Off the Ledger

Ryan Barrow - Audit Staff

Starting a new job is exciting as well as nerve-wracking, because we all know first impressions often last. It is vital for you to “put your best foot forward” your first few weeks on the job. An article by Doug White at Robert Half International lists some common mistakes made by new hires, along with some advice on how you can avoid them.

Failing to Adapt Quickly - The longer it takes you to notice and adjust to the corporate culture, the longer you will be seen as “the new kid.” Pay attention to not only what is highlighted in the employee handbook, but also the unwritten rules.

• How do your fellow employees tend to communicate? Face-to-face or via email?
• Do people take work home?
• Do people eat at their desks?
• Are personal photographs, etc. on display?

Not Asking Questions - You may be hesitant to ask questions because you don’t want to be perceived as irritating or uninformed, but it is much worse to make incorrect assumptions about items such as priorities or policies. Make sure you ask questions early and ask often.

Trying to Do Too Much - As a new hire you will want to contribute early on, but you must make sure to pace yourself. You won’t make a positive impact if you are stretching yourself too thin. Focus on your primary responsibilities.

Being a Know-it-All- You were hired for a reason - so sharing your opinion when asked is a must, but you don’t want to be seen as disruptive either. Play it safe by being tactful and constructive with feedback or criticism. Also, stay clear of the phrase, “At my last job…”

Failing to Make Friends - Everyone knows it is wise to be friendly when in the presence of the boss, but it’s not just the “higher-ups” you need to impress. Building relationships with all your colleagues is very important, as you may need to call on them for assistance in the future.

To view the entire article, visit Yahoo! HotJobs.

Jenna Montroy - Marketing Assistant

PKM is coming to a campus near you this Fall! We look forward to meeting you all.

Campus Interviews for 2008

• Samford University - September 15
• Auburn University - September 16
• University of Alabama - September 17
• University of Georgia - September 24
• The State University of New York at Geneseo - October 3
• Kennesaw State University - October 6
• Georgia Institute of Technology - October 9
• Georgia Southern University - October 15
• Georgia State University - October 17

Alison Derringer - Tax Intern

This summer there were 5 interns at PKM - Four in Audit and one in Tax. After collaboration we came up with some things new interns might want to know when coming to PKM. Hope this helps!

In General…

• You probably don’t know much or anything about what you are doing and everyone expects that, so always ask lots of questions instead of guessing.
• During training be extremely weary of sudden changes in your schedule such as flights out the next day and being double booked… it’s most likely a prank to see how you will respond!
• If you set your voice mail, don’t get creative with your access code, because you might forget it. You would need to contact Kim, who would contact the phone company and they will set your phone. It might take up to two weeks before you can retain access to your messages.
• Always lock your computer when stepping away. There are some pranksters at the office.
• Be prepared to speak in front of the entire firm at the intern dinner. You will be called out and stories will be told on any mishap you encountered!
• Don’t eat breakfast before you get to the office on Friday mornings because there is Krispy Kreme in the break room. Gaining weight during your internship will happen, just accept it!
• It might be a good idea to have a comfortable pair of shoes in your desk drawer. It is not fun walking down 18 flights of stairs in heels during a fire drill.

Audit Tips

• When talking with a client, act like you know what you are talking about, even if you don’t because confidence speaks louder than words.
• When doing a cash count, always take your calculator, pen and paper with you.
• Know what bait money and dye packs are and be careful handling them during cash counts! Bait money is strapped cash that is attached to an alarm in each teller drawer in case the bank is robbed. A Dye pack consists of strapped currency where the top two and last two bills are real currency and the middle bills are decoys that are filled with dye and explode when taken outside the bank.
• When you see the letters NCN, this means, “Not considered necessary”.
• When working with Candice, you must love Dolly Parton.
• All in-charges are different so be prepared to adapt to their style. For example, Candice has many unique phrases that you may have to ask for clarification on. (Scrolli-oli-oli means scroll down).
• Make sure you get rest before you travel to Cullman, Alabama because the client enjoys entertaining practically every day and night.
• Submit your time and expense report ahead of time whenever possible. When on an out-of-town engagement, you might have limited Internet access or the server might be down. It would be a good idea to have Margaret’s phone numbers on speed dial in your cell phone. Don’t get frustrated the first time you complete your time and expense report - it is confusing! Everyone is willing to help if you have any questions.

Tax Tips

• There might be days when you have nothing to do, enjoy them because when you cannot get your tax return to balance you will wish you had nothing to do.
• If you see a good snack in the break room, grab it, because if you don’t - someone else will.
• You can work on a couple of clients per day so make sure you keep up with your time. Also, if you are using the timer function in Practice Solution, make sure you stop it before going to lunch!

Nick Head - Audit Staff

In a recent article from JobsintheMoney, Steve Bohler discusses the importance of what he calls a “personal career vision.” The bottom line is, to be successful and love your work - you will need more than a job. So, before you focus on your resume, job hunting and networking, take some time to create your own personal career vision.

Now the question is, what is this so-called personal career vision? Well, Steve simply states it as a tangible blueprint of the direction you want your life to take. This will help you gain a better understanding of who you are and what you really want out of your life and career. This information is the raw materials you need to create a “masterpiece of a career and life.”

Your personal career vision will be a plan for exactly the type of work you should be doing, based on information about what you are naturally good at, what you want, and what you think is worth doing.

To find out how to create a personal career vision, view the rest of Steve’s article.