Accounts Payable Clerk and Administrative Assistant
To keep everything organized, I spend about a day and a half each week just doing administrative work, then I spend the rest of the week working on any Accounts Payable (AP) projects.
With balancing both roles, my day always starts with emails. On the administrative side, I handle any urgent emails, manage documents through DocuSign, respond to any voicemails and make sure all vehicles, trailers, and vessels are up to date. I then move on to the Accounts Payable email and handle any outstanding invoices for vendors that need to be billed and finish my week with other AP tasks.
Before I joined Seakeeper I was a stay-at-home mom to my two boys. Once they were old enough to go to daycare/preschool, I started working at a law firm in Virginia Beach. There, I worked closely with two attorneys, handling both of their calendars for court cases and new clients, making sure all legal documents were in order. I was only able to work at this law firm for a year due to my husband getting new military orders to Maryland. During that time, we had our third child, and I went back to being a stay-at-home mom for about three years.
October 5, 2020.
Things have changed a lot however, being a stay-at-home mom to three kids has really helped with keeping everything organized and making sure all my daily tasks are completed. When I joined Seakeeper in the middle of COVID, I started teleworking and all my training was done over Microsoft Teams. It was a little bit of a struggle but with the support of a great team, I was able to get through it all. I started at Seakeeper answering the phones and taking on daily admin tasks. Now, I’m in the AP role and transitioning out of the admin role.
The most challenging part of the job was when I took on all the vessel registrations. For one, I had never been on a boat until I started working with Seakeeper. Learning the boating language and what’s on board, the vessel measurements, and what paperwork is required by the Coast Guard was a challenge. Now, registering vessels seems like an easy task!
My biggest personal accomplishment is learning about a whole new business. I had never heard of Seakeeper until I started working here, and never even knew a gyroscope for boats existed! My background is in criminal justice so I’m familiar with laws, crime, and how the courtroom operates. Being able to learn something that is out of my element, especially with Accounts Payable, and learning it in less than a year is a very big accomplishment.
What I like the most about Seakeeper is being able to work from home. This job is the ideal job for a military spouse. Working for a company that supports your personal life is a big thing. Another great thing about working with Seakeeper is the support that you have with your team. Any time I have a question or need help with something my team is right there.
I don’t think it’s too challenging, but I’m still learning all the things that Accounts Payable does.
My advice is to not be nervous to ask any questions. Everyone here at Seakeeper is great at helping each other out.
I have such a great team! It is hard to say there is just one person. Bob Glidden, Kelsey Stephens, and Jacob Tomasik have all had an impact on my work, helped with many questions, and always give support.
I’m a big book nerd. When I have any extra time to relax at night, I love to read.
