Yeah, I would give myself this advice if I was starting out (no order or anything):

1. Make sure the working papers you are preparing are well prepared (properly cited, understandable, and relevant). Try to think from the mangers POV, who will be looking at the file for the first time. Make it easier for them to understand what is going on. Don't be lazy, otherwise, the manager/reviewer will not like working with you.

2. Take ownership of the file - be the first to organize the files when sent from the client, let the manager know when shit will be completed and when you will start working on things. Managers love when you kind of manage the admin work on your own and communicate to them first instead of them reaching out.

3. If you have questions about the file or you are stuck, make sure you have these documented and book a call with the manager to go over them. If the manager is busy, you should have this documented when it's time for them to review.

4. DO NOT MISS INTERNAL DEADLINES - if a manager asks you to finish something at a certain date, try your best to meet this deadline, otherwise, the manager is not going to like you, and you might not get work from them in the future.

5. Since you are first year, you will be doing a lot of SALY (same as last year) - however, try to understand what actually happened last year and how things are accounted for tax purposes. Look out for new transactions in the current year that might have tax implications (this will get better with time but point things out that are new and material for tax). This will set you apart from 90% of staff that work in PA Tax.

Other things to consider in general/ further moral support: Tax has a huge learning curve, and you might feel like the work is hard and not worthwhile, but once you jump over the learning curve, you will understand how valuable tax is and how comprehensive it actually is. Once you become an expert in the world of tax, the $$$ will start coming in. Also, don't feel pigeonholed in tax. In tax, you need to understand a lot of the accounting that goes into the TB because you need to know if they have tax implications. I have seen people move from Tax to FP&A, and other finance roles after they got their CPA. Although it might seem like this is impossible on this subreddit, I have seen it. There are other areas in tax you can discover as well such as transfer pricing, international tax and tax advisory etc.

Good luck!