# I'm Looking for an online visual aid (labeled and in color) of the layout of an accountant's desk. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 8, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-an-online-visual-aid-labeled-and-in-color-of-the-layout-of-an-accountants-desk/665652 "2013-08-08T00:53:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-an-online-visual-aid-labeled-and-in-color-of-the-layout-of-an-accountants-desk/665652/1 "2013-08-08T00:53:47Z")
Hi, I’m Looking for an online visual aid (labeled and in color) or photo (as long as it’s labeled) showing the layout of an accountant’s desk as you would see it in real life. Visuals aids, in other words, that reflect the working life of an accountant. I’ve seen detailed visual aids describing many other types of professions , but so far I’ve been unable to find one for accountants, much less bookkeepers. There are lots of visual aid when it comes to explaining the accounting process, but nothing on the day-to-day work of an accountant in visual form. I’d like to see the "accountants tools"on a desk in a way a busy accountants usually arranges them for working purposes.(everything from a calculator to ledgers). Not everything is necessarily done one a computer. If there are any websites or visual aid books on the market, I’d really like to know. I look forward to your feedback. davidmich ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-an-online-visual-aid-labeled-and-in-color-of-the-layout-of-an-accountants-desk/665652/2 "2013-08-08T01:37:01Z")
I’m going to stop short of saying that I doubt that you’ll find what you’re looking for. But I will be highly surprised if you do. And interested in seeing it for myself, so please provide a link if you’re successful in your search. 🙂 Good luck. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-an-online-visual-aid-labeled-and-in-color-of-the-layout-of-an-accountants-desk/665652/3 "2013-08-08T01:43:49Z")
> [@davidmich](#): > > I’ve seen detailed visual aids describing many other types of professions , Could you post some links? I’d love to see what the desk of a computer programmer or a television producer looks like. ---
**Author:** ![Paulant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4bbf92/32.png) [@Paulant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paulant)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-an-online-visual-aid-labeled-and-in-color-of-the-layout-of-an-accountants-desk/665652/4 "2013-08-09T14:38:59Z")
Sorry, I cannot help. I have worked as an accountant for 46 years, and the question made me nostalgic for the old days - quill pen, inkpot, abacus and of course everyone had an ashtray. Smoking was almost compulsory. ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-an-online-visual-aid-labeled-and-in-color-of-the-layout-of-an-accountants-desk/665652/5 "2013-08-09T20:08:36Z")
From my experience, the only thing that makes it different from anybody else’s desk is a larger monitor (24" or more) and a spreadsheet maximized on it. Very few professionals do work on paper anymore, so everybody’s desk is just their personal affects and a computer monitor. I don’t know how you’d tell an accountant’s desk apart from, say, a database programmer’s. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-an-online-visual-aid-labeled-and-in-color-of-the-layout-of-an-accountants-desk/665652/6 "2013-08-09T20:22:59Z")
> [@Blakeyrat](#): > > From my experience, the only thing that makes it different from anybody else’s desk is a larger monitor (24" or more) and a spreadsheet maximized on it. > > Very few professionals do work on paper anymore, so everybody’s desk is just their personal affects and a computer monitor. I don’t know how you’d tell an accountant’s desk apart from, say, a database programmer’s. This. Except a programmer is more likely to have multiple computers and 3-4 monitors. ---
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-an-online-visual-aid-labeled-and-in-color-of-the-layout-of-an-accountants-desk/665652/7 "2013-08-09T22:52:28Z")
I’m an accountant. I have two 19’’ monitors one with spreadsheet (maximised) one with outlook. A pot of pens. Two highlighters, yellow and green. A pile of invoices to approve/analyse. A printer. A separate scanner. A pile of industry journals to read. A file of business contracts. A set of trays with manuals, procedures, in tray out tray etc. A cup of coffee. Two other empty cups. A pin-board with handy phone numbers, charge rates, calendar. A post-it note with my most important passwords. Just off the top of my head. Lots of paper still in many accounting offices.