Off the Ledger
Your days as a college student are almost numbered. The working world is calling. As you get ready to embark on your career, you have to be thinking, “What am I going to do when I graduate?” “Is a job in public accounting right for me?”
Where do you want to go?
You have so many options. Big firm or small? How do you decide? Where can you go to get the real, honest look at a career in public accounting? What is it REALLY like to be an intern? What will my life be like as a staff accountant?
See your future...
At Porter Keadle Moore, LLP (PKM) we’re here to help. We’ve created this blog site just for you! To help you find answers to these and other questions about working in a public accounting firm. Real interns and brand new staff accountants chronicle their experiences with our firm. Read what they have to say. Ask questions, share your opinions and we’ll respond.
Anna Hatcher - Audit Staff
As a college student, I’m sure you’re aware of how important “real on the job experience” is to future employers these days. Internships are the key to this experience while you are still in college and preparing to graduate. Most schools even offer class credit for internships, so what are you waiting for?
One thing to remember though is the work isn’t over once you complete your internship. To help ensure future success can come of the internship, take into consideration the following tips from ResumeEdge.com on how to take your internship into the future.
Keep in touch - once you finish your internship experience, remember to send thank-you notes to all those that helped make your internship a success. This should include your supervisors, mentors, and maybe even a firm executive or a member of Human Resources that oversees the interns.
Assess the experience - Take some time to reflect on your internship experience. Think about what you learned about the industry, corporate culture, work environment, and even yourself. These reflections will help guide you into deciding whether the industry is the right fit for you or not.
Update your paperwork - Put that “real on the job experience” on your resume! Create a paragraph to include that highlight your responsibilities and achievements as an intern.
Launch your career - Even if the company you interned with doesn’t turn into a full-time job, you now have the experience that employers are looking for. Completing an internship will only help you in the future success of your career.
Debbie Sessions - Partner & Chief Operating Officer
Each fall, PKM goes in search of new talent as we visit college campuses. We have just confirmed the career fair dates for 2008 that PKM will be attending! We look forward to seeing you there! For more information, visit PKM’s recruiting events page.
- University of Alabama - August 28
- Samford University - September 2
- University of Mississippi - September 2
- Auburn University - September 2
- University of Georgia - September 4
- Georgia Southern University - September 8
- Georgia State University - September 17
- Kennesaw State University - September 18
- The State University of New York at Geneseo - October 2
David Berry - Audit Staff
Looking for the perfect job can be quite stressful, especially if you are a recent graduate from college. All the resumes, cover letters, and practice interview questions can become pretty overwhelming. Preparing ahead of time can make the process of finding your job much easier.
A recent article written by Susan Johnston on YoungMoney.com highlights three new books that will be all you need to get yourself through your job search!
Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success by Penelope Trunk - “Take everything you think you ‘know’ about career strategies, throw them away, and read this book because the rules have changed.” Said author Guy Kawasaki.
Career Wisdom for College Students: Insights You Won’t Get in Class, on the Internet, or from Your Parents by Peter Vogt - Former college career counselor and MonsterTRAK career coach uses his experience to tackle many concerns students face during their job search.
Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World by Lindsey Pollak - Campus Career Advisor states, “Perfect for today’s students, who inevitably want what they want when they want it.”
Now the next step is to get reading and find the job you’ve been searching for!
Kim Taylor - Executive Assistant
The Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM) provides a forum for marketers to improve skills and knowledge to help increase firm revenues. They offer marketers of accounting firms opportunities for education and training, information and resource sharing, and tools to enhance the credibility and impact of marketing and sales within.
Each year AAM holds a conference for their members to come together and this past years event was held the first week of June in San Diego, California. This was my first time attending the AAM Summit and it was a great experience!
The conference started on a Tuesday afternoon and went through lunch on Friday. There were many great speakers and a lot of valuable information to be learned. The opening keynote speaker was Dr. Frank Luntz who spoke on “Words that Work: It’s Not What you Say, It’s What People Hear.”
Some lessons to take away from Dr. Luntz’s presentation were a few things that clients really want from you:
- Accountability in what you do
- Fierce integrity and principles in all you do
- Respect toward what the client does
- Answerable after the fact
For more information about AAM or their 2009 Summit visit their website.
