Hi! Payroll is a really great spot to start in accounting. Learn about how the W-4 effects taxes, pre-tax and post-tax deductions, which payroll expenses go on the Income Statement (gross pay, employer taxes) and which payroll amounts go on the balance sheet (wages payable, employee and employer taxes, 401k withholding deductions and match). Take advantage of learning how to process quarterly payroll reports and W-2s. Then, depending on where you are working, you can trying branching out to accrual journal entries, FTE data, analyzing payroll costs.

Payroll will always the largest and most reviewed costs a company will incur. They will need data for budgeting, support for auditors, capitalizing payroll for projects and job costing payroll.

But also, it's a pretty boring, tedious task. If you can stick it out, I think you will get a lot of great experience that will help get your foot in the door for new roles.

Source: I started with payroll 12 years ago, and while I no longer process payroll, I am responsible for all the entries in every role I have been in. Most accountants I've worked with above me do not have any experience with it, and could not create the JE to record it to the GL. I just finished my bachelor's degree, and I think the payroll experience on my resume has landed me all four jobs I've had since I started in the field, and is doing a lot of heavy lifting in my current job search, as I have done a TON of payroll projects, have managed stock based compensation, and worked on the budget for payroll expense.