The first week in Berlin has been nothing but wonderful! We spent so much time touring the city and learning about the history of Germany. We have been to many Biergartens, new restaurants, and famous landmarks, like the Berliner Mauer, Brandenburger Tor, Checkpoint Charlie, and the TV Tower! With internships starting tomorrow, I have been eager to get the new week started and see what life is like not as a tourist but as a businesswoman. With that being said, I have a feeling that there will be lots of different norms and practices compared to the US.

When doing accounting transactions and data analysis, there often comes a time when you must ensure that what you are doing is accurate. You must be detail-oriented in order to make sure you have not missed a transaction or statement. Missing expenditures in your statements could result in a big lawsuit, therefore keeping track of all incomes and deposits is very important in accounting. It is easy to get lost during busy seasons, so being detail-oriented is important when looking for errors and mistakes on the balance sheets and income statements.  

I also believe you must have proficiency. You must be comfortable working with large numbers and being confident in your work. The more knowledge in the USGAAP proves that you know what is allowed and how to perform certain tasks. It also gives you certainty in your ability to be able to make accurate decisions and complete analyses properly. To be able analyze different charts of data like balance sheets, different forms of transactions, and have mathematical comprehension, you will find that you can successfully work in the accounting field. You will be reliable for the revenues and losses of a company and represent them properly, therefore being proficient in your work proves that you are confident managing your company’s statements.  

Not only do you need to be detail-oriented and have proficiency, but you also must have discipline. Sitting in an office doing mathematical transactions is very meticulous. It is draining and a tough job. Looking through transactions over and over again is a job that requires a lot of discipline and control to ensure that your company has accurate numbers. Especially when working alone, you must have lots of self-discipline to maintain your time properly and maintain a well focus on the tasks you need to complete each week. As much as it is physically challenging, it is also mentally challenging. It is important to be disciplined but also to know when breaks are needed. Your tasks should be done correctly and accurately so having discipline to focus when it is needed is imperative when dealing with accounting reports.  

Overall, the most important skill is to have confidentiality. To comply with certain requirements is essential in the accounting field. You must have confidentiality in your workers and yourself to make accurate statements. It is important to gain trust in yourself to perform tasks correctly and maintain this trust throughout the season. Your coworkers must also trust you and you must prove that through accurate work and confidence when presenting the work you do.  

I think that some competencies related to Germany will be understanding IFRS which is the accounting standards and guidelines for European countries. Many of my accounting classes have prioritized the comprehension of USGAAP so having familiarity with IFRS will be important for the next upcoming weeks. Even so, learning the German standards of how they comprehend these rules will be something new and something you must been open to learning. This includes being adaptable to change and being adept.  

I also believe you must have a good awareness and understanding of working in a new environment. Being coherent with German colleagues and being aware of the common workforce norms in Germany will be something you will have to quickly get adjusted to by the first week of work. It’s important to fit in and follow their rules and regulations, which is why being adept is something one should have when going into a workforce. Especially with accounting, learning their techniques that apply to my duties as an intern is something I need to ensure my colleagues and bosses can trust me with. Learning their accounting software will be important to learn.  

With an open mindset and the eagerness to learn, I think that navigating your way through a new business in Germany will be feasible. With the common knowledge of the German language and getting comfortable with different forms of accounting processes, fitting into the work life in Berlin will get easier as each day comes.  

Looking forward to starting work tomorrow and seeing what my next few weeks at work will look like!