How Early should an Accountant Arrive the First Day of Audit Work

So you have done some research on the company background, trends, and industry to be able to hold a conversation on the subject.  Your clothes are pressed and you are ready to make a splash.  But how early should you show up on the first day?

Conventional wisdom would dictate to be conservative and show up early.  While it certainly is understandable to be late your first time somewhere you have never been, it certainly looks good to be early.  A good tip for someone really wanting to make a good first impression is to drive to the site a couple days before just to get an idea of how long it takes and which exits you will need to use.  After this, you can get a better estimate of what the commute will be like.  Of course, if you are doing this during a time when traffic is light, you will need to add in some time for morning rush hour traffic.

After you are comfortable getting in, try to aim for showing up fifteen minutes early.  This is good because you aren’t showing up too early, but you also have added time for unexpected delays to occur that may set you back and make you late.  It never looks good to show up late on your first day – while it is understandable depending on the circumstances, it is overall better to avoid it if possible.  Make sure to check out more articles such as this in the Guide for New Accountants!