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A Day in the Life of an Auditor: Reine

A Day in the Life of an Auditor: Reine

City: New York, NY

Title: Senior Assurance Associate

Company: RSM

 

7:30 AM – I woke up this morning around 7:30 AM but did not get out of bed until closer to 8 AM. This is a typical time for me. I get ready in ~ 20 minutes, walk my dog around the block, and then head to the subway. It typically takes me about 30 minutes to get to work.

9:15 AM – I get to work today around 9:15 AM. I always start by making a cup of coffee, getting my work station set up, and checking my emails. After I was settled in today, I looked to see if my client had uploaded any support to our audit Dropbox. A couple of items were uploaded so I documented those within our file and sent an email with my follow-up questions to the client. 

11:30 AM – One thing about my office is that my desk looks different every day. Today, I am sitting in a conference room with 5 other members of my team. In the NY office, we have a “floating desk” system. What this means is nobody has a permanent desk aside from the partners. As a lot of our time is spent at client sites, it is more efficient to be able to simply reserve a desk when we’re in the office. I’m working on a long-term engagement right now, so I’ll spend the next 4 weeks in a conference room with my team. 

12:00 PM – For lunch today I have some leftovers from the weekend. I try to bring lunch as often as possible since buying lunch every day can add up quickly in the city. If I did have to buy lunch, I’d likely go wherever my team was going. We have every option to choose from in the city!

2:00 PM – No meetings today so far, but that could change! I have bi-weekly status meetings with my client every Tuesday/Thursday. This Friday, I have a training session for 2 hours. 

4:00 PM – My breaks typically involve coffee. More often than not, my team moves as a group. Depending on our mood, we’ll either order Starbucks and take a break to go pick it up or we’ll venture over to Bryant Park to get some fresh air. 

5:45 PM – I typically leave work between 5:45-6:00 PM. Sometimes I go to a yoga class before heading home. Other times, I will go home, take my dog to Central Park for a quick nature break, make dinner, and relax. There is usually a date night thrown into the mix during the week, which is a nice way to break up the routine. 

Questions & Answers with Gerline: 

What was your major in college? 

Undergrad and Masters – Accounting Major with a focus in Assurance

When was the last time you had to travel for work? 

In NY, it is not uncommon to travel around the city, New Jersey, and even Connecticut sometimes. I was driving out to New Jersey every so often during the month of August. Most of my clients are city-based so I tend to stay pretty close to the office. I do have one client in Michigan that I will travel to in January.

What has a career in Audit done for you?

A career in audit has given me the chance to live a life I always dreamed of having in New York City. It has given me exposure to clients in various industries, the opportunity to work with multiple teams (large and small), and the ability to get involved in activities that align with my values. I learn something new every day and my responsibilities are always increasing, making each day more exciting.

What is one thing that you do with your career in audit that surprised you? 

II would say the one thing that has surprised me the most with my career in audit is the ability to offer up my experiences to other students/staff. Being able to lead others is something I have always enjoyed and I don’t mind being the guinea pig when it comes to new experiences. I have tried to say “Yes” to every opportunity that has come my way in the past couple of years and it has truly made all the difference. I have been able to coordinate volunteer day activities, attend networking events, provide insights about my journey, be a mentor to incoming staff, join internal focus groups with team members from other offices, and so much more. The opportunities are here, you just have to take advantage of them.

Where do you see yourself in five years? 

It’s hard to say where I see myself in 5 years because this career offers so much opportunity! I’m definitely looking forward to my first busy season as a senior to see what other skills I can add to my repertoire. Private companies are constantly seeking candidates with the skills learned through a career in audit. In 5 years, I will likely have moved out of NYC and into a mountain town somewhere to decompress from this crazy lifestyle but I wouldn’t ever trade this experience for anything!