My past 10 months of A10 wasn't any ordinary job experience. From the first day of work, I never felt I was working. I felt I was just going back to school with many NTU friends. Core training, office work, lunch, tea breaks, I never failed to be with my NTU friends. I never feel the need to mix around with A11, seniors, managers until job engagements and mentor outings came along. Even so, I still mix around with the same few friends when Im back in office.
My A11s, seniors and even some managers are not many years older than me. It makes it easier to relate to them, especially during field work when only the A11s and senior are with me. As someone who is not easily open up to strangers, I am quite uncomfortable with working with colleagues that I only got to know them on the first day of the engagement. There is a barrier between colleagues. You won't talk to them much other than work related stuff. This suppressed urge to talk to someone close can sometimes make my day a little unbearable.
I thought I am unable to stand long working hours, but I still braved through the peak period. Some days we stayed late, some days we went home early so long as we finished all our work. We can take cab most of the time. The flexibility of all these at clients' places make us incapable of conforming to a rigid set of office rules.
Clients never like auditors. They blamed everything on you. They told you they had given you all files, but yet some files are hidden just right under their desk. They rolled their eyes, they spoke with sarcasm. It's okay. We tolerate.
Some clients are extremely nice to us. I will always remember these clients who bought us food when we stayed up late, who treated us with free flow of drinks, who gave us documents with a smile even though they were extremely busy. I swear that if I ever become an accountant, I will treat my auditors nicely (unless they keep asking me the same old things haha).
Auditors are also not entirely right. One problem about us is miscommunications. I must admit due to miscommunications, we often cause some trouble to the clients. Our teams are always changing people due to high turnover rate. I can imagine how tiring the clients feel when explaining the same thing over and over again every year.
Being at the lowest level in the company, the A10s are usually given simple jobs. No denying that we A10s are easily replacable. Sometimes I feel my job is no different from an intern's. Sometimes, i feel my job scope has crossed the line to become XXX's personal assistant. To be honest, I didn't learn much in my A10 year. An A10's learning progress is hindered because A10s are not given tougher tasks but mundane work. If this structure is changed a little, I am sure the A10s and A11 will learn even faster and be able to assist the senior easier.
Because I am a small fish in a big pond, and we A10s are given rather easy tasks to do, so everyone is as capable as everyone (except for some who screwed up the tasks). I am glad because I never like competition, and at least my friends will never start to backstab one another for higher posts. Yet strangely, when the mgmt started identifying the weak ones for some probation program, they managed to 'identify' some of them (sensitive issue so I shall not elaborate). This was the time when I finally understand how cruel this working society can be.
The happiest part about audit is the TOIL. How many companies will allow an employee to go on leave/TOIL for weeks and yet get paid?
In a week's time I will know whether I am promoted or not. Whatever the results is, I will accept it and find the best way out for me.
Labels: My life as an A10
