Example Achievement Log for a Accountant

A year in the life of a Accountant's log

• Jan - achievement: Closed Dec GL in four days instead of the usual six. Automated the fixed asset roll-forward in Excel using INDEX/MATCH, eliminating the manual lookup step that took Priya two hours each month.
• Mar - task: Took on quarterly payroll tax reconciliation after Helena left. First run was messy, missed the SUTA liability accrual for two months, but caught it in March review and now have a checklist pinned above my desk.
• Mar - feedback: Controller said in 1:1: 'The payroll accrual catch saved us from an embarrassing restatement. You're thinking like an auditor now.' Felt good.
• Apr - achievement: Delivered tax provision workpaper package two weeks early. Itemized all 47 deferred tax adjustments by statute and jurisdiction so outside tax counsel could review without calling me for clarification.
• Jun - task: Learned Alteryx to pull AP aging reports directly from NetSuite instead of exporting CSVs. Three days of YouTube tutorials and one frustrated Zoom with Jake in IT, but now suppliers get accurate invoices in half the time.
• Jun - achievement: Identified $18,400 in duplicate vendor payments across six months by cross-matching check register to invoice dates. Worked with procurement to consolidate three duplicate vendor accounts and lock GL posting.
• Aug - feedback: Audit partner told Controller in entrance conference: 'Your reconciliations are cleaner than most Fortune 500 shops. Whoever owns them knows the detail.' Controller forwarded the email.
• Sep - task: Supported field audit for three weeks: printed 22 schedules, walked auditors through inventory reserve methodology, answered same depreciation question four times because they rotate staff.
• Sep - achievement: Passed CPA Exam (BEC section) on second attempt. Sat for it in July, failed by three points, retook in September and scored 76. Studied 12 hours a week for two months using Becker.
• Nov - task: Year-end close prep started. Built 2024 close calendar with hard cutoff dates and assigned Daniel and new hire Marcus to AP cutoff testing. Both asked questions I didn't anticipate about voucher matching thresholds.
• Dec - achievement: Completed year-end physical inventory observation for two plants and flagged $7,200 write-off for obsolete cutting blades in the warehouse. Reconciled final counts to subledger with zero exceptions.

What makes a strong entry

How this becomes your review in November

This year I reduced close timelines and caught material issues before they became restatements. By automating the fixed asset roll-forward and identifying $18,400 in duplicate payments, I freed up cycle time and improved data integrity. I also stepped into payroll tax reconciliation after an unexpected departure and quickly built the discipline to spot accrual gaps, a catch the Controller noted probably saved us from restatement. Externally, the audit partner called out the quality of our reconciliations during their entrance conference, which reflects how deliberately I've structured the detail work.

Starting your own log

Don't try to reconstruct a year you have already had. Start from today, one line whenever something happens, and let it build. The Perform Review Achievement Log does this for you and can capture wins straight from Slack, and how to start an achievement log covers the wider playbook.

Example Logs for Related Roles

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