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Well I mean, it is normal to have some amount of idle time in accounting roles. Accounting, by its very nature, is time sensitive and deadline oriented. The first half of each month, I'm pretty solidly busy. But the latter half, I'm idle 90% of the time. The fact of the matter is that I'm not even considering launching a new job search. I seriously need to buckle down and stay put for a while. I'm aiming to achieve a 5-year tenure here, to improve my marketability in that regard. I need to show my next employer that I am capable of holding a job for the long term. Besides, who's going to even consider hiring me now?! I'm on my 6th job in a 10-year period. So I might as well stay here, let the job take its course, do my best and hopefully things will evolve for the better. I will just have to stay positive and reap the benefit of not being stressed out, having a 40-hour work week and working in a company with great culture and great people, while earning a decent wage.
Well I mean, it is normal to have some amount of idle time in accounting roles. Accounting, by its very nature, is time sensitive and deadline oriented. The first half of each month, I'm pretty solidly busy. But the latter half, I'm idle 90% of the time. The fact of the matter is that I'm not even considering launching a new job search. I seriously need to buckle down and stay put for a while. I'm aiming to achieve a 5-year tenure here, to improve my marketability in that regard. I need to show my next employer that I am capable of holding a job for the long term. Besides, who's going to even consider hiring me now?! I'm on my 6th job in a 10-year period. So I might as well stay here, let the job take its course, do my best and hopefully things will evolve for the better. I will just have to stay positive and reap the benefit of not being stressed out, having a 40-hour work week and working in a company with great culture and great people, while earning a decent wage.
Do you think I'm being rational?
I think you are smart to stay put and make the best of it. I've worked in accounting for the last thirteen years and have never had that long of a period with that much downtime. My busy periods are quarterly and year end, so in between those months, I have less to do and don't have to work as many hours. There are always projects that come up and things to work on, though.
I would be careful about broadcasting that you don't have anything to do. Are there processes in your job that you could work on improving? Are there systems that the company uses that you aren't an expert in? I assume you use spreadsheets. Are there any that could be revamped to be more efficient or user friendly? If you aren't busy and the company doesn't care what you are working on, you have the perfect opportunity to work on yourself and gain more knowledge.
I would be careful about broadcasting that you don't have anything to do. Are there processes in your job that you could work on improving? Are there systems that the company uses that you aren't an expert in? I assume you use spreadsheets. Are there any that could be revamped to be more efficient or user friendly? If you aren't busy and the company doesn't care what you are working on, you have the perfect opportunity to work on yourself and gain more knowledge.
It just worries me, because if I bark too much about not having enough work, I risk the potential of being laid off. It might make management think that the position is worthless. But if I say nothing, then I will look like I'm content with doing nothing half the time. So I have to be careful with what I say and how I say it, etc.
I think for now I am going to let the job take its course, but occasionally let my supervisor or CFO know that I have availability and that I'm caught up with everything. I've only been there for five months, so things could still evolve.
This is a good approach, and I agree you have to be careful about being too vocal - even though it is asking for more work a squeaky wheel is never a good thing. Do they offer tuition reimbursement or could you personally afford to further your academic credentials? Sounds like you have the time to do part-time post grad work if that is something you don't have and could help your career. If that is the case, this could be the perfect job for you.
My job is actually kind of like that. Property management/real estate office. From just before the 1st to the 10th, it is a madhouse, with a lot going on every day. People paying rent, bills coming in and getting paid, owners receiving their disbursement checks, plus all the normal day to day phone calls. But then from the 11th to around the 27th or so, there is not much going on, just whatever appliance/garage door/ HVAC/disposal etc is broken for the day, and dealing with applications.
So for the 2nd half of each month, I find myself with not a whole lot to do. I fill the time by researching new laws, new ideas, etc to keep the company in compliance and make things run smoother. Plus we use the downtime to send out reminder notices to tenants on a variety of subjects, or just to catch up on filing and minor repairs that were set aside the first 10 days of the month. This week I am preparing bills for a few owners we bill every 6 months. So I find things to fill the time. But I also work fewer hours those weeks. We have a staff of 2, so the other person works full time all month. I work full time PLUS, for 10 days a month, and then take extra time off the rest of the month. That wouldn't be an option that would work for everyone.
I already have a master's degree, so there's no need to study or go back to school. In fact, if I were to do it again, I would not have bothered to get the master's degree. It's a total farce, in my profession, for those who do not wish to work in public accounting. Virtually everyone else I know in my field that has just a bachelor's degree is earning the same or more income as I am. Go figure. I have no desire to do the CPA exam either, because I don't care about making more money than I currently do, and it won't even really increase my income. Besides, the amount of study, devotion and money required is intense, with a minimal payoff. And the pass rate is only 49%.
I've already done spreadsheet reform projects and impressed my supervisor. These were the things I did int he first couple of months of being here, but now there's nothing else to do in that regard!
I'm just going to stick it out and casually remind the CFO that my "schedule is light" here and there. At the same time, i don't want to get tons of work dumped on me...lol. Gotta balance it.
Start a business. That will solve the idle time "problem."
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