Aaron:
This morning I met with Brett Fogle from the Business Services department. He explained to me about how he works for smaller companies as well as some individual clients doing their taxes. Brett also showed me the various forms that need to be filled out, such as 1040s, W-2s, and so on. He tried to explain everything that he learned in three years as an accounting major to me in just about an hour and a half. I was definitely a little bit overwhelmed.

The accounting software was difficult to understand at first, but after some accounting classes in college and some real world business experience with it, I’m sure I will understand it and be able to use it. Many people have jokingly asked me if working here for the past week and a half has made me want to change my major from accounting to something else. Meeting with employees from various departments in the accounting firm have showed me that there is more to accounting than just crunching numbers and this definitely helps to keep the job interesting since there are many different positions.

Mark:
Today, we met with Brett Fogle in the Business Services department.  He is a certified accountant, and smaller businesses and some individuals ask for his help in this field.  He does bookkeeping, taxes and controllership for people that need it.  If a company does not have an accounting manager, or controller, they can ask him to temporarily fill that position.  He might then oversee the bookkeeping, payroll, or taxes for the company.  Individuals may also call on his services if they need their taxes done.  People, as well as companies, send him their financial information.  He then compiles it, puts it into a usable form for accounting or taxes, and uses computer programs to finish the job.  When the information is sent to him, the easiest form is in an email so that all the information is on the computer for Mr. Fogle to edit.  If the information is delivered to him in paper form, he is able to scan it onto his computer.

Next, thanks to modern technology, he can then edit the page he scanned because it will have been formatted into the way he wants it by the computer.  The whole process of his job is very confusing, which is probably why there is so much demand for it.  New accounting programs and methods are continuously being released, and it is up to people like Mr. Fogle to stay on top of them to do his job effectively.  In addition, new rules and regulations on taxes are often released.  Businesses that do not have an accounting department are often too busy to stay on top of these new laws because they have their own job to do.  The business service employees make it their job to stay current with the rules and regulations.  To do this, they attend CPE training classes.  It is interesting to me that even after professionals are done with formal schooling, they must continue to learn new business practices through training classes.  This is similar to the way that doctors attend seminars to learn new procedures to ensure the safety of their patients and improve the success rate of their treatments.  To truly be successful in a certain field, one must become a lifetime learner.