JOB DESCRIPTION
My recently intern at Western Hotel’s accounting firm taught
me a lot about the check and balances of a hotel business. I was assigned
multiple tasks that not only challenged my statistical analysis skills but also
my ability to think critically.
As an accounting associate my primary task is to ensure that
the billing receipts handed down from each transaction is not missed and
correctly inputted in their QuickBooks application. I was also required to
responding any customer service phone calls in case there were any transactions
that the customer does not recognize. Accomplishing these various tasks trained
my communication and executive skills that I did not have prior to this job and
after working there for a whole year I came out understanding the hotel market a
lot more than I first started.
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Accounting
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Statistics Analysis
Accounting
- · Prepare asset, liability, and capital account entries by compiling and analyzing account information
- · Substantiate financial transactions by auditing documents
- · Guide other accounting clerical staff by coordinating activities and answer questions
My main responsibility was to enter each billing receipt into
the right asset, liability, and capital account column so QuickBooks can
prepare the right document for the manager meeting. It is exceptionally crucial
that I prepare the task in a precise and timely manner so the meeting can be
done correctly and without delay. Western hotel requires a strict check and
balance system using their stamps therefore another crucial part of my job was
to make sure that each financial transaction was checked multiple times before
stamped and passed on to another co-worker. Along with the two main tasks I
mentioned previously that we are required to do throughout the day we also have
to respond to any customer or co-worker phone call regarding any questions they
have.
Statistical Analysis
- · Summarize current financial status by collecting information; preparing balance sheet, profit and loss statements.
- · Recommend financial actions by analyzing account options.
- · Secure financial information by completing data backups.
My training at Western Hotel did not solely focus on check
and balances but also quite a lot of statistical analysis. My team had to
summarize our daily QuickBooks account to not only prepare a balance sheet but
also monthly and yearly profit loss statements for the daily manager meeting. Usually
at the end of each week my team will have to analyze the weekly balance sheet
and identify if there is any trend that might help the business in the future.
This was an important task for the firm since it tracks their revenue stream
and also identifies what kind of overhead our business can avoid. Western Hotel
also requires us to make at least 2 copies for each document we stamp for
storage in case the business needed to be audited from other accounting firms
in the future.
Flesch Reading ease: 44
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 13.1
This was really well written and super fascinating. As an accounting major, it was very interesting to read about what a job in the industry entails. I especially enjoyed your section about statistical analysis.
ReplyDeleteI will always tip my hat off to anyone that works primarily with math everyday. It's inspiring to see because I personally get headaches from basic Geometry.
ReplyDeleteStephen, sounds like a fascinating and educational internship. Two things I would have liked to read more of are examples of the critical thinking ability you developed and a few examples of what you learned about the hotel industry. Perhaps there's some confidentiality that prevents you in giving examples of the overhead expenses your team identified for trimming, but that's the kind of thing that would take the abstract to a more memorable concrete level -- business writing like this is almost as much about storytelling as it is about conveying information in a clear and concise manner. One suggestion I have when we have peer review sessions in class is for you to ask someone in your group to read at least one paragraph of your writing to the group and for everyone to talk about whether prepositions are missing, or whether there are better prepositions you can use: this is the final frontier in writing and speaking in a language that may not be entirely native (if you ARE a native English speaker, I'm sorry if I offended you -- but I noticed words missing here and there....) Good effort!
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