I'm an Accountant

Well folks, I've completed my first two days on the job. I can't go into much detail, mainly because I've signed these confidentiality deals, and I definitely cannot mention the names of any of our clients. Not that you care. All you need to know is that my firm specializes in auditing post-secondary schools.

Things have been going very well. The people are really great and not as boring as the stereotypes may have you think. I mean, I don't think of myself as boring, and if I enjoy working with these people, they must not be either.

I got taken out to lunch yesterday. Well, the whole audit team did, seven of us. Good stuff. Most days I plan on coming home for lunch though. I get an hour, and after driving there and back I'll still have a solid 30 minutes at home to eat and watch Newsradio. Love that. Breaks up the day pretty well.

We're doing pretty monotonous, tedious work right now. What should I expect, right? Well, I was told that it gets a lot better. There's just not a lot to do right now. My first trip is June 18th. It will be for one week. In Phoenix!! I've been to Phoenix, or at least through it, three times since last fall. This will make four. I have a friend there, so I hope to see him one night. That's when we'll get to really do what auditors do. Fieldwork, baby!! I think I'm going back again later this summer.

January through March, I'm told, I'll be gone nearly every week on trips. That should be crazy but kind of cool. One of my supervisors told me that awhile back, he was gone for a week and was in a different city every day. He basically had to go and see if the schools actually existed that the client was claiming financials for. Kinda dumb, right? Well, these days, you have to check this stuff out because people can make it up. Boston, Virginia Beach, New York. Way to rack up the frequent flyer miles.

Anyways, it might take me awhile to get used to working again. It's been over two years since I last had a job. I know, sob sob. But, well. It's still an adjustment. Honestly, the most stressful part is figuring out what to wear every day. It's business casual, which I love. Most every other accountant in the country has to wear business professional to work, but California is different. Don't know why. Dudes wear Hawaiian shirts to work sometimes. I told someone that if I worked in Texas or Minnesota, I'd be wearing a suit. The response I got was, "Dude, this is California."

I don't really feel like I've even moved. It's kind of weird. I think it's because I haven't done anything really Californy yet. All my previous trips here, I've been to the ocean or gone to Los Angeles to do tourist stuff. I might have to go to the ocean this weekend just to get a reality check. I'm in California!!

More later.