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.
A Behind the Scenes Look Into the World of Banking: A Visit to the Atlanta Fed
Caroline McCormick - Audit Staff
Since PKM focuses its efforts on the banking industry, each year the firm hosts a tour of the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta. It is a great opportunity for accountants to gain perspective in their field. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone working in the financial arena. It was awe-inspiring to be able to peek into the processing and control rooms and observe first hand what we had learned about in my introductory bank training class.
We were also able to go into the board room and sit in the same seats that Board of Directors sit in when they discuss the local economy and the potential impacts of their policy decisions. One very significant issue has been Hurricane Katrina, which impacted the entire area that the Sixth Federal Reserve District covers, either directly or indirectly. It was a great example of the unique logistical issues the board faces in times of disaster.
The tour helped us appreciate the functions of the Fed, from monetary policy to regulation to payment system operations, and impact of their decisions all over the region and the country. The entire experience adds to a greater understanding of the environment that our clients function in and therefore helps us serve our clients better.
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