Seeking Seasonal Assistant

 in Our business  tagged business / hiring by (updated 805 days ago)

Are you interested in working for ProsperiTea Planning (formerly Tea & Taxes) during a tax season? Every year we hire at least one, and sometimes two assistants for our busy season.

Duties include:

Seasonal Tax Prep Assistant duties:

  • Answering phones, taking messages
  • Fielding emails, chasing down missing pieces
  • Scanning and filing
  • Data entry into tax software
  • Updating project workflows as things change
  • Client reception
  • Handing out returns to clients
  • Accepting payment from clients

Software includes:

  • The firm’s web-based CRM (we’ll train you on Insightly)
  • Google Chrome
  • Google Gmail
  • Google Calendar
  • Scanning software and electronic filing cabinet software (we’ll train you on Sharefile)
  • The big brother version of Turbotax (not the whole return, just data entry)

Keeping the office humming:

  • Assisting the dog in greeting the clients (maybe taking her out if she’s desperate)
  • Keeping the firm principal caffeinated
  • Serving tea and coffee to the clients
  • Going to the post office and/or bank once in a while
  • Starting the wood fire if you’re comfortable with that chore
  • Stocking printers with paper and toner
  • Perhaps sweeping if it’s needed

The work environment:

  • You’re going to learn a ton! The practice is focused on taxes during tax season, but Wendy is a financial planner and investment advisor and you’ll get a semester’s worth of personal financial training on the job if you keep your ears open.
  • Your schedule is to be determined, but hours of coverage are 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM most weekdays, and Saturday 12:30 to 5:30, maybe late on Fridays (until 7:30 pm). We’ll split the hours two or three ways depending on what people need.
  • You’d have a flexible schedule for December and January as you come in a few days here or there for training and pre-season projects, but full schedule starts the last week in January and goes to April 15th.
  • Although there’s no permitted vacation time from 1/30 to 4/15, but we accrue 5% of your hours to add to your final paycheck as paid time off.
  • The office is a home that is set up so most of the first floor is devoted to the business. It’s an old (but beautiful) house, you’ll need to dress in layers for drafts.
  • There is a well-behaved Labrador Retriever dog who will happily steal your lunch if you leave it where she can reach it.
  • The other members of the firm are Wendy, the firm principal CPA/ CFP® professional; Gary, a CFP® candidate para-planner; and Samantha, the full-time executive assistant / office manager who would be overlapping with you at the front desk.
  • The firm principal is a perfectionist but she appreciates and needs your help

What we need from you:

  • Resume uploaded to Sharefile. Click this link to open up a secure envelope to send it.
  • Personal reference attesting to your discretion and trustworthiness

An outstanding candidate will demonstrate:

  • Trustworthiness: nothing in a background check or credit report that would leave our clients feeling uneasy
  • Accuracy and detail-oriented is important
  • Ability to handle moments with flurries of activity with poise
  • Comfort working in Windows environment, and with Google Apps
  • Reliable about working during the season, including able to get to work at a business in Greenfield in the winter.
  • Initiative and the ability to solve basic problems that arise in the ordinary course of business (like paper jams).
  • Physical ability to sand sidewalks (and discern when it is needed) and carry a tray of tea and file papers in a filing cabinet
  • Able to work semi-independently when given an example of the task or a checklist to follow, after brief training.
  • Discretion and and an interest in direct client interface: you’ll be representing a professional services firm

Nice to know if you have experience in (but not required):

  • Quickbooks
  • Excel
  • Tax software (including Turbotax)
  • Mailmerging in Microsoft Word

After you’ve uploaded your resume to Sharefile, feel free to call the office at (413) 829-4832 to arrange a time to meet with Samantha, the Office Manager.

We’d like to hire in late November/early December so we can start phasing people in for some projects and training towards the end of December and early January. We hire for a seasonal person every year and would love to find someone who’s interested in coming back regularly, but usually we end up finding someone fabulous who happens to be available this winter. Either way is great.

 

Originally Published 12-2-2016, last updated  10-26-21