Willem Plumhoff Professional Portfolio

WBL Internship: Rounds & Brooks Accounting CPA's

The Colorado Department of Education defines "Professional" using the following descriptors:

time & work management
career literacy
grit and resilience
work ethic; dependable and reliable

My Personal Definition:

To me, professionalism is more than just the way you act in a professional environment. Its the way you think, the way you dress or present yourself, and how you interact with others in your workplace.

Career Q&A

Question #1: Where do you work?
Answer: I work at Rounds & Brooks CPA's.
Question #2 : How long have you worked here?
Answer: Oh I think it's been about 12 years.
Question #3 : What originally drew you to this job?
Answer: I took some accounting classes in college and really liked them so I just continued to get my degree. I then started working at a smaller accounting place, then Rounds & Brooks offered me a job.
Question #4 : What is one positive and one negative of working in accounting?
Answer: Working on tax returns can be hard because of all the changes in the system. But on the bright side you don't really get bored.
Question #5 : Where did you go to college and what degrees did you receive?
Answer: I went to Western State College in Gunnison. I have 3 bachelor degrees, in accounting, business, and administration. Then I have my masters degree in accounting.
Question #6 : What skills have you learned here that can help you in the real world?
Answer: You have to learn to work with other people so a lot of collaboration. And learning to lean on others strengths, I have 3 co-workers and they're all good at different things.
Question #7 : If you weren't an accountant what job would you do?
Answer: I kind of like finance, I might want to be like an investment advisor. Maybe working in accounts payable and accounts recievable for a bigger company.

My Future Plan & Career Statement

I plan to be involved in the business or law field in the future. I've been interested in owning a business and the process behind it for a while now. To accomplish my dreams I plan to attend The University of Arizona Business School.

Current Experience & Employment

After school when I have time and durring the summer I work at my dad's law firm. I scan document into the computer and label them, I also help with other office tasks. Through this I've learned how to use computer software efficiently and how daily office procedure works.

Goals I Focused On

Being Social: I've for a long time been less social in environment I'm not as comfortable in. My goal was to branch out a little, make more small talk, and overall become a more social person in those type of situations. This can be key for communication and lots of other aspects that help you succeed in the business world.
Being More Observant: Another goal I had was to be more observant of both the task at hand and the world around me. In a lot of situations being observant can further your problem solving skills and better your understanding of the world around you.
Working Collaboratively: I wanted to work better with others, cooperating in team situations where if you are able to work with one another you learn better. If applied it helps your personal growth and partnerships with others.

Soft Skills I Focused On

Communication
Collaboration
Listening Skills
Problem Solving
Professionalism
Adaptability
Social Skills
Confidence

Personal Experience Final Presentation

RPReplay_Final1765472163.MP4

Resume

Resume.pdf

What It Takes to be Successful

Reflective Essay, What I Learned:

From a young age I've always been someone who wanted to understand how things worked. Whether it was taking apart small objects or trying to understand why certain systems existed, I had natural curiosity for the process behind the scenes. When it came to the world of business, however, I realized I knew very little about what actually happened beneath the surface, especially when it came to money, expenses, taxes, and the essential tasks that keep businesses running. The lack of knowledge I had sparked my interest in exploring the accounting field. My internship placement at Rounds & Brooks, an accounting firm just two blocks away from my high school, gave me the opportunity to step into that world. I was assigned responsibilities like scanning and filing documents, organizing important records, and assisting with general office tasks. Throughout the experience, I discovered what the accounting field requires, and a lot about myself as a learner, worker, and person. Overall taking this internship was one of the most beneficial experiences of my high school career. It taught me that no matter what level you start at, if you are applying yourself with consistency and curiosity it leads to you learning meaningful skills, both in a workplace and in life. My daily routine at Rounds & Brooks was pretty consistent. I arrived at 8:15 each morning and walked through the door at 8:20 on the dot. The first thing I did was check in with Terri, who assigned my responsibilities for the day. After getting my tasks, I would head to my desk, log into the programs I needed, and begin scanning, labeling, or filing documents into the system according to their format. Every time I completed a task, I would return to Terri so she could review my work, and she would either assign another project or let me know we were wrapping things up for the day. Before leaving, I filled out my time card for my hours worked and wrote down everything I had completed.Overall, things went very well. I built a strong and professional relationship with everyone in the office, and the environment was supportive and friendly. I expected slightly more complex work but I still enjoyed the experience and learned a lot about how offices operate. My main personal goal for the semester was to become more social with people I didn’t already know. That goal was definitely not only achieved but exceeded, I found myself greeting coworkers daily, having conversations about school and life, and slowly becoming more comfortable with interactions. The weekly routines of saying hello, talking with clients when introduced, and learning how to interact professionally all helped me grow socially and gain confidence around adults and professionals.One of the biggest skills I developed was confidence using different software platforms and learning to navigate confusing computer systems. I improved my typing speed, learned to use Windows more comfortably, and became familiar with programs like QuickBooks and Adobe Acrobat. Before the internship, I knew I wanted to improve my computer skills, but I honestly didn’t expect to learn three new programs in a short period. It took time, patience, and repetition but eventually I became pretty efficient and independent.One piece of advice I would give future interns is to ask every question you have, even if you think it’s small. Internships exist so you can learn, and supervisors expect you to be curious, not perfect.

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