Final Co-op Report: Personal Reflections / Observations, Employer (Book Report Sample)

Final co-op report
Name
Work term
Institution
Name of employer
Province
Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc458637322 \h 3Personal reflections/ observations PAGEREF _Toc458637323 \h 3The employer PAGEREF _Toc458637324 \h 3Student duties/ responsibilities PAGEREF _Toc458637325 \h 3Personal reflection PAGEREF _Toc458637326 \h 3Learning objectives- revisited PAGEREF _Toc458637327 \h 5Recommendations PAGEREF _Toc458637328 \h 5Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc458637329 \h 6
Introduction
The purpose of this report is to contemplate on the knowledge and skills that I have acquired during the co-op work term. During my co-op term work, I was an accountant trainee and the experience enabled me to apply the knowledge acquired in class, and also gave me an insight into the future of my career. In this report, I will include my strengths and weaknesses as was revealed by my experience in my co-op term work. Skills, weaknesses and strengths will be listed as part of my self-evaluation. I will also conduct an evaluation of my workplace. The report will continue to link the concepts learned in class to the work experience. The report will also include objectives and goals that I wish to accomplish to enhance my career development in the future. The co-op term work is a great experience which prepares students for the job market by providing them with skills, knowledge and experience in their respective careers.
Personal reflections/ observations
The employer
The company is a building and construction company by the name Intact Building Solutions. The company deals with the sale of construction materials such as paint, ceramic, steel and cement among others. Clientele includes both retail and wholesale customers; which means that the company conducts large transactions involving large volumes of construction materials. The employer offers students a great opportunity to learn by trusting them with vital roles at the organization which prepares the student for the job market.
Student duties/ responsibilities
As an accountant trainee, my job responsibilities were receiving financial deposits from clients at the company after which I would feed the information into the system before finally depositing the cash into the company’s bank account. I was also responsible for placing the company’s orders for construction materials such as cement, ceramic, steel and paint among others. This responsibility requires evaluation and coordination to ensure the company is adequately stocked with quality materials at all times. Apart from handling bank transactions, I also handled receivable accounts and was responsible for the analysis of the accounting records.
Personal reflection
The experience was of great use to my personal and career development for a number of reasons. From the experience, I now fully understand the importance of the profession in the business world. The opinion of accountants is used when making decisions such as corporate strategy and making the budget of the company. The reduction of costs is one of the many strategies that companies and businesses are adopting to increase their profits, and this is only made possible with the knowledge and information provided by accountants (International Federation of Accountants). I appreciated the change of scenery while working in the field which was different from the classroom experience that I had been accustomed to. One personal skill that I acquired during the course work is discipline since I was responsible for other people’s money. The importance of accountability was also instilled in me during the work experience. While making orders for the company, I had to justify the requisitions and ensure that the quantities were also reasonable. Deliveries had to be checked to ensure that they were in perfect shape before they got accepted.
The experience has influenced my career path in a positive manner. Accountants protect the image of the company by ensuring ethics are followed. Accountants can only provide public value if they are trustworthy (International Federation of Accountants). Before the experience, I might have had doubts about accounting as my career. A major part of the doubt was caused by the lack of practical knowledge in the field, which I acquired during my stay with the company. My behavior has an employee at the company had a direct influence on the company, and I had to ensure that I performed at the top level to maintain the company’s reputation, culture and standards. Collaboration with other employees and departments at the company enhances processes at the company. The importance of team cohesion demonstrated itself on numerous occasions at the organization. Each employee has a vital role to play, and the organization can only be effective if each employee plays their role. The organization used a top-down communication channel. Respecting the chain of command maintains order and enhances communication in any organization. Adjusting to a new environment to accommodate the company’s organizational culture is crucial for every employee. During my work experience, I learned the need to expect and adapt to change. The current job market and business world are highly dynamic especially when the business deals with a multiple number of customers who are diverse. Interaction skills are important when dealing with fellow employees and with clients.
The knowledge acquired in class proved handy during the work experience. Feeding the systems with information was only possible due to the classes we attended at the institution on IT. Computer technology is helpful in the accounting profession since it makes calculations and balancing of numbers easier. The formulas were also taught well by instructors at the institution. Follow-up is one of the skills that was taught in class and one which proved highly effective. Follow-ups ensure that the right decisions are made even when the conditions are altered, and also ensure mistakes do not recur. Follow-ups also present an excellent opportunity for making improvements in the future. Time management is an important skill to have in the accounting profession. The profession involves a lot of activities which require evaluation and coordination to ensure that stocks are well stocked, and the accounts are kept in check.
I have come up with a number of goals and objectives which will assist me to achieve my career goals. The experience helped me identify my strengths, skills and weaknesses which I intend to keep working on to achieve my career goals. I am a trustworthy and patient individual, qualities which are essential when dealing with people’s money. This calls for discipline to respect other people’s resources and time. Late delivery of receipts can lead to trust and credibility issues which are damaging to the company’s image as well as that of the accountant. An accountant is also expected to be extremely keen when receiving deliveries. If faulty goods are received, this is likely to incur losses for the company. Interactions at the workplace can build or ruin one’s career. I intend to work on my personal interaction skills to ensure that I am in the best of terms with my colleagues in the future and especially the management. Disagreements at the workplace can be misinterpreted as insubordination which leads to conflict at the workplace. I also need to continue my studies and study more courses which are in line with my profession. One course which I intend to pursue is CPA. These courses will give me more skills and knowledge which I can apply in my career. As an accountant, interacting with clients is part of the job. Customer service is essential for every business, and I intend to learn more courses which will enable me to integrate customer service and my accounting skills. Good employees are also innovative, and this can only be achieved if one has more knowledge. I also intend to join the accountants association which will enable me to interact with other accountants. The purpose is to share and borrow ideas which we can use to become better accountants in the future. Learning from others with experience in the accounting profession will give me an insight on the dynamics of the profession. By interacting with others, I also believe I will be opening myself to more opportunities, and I will be able to gain access to more information which is relevant to the accounting profession.
The experience has enhanced my job search skills. The experience and the positive feedback from my supervisor and tutors will act as a bonus during my job search. I may not fully understand what every employer out there is looking for in an accountant since different organizations have different requirements, but I know what I can offer my employer and what the profession requires of me. During my experience, I interacted with other accountants and business people which exposes me to more opportunities than those I had before I joined the company. I have made a list of referrals to whom I wish to send my job application. I am a more confident individual than when I first started the term work, and I believe I can accomplish the roles and responsibilities of an accountant effectively.
Learning objectives- revisited
My co-op term work enabled me to achieve my learning objectives for the course work. The first objective of the course work was to apply concepts studied in class in the field. I was able to achieve this since the opportunity offered me the chance to apply the knowledge studied in class. I was able to achieve this because my supervisors allowed me the chance to learn and trusted me to perform my job. Unlike most employers and supervisors who limit trainers, once I had been brief...