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"This is a nice place to work, and I enjoy having the opportunity to work with people who have different nationalities."

Jim
Accounting assistant
ESBS*
Barendrecht, The Netherlands

Day in the Life

After having worked quite closely with accountants in Ashland's accounts payable department for a couple of years, I realized I had become interested in pursuing a career with the company. I enjoy the people, the type of work I do and the business environment.

As an assistant accountant, my primary responsibility is to help with various accounting duties. These range from preparing the month-end closing and other reports to solving problems that may arise in accounts payable, sales or even the previous month's report. At the same time, I am always trying to find a better system or way to do things.

The most challenging part of this job for me is the month-end closing. We have strict deadlines to meet and must complete the project within the time scheduled - and get a good result. Accuracy is a big part of this job.

On a typical day, I work with colleagues in accounts payable, accounts receivable, treasury and, of course, information technology cannot be forgotten. Both accounting and information technology have the challenge of creating and maintaining records that meet requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act,** and that takes time, too.

A person who is interested in a job as an accounting assistant for Ashland's international operations must have some necessary skills. First off, they should enjoy a challenge and the pleasure of doing a task well. Communication is another important part of this job. I provide information that helps others make accurate and timely decisions.

A potential candidate also should be willing to stick with a task until it is completed. When you must work longer than normal to meet a deadline, be willing to do it. People rely on you, and they're on tight schedules, too. An accounting assistant must be able to handle stress. This job has a lot of deadlines!

Because we work as a team, an accounting assistant should be a people-person. That's one of the best things about the job for me. I get to work and to become friends with people from different nations and to learn firsthand about their backgrounds and cultures.

The most important thing, however, is that you should have fun doing the job. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Remember, there are no stupid questions - but not asking, that's stupid!

* The ESBS center, located in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, provides finance, information technology, human resources, communications, legal and environmental, health and safety support to all Chemical Sector divisions (Ashland Distribution, Ashland Specialty Chemical and Valvoline) in Europe.

** Enacted in 2002 in response to the high-profile Enron and WorldCom financial scandals, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was designed to protect shareholders and the public from such occurrences. It is administered by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which sets deadlines for compliance and publishes rules on requirements.