IT work isn't always about coding, it is about using technology and problem-solving skills to take care of people.

The biggest misconception is that it’s merely administrative, when in reality, this position is responsible for coordinating success in all facets - acting as a liaison between clients and the firm, identifying and implementing workflow improvements, managing software tools, facilitating internal & external communication, and assisting with marketing and strategic planning.

People often think my job is just paperwork, and while there is a lot of that, there is much more to be done. I do everything in the office, except give investment advice. And I’m even licensed to do that as well. But, I prefer to be behind the scenes, making sure everything works like a well-oiled machine.

People’s first assumption about me is that I love numbers; I do not. I love puzzles and I truly believe that tax planning is simply a massive puzzle begging to be solved.

The biggest misconception people have about my position is that the more experienced an accountant is, the more they talk in incomprehensible numbers. I have found that we accountants tend to start learning incomprehensible numbers right away, then spend the rest of our lives learning to translate those numbers into human speech. The more experienced the accountant, the better he or she should be at understanding and explaining.

That once a shareholder you have more time to do “fun stuff”. Not so! The responsibility to Staff and my clients is still there and more so. But I wouldn’t change it.

Everyday is different... there is not a day that I come into work and my day goes exactly as planned, I love it! I think most would think that operations is not very exciting, especially at an accounting firm. But it is just the opposite. There are so many moving parts and with our growth and expansion we have exciting things going on all of the time.

That we are all super introverted and our favorite thing is crunching numbers. A lot of us are social and our favorite part of the job is meeting clients.

As an intern, there is more of a misconception about day-to-day tasks, with assumed tasks going along the lines of getting coffee or scanning papers. In reality, there is a lot more hands-on accounting work that allows for someone like me as an intern to prepare taxes.

I think people believe all accountant’s are math geniuses but really we are good at using calculators and spreadsheets.

It’s all about numbers and accounting. It is more about advisor and helping clients grapple with the challenges they are having in business. It may be accounting, or finance related, but often it is more strategic and how to address outside forces that are having an impact on the business.

That I just answer phones. While that is a large part of an admin job, there are many other hats we wear.

Many think our job is math. However, it’s really about communication; we just happen to use numbers in our deliverables.

Internships are not all about coffee runs and photocopies. You actually get a chance to apply knowledge you learned in class in a real-life setting.

People frequently think that financial advisors are either all about numbers or serve as "stock brokers". While investments do power people's financial plans, the numbers are less meaningful in not applied to a goal, or function as part of a cohesive plan. Helping people figure out what they want to do and where they want to go, then walking alongside them to accomplish these is a huge part of what I do, and is by far the most enjoyable part of my job.

The biggest misconception of our job is that we just prepare tax returns. The tax return is a small part of what we do. The biggest benefit that we bring to our client is the ability to consult and discuss business activities with our client and advise them on how these activities both benefit them personally and optimize their tax obligations. We strive to be proactive in our approach with our clients and help them be aware of the tax implications of their activities.

The biggest misconception about my position is that it’s mainly administrative work. It goes beyond this idea because it involves more complicated tasks such as project management, software proficiency, communication coordination, and improving internal processes and efficiency.

My position as a Junior Staff Accountant might be viewed as just data entry and working on tax returns all day. With where I am at in my career, I am still learning so much and have such a wide verity of work from personal returns to bookkeeping to business returns. This means I am always learning new things and growing my skill set.

It’s a common misconception that there’s plenty of downtime at the front desk when calls are not coming in. To the contrary, we do the bulk of our duties in between calls.

A lot of people may think my job is mostly traditional clerical work. But a lot of times you will not find me sitting at my desk. My primary duties involve me being on my feet printing out tax returns once they are ready to be delivered to clients . With my variety of duties/responsibilities that I have acquired over the years, I never know what I will be doing each day.

Most people assume you need to be a mathematician to be an accountant. Outside of some basic knowledge, Excel does most of the heavy lifting.

The biggest misconception people have about my position is that you need some sort of accounting degree to be successful within the bookkeeping industry. I do have my master's in business administration, however having that degree helped me in many other ways to succeed and will help me in the future of my career.

That IT is a waste of money, when people properly embrace new technologies it can empower their business, provide data to help make better business decisions, and create opportunities for businesses to grow.

A big misconception is that marketing=advertising. In reality, there is a wide variety of functional areas of marketing. Lead generation, SEO (search engine optimization), networking, email and social media, just to name a few.

The biggest misconception about my position is that it is boring. It may be boring to some, but I love organizing and planning, so helping organize someone’s work life is a different kind of fun for me!

Whenever I tell people that I’m in the accounting field, the most common reaction I got is “oh you must be good at math” “ oh a lot of number work huh”. Well yes and no. Being in public accounting is not just about numbers, it is about building customer relationships, it is about being professional, it is about being detailed and attentive and there is so much more to it.

That I am a number cruncher. Most are unaware that being a CPA is way more than data entry. It allows you to wear different hats: •The Communicator (Taking complex financial data and tax law and being able to communicate it to clients) •The Business Consultant (Taking the financial data and being able tell a story. Helping clients understand the financial health of their business and implement a plan for them to follow to reach their goals) •The Friend (Being able to build a long-term relationship with our clients and gain their trust)

We do not just fill in boxes on a tax return. We like to build a relationship with our clients to become part of their team of trusted advisors for business and personal.

The field of accounting is full of boring people who love nothing better than a spreadsheet.

The biggest misconception people often have is that I am a CPA or an Accountant. This is often assumed by people when they learn I work at a CPA firm or prepare taxes. While I am an LTP rather than a CPA and majored in Business Management rather than Accounting, that is not something easily determined by my position title. The title was chosen as it is broad and open-ended, which is fitting given by background in administrative support, operations and tax preparation.

Being a CPA is not just all about numbers, we wear many hats!

That it’s all paperwork and data entry. The majority of any given day is really customer service and problem solving.

We are not just about making things, “count” (you know, accounting, but we truly can make a big difference in peoples’ lives. I love being able to step in and see if we can financially help a client, either in their business or personal life.

A common misconception about marketing roles like mine that significantly utilize creative skills is that our jobs are more “laid back” or “less serious”. I believe this is especially true in a highly technical industry like accounting and/or finance. Although I have a ton of fun in my job every day and genuinely enjoy my career, being involved in marketing and/or business development requires a great amount of hard work, discipline, and focus. I think these traits are often overlooked in roles like mine.

One of the misconceptions is that our work is only relevant during tax season. While tax preparation is a significant part of what we do, CPAs are involved in year-round activities, such as financial planning, risk management, and providing advisory services. We contribute to the overall financial health of organizations and assist them in achieving their goals.

That it is boring. I love to see numbers come together so you can see the whole picture!

People often think it's purely administrative, but it involves understanding clients' needs and finding creative solutions.

That you have be the smartest person on the team. A good manager builds a team of intelligent people who poses strengths beyond hers and takes advantage of the skills and talents of everyone on the team. By utilizing the team’s talents to the fullest everyone benefits; that is a win-win!

People think accountants sit at a desk all day and don’t move. Although that isn’t particularly true because we often walk to coworkers’ offices to go over questions, go on daily walks outside to reset or raise our desks to stand while working.

People think we must like math. Math is great, but it's more about liking to problem solve. How do we help a business grow? How do we reduce taxes? How do we help you achieve your goals? That’s what we really like!

People often think that accounting has a lot to do with math but for accountant's today all of the math is either done on a 10 key or a spreadsheet.