Content in career choice (The Working Week: Do We Work Too Many Hours?)

Member Name: roversjenny

Product:	The Working Week: Do We Work Too Many Hours?
Date:	11/05/09 (55 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Happy in job

Disadvantages: Pay

Where do you work?
I work for one of the big 4 professional services firms in the UK

What is your job title?
Tax Associate

What is your job description?
I work within the corporate tax team and my role is to predominantly prepare the tax returns and computations for corporate clients, which include small single entities right the way through to large multinational groups. That is the bread and butter side of things, I also prepare the tax numbers for statutory accounts, liase with H M Revenue & Customs and do advisory work, which helps corporates mitigate their tax liability. My work is quite varied and no 2 clients are ever the same.

How long have you been in your current job?
Just over 4 years

Are you happy at work?
At the minute I am, I am busy, but not overly busy and I also have a lot more responsibilty than I used to have which I enjoy, I enjoy delegating work to more junior members of the team as it aids both mine and their development. The only thing I am not too happy about is my job title and my renumeration package but I am hoping that it is rectified and improved in the summer.

Is it the job for you?
Definately so, I have done the job since I was 18 and now cannot imagine myself ever doing anything else.

Who do you get on best with at your work?
I wouldn't say I have any close friends at work, there are lots of people who I get on with, but I don't really see anyone out of work. I like to try and keep a balance between home and work life.

Anyone you don't get on with?
You have to be able to work with everyone on a professional level if you want to suceed, however, there are people that I certainly wouldn't want to be friends with outside the office.

Do you like your boss?
I don't have a boss as such, but I do like most of the people who I do work for.

How many days of your holidays have you used?
I think it is about 10, most of my holidays will be taken in July when I have almost a month off to get married.

How many sick days?
Only a couple, and they tend to be when I am really worn down due to working long hours, had quite a bit of disturbance in my person life over the last 6 months meaning that sometimes I just need a rest to avoid breaking down.

Genuine or faked?
Always geniune

Do you get a yearly pay rise?
I have had a payrise every year I have been at work, sometimes more than 1 a year. Since I started 4 years ago my pay has gone up by £14,500.

Do you socialise with your colleagues?
Not really, as I said above, I like to keep my home and work life separate.

Are you qualified for your job?
Yes, I am ATT (Association of Tax Technicians) and CTA (Chartered Tax Advisor) qualified.

What age were you when you left school?
18

Did you always want to do what your doing now?
Not really, I kind of stumbled into the job after I quit uni and intended it to be a short term job before I went back to uni, but ended up staying and don't regret it at all.

Are you the main earner in your household?
Yes - some men don't like it when the women is the main earner, however, my other half loves it and can't wait until he can quit his job and become a kept man!

Are you a member of a union?
No

How often do you get paid?
Monthly - On the penultimate working day of the month

Are you content with your salary?
No - hopefully I will be after the summer.

How many hours do you work per week and what shifts?
My contracted hours are 37.5 a week, with an hour for lunch each day. I start at 8:30 and finish at 5:00, but often I work through lunch hours, finish late, or log on later at home.

Summary: Enjoy my job