence. If you start out timid and thinking that you'll mess up it'll become a self fulfilling prophecy. Have confidence in that you're smart, a good learner and that you WILL figure it out and rock it even if you struggle at first.

Licensed in Arizona

[lleon]

Have some confidence.. yes, be humble and acknowledge mistakes and don't feel bad admitting to the in-charge that you need help (and do ask for help), but also have a lil swagger and confidence. If you start out timid and thinking that you'll mess up it'll become a self fulfilling prophecy. Have confidence in that you're smart, a good learner and that you WILL figure it out and rock it even if you struggle at first.

Licensed in Arizona

[Jennifer241]

Ask your in charge if you can watch them do one interview, kind of like a job shadow, so that you can make sure you are doing it correctly.

And you getting a review comment on something also looks bad on the in-charge for not training you on it or explaining it more to you.

AUD - Jan 9,13 Pass
REG - Aug 30,13 Pass
BEC - Oct 26,13 Pass
FAR - Dec 4,13 Pass

Licensed CPA in the state of Oregon

[Jennifer241]

Ask your in charge if you can watch them do one interview, kind of like a job shadow, so that you can make sure you are doing it correctly.

And you getting a review comment on something also looks bad on the in-charge for not training you on it or explaining it more to you.

AUD - Jan 9,13 Pass
REG - Aug 30,13 Pass
BEC - Oct 26,13 Pass
FAR - Dec 4,13 Pass

Licensed CPA in the state of Oregon

[W_HAMILTON]

Do they have prior year workpapers that you can review to see what sorts of information you should be asking about? If it's a new procedure for the current year audit, odds are the senior doesn't know what the hell to do either. If you have a mentor or friend that you feel comfortable asking questions to, see if they have done the procedure before and have a workpaper they can send you to let you review it to see how you should be structuring your work.

Try not to get too upset. Pretty much everyone was in your shoes at one point. As you go along, you will learn more and you will realize that a lot of people — including your seniors — don't know what the hell is going on either. Once you learn something, your workload is bumped up the following year so you don't even get to use that knowledge to better to do the same task the next audit. Your always in a constant state of “what the hell is going on here?!”

REG - 93 (7/30/13)
BEC - 90 (8/19/13)
AUD - 98 (8/31/13)
FAR - 84 (10/19/13)

[Author]

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