Courtney Stillwagon - Audit Staff

Accounting interview season is both exciting and nerve wracking for anyone who finds themselves in the middle of it. I remember my experience well. So many firms, so many questions! I found it daunting to sit down after a career fair, and try to compare all of the firms I had spoken to.

Through my experience I feel that I developed some good advice to pass on.

• Always trust your gut. If you don’t feel like a firm is a good fit for you, then don’t force it.
• Do your research! Figure out what’s important to you (work-life balance, big name clients, specific industry, etc.) and see what firms fit well with your priorities.
• Ask lots of questions. Sometimes you may get a cookie cutter answer, but you’ll know it when you hear it. Judge firms based on how honest they are with you.
• Keep in touch. Always remember to keep contacts with the firms you didn’t accept an internship offer with. Take it from personal experience: I interned with a Big Four firm, and decided it wasn’t right for me. I had kept contacts with PKM though, so I was able to contact them and now I’m happily a PKM staffer!

Most important of all though, be yourself! If a firm doesn’t like you for who you are, then you won’t want to work there anyway.

Jessica Clarke - Systems Associate

You put a lot of effort into crafting a resume that will convey your talents and experience so don’t drop the ball when it comes to your cover letter. The resume you send to your prospective employer will be what gets you in the door, but the cover letter that goes along with it will be what gets them to open the door in the first place.

A recent article by Caroline Potter on Yahoo! HotJobs lays out an easy five-step formula for cover letter success created by job-search expert Deborah Brown-Volkman.

• Step 1: Cut to the chase - Begin your cover letter by clearly identifying why you are reaching out to the company. Make sure to cover all relevant facts such as the position’s title and location.
• Step 2: What I like about you - Complete the statement, “I like your company because…” Tell the organization what they have done right and why you admire them. This shows you have take the time to get to learn about the company.
• Step 3: What you’ll like about me - Brown-Volkman encourages job seekers to list their most vital qualifications up front. You want to include relevant examples of work that you have completed that matches up with what the employer is looking for.
• Step 4: What else you’ll like about me - Personalize your letter by describing who you are and what makes you stand out from the crowd. Some things to discuss may be your soft skills, strengths and what you’re passionate about professionally. This is your last chance to say, “Here’s why I’m a good candidate…”
• Step 5: In conclusion - Your closing paragraph should express your enthusiasm for the position and interview along with a plan of action. Make note of your contact information and state what the next steps will be. Whatever you put down, make sure you do what you say you will!

View the entire Yahoo! HotJobs article.

Deborah Brown-Volkman is the founder of SurpassYourDreams.com.

Rob Tysver - Audit Senior

How connected are you? A recent survey developed by Robert Half International, the world’s first and largest staffing firm specializing in accounting and finance, suggests that job seekers shouldn’t overlook online networking sites. The survey was conducted by interviewing 150 senior executives from the nation’s 1,000 largest companies.

These executives were asked, “Which of the following technology tools do you believe will be most useful in your firm’s recruiting efforts in the next three years?” Almost two-thirds (62 percent) of the executives believe that professional networking websites, such as LinkedIn, will prove useful in their searches for future employees in the next three years. Coming in second with thirty-five percent were the social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace.

Now, in order to make the most of your online networking, here are some tips from Robert Half to consider:

• Craft your profile carefully - Pay attention to the content of your profile as you would the information on your resume. Make sure to highlight your professional skills, not only your personal interests.
• Ask for recommendations - Most professional networking sites allow for others to comment on your work, these testimonials help hiring managers learn more about your experience and work ethic.
• Build your list of contacts - Invite your trusted friends and colleagues to join your network. You can also ask to be introduced or referred to an interesting person you find in one of their networks.
• Don’t post anything you wouldn’t want an employer to see - Use the privacy settings that are available to you. Make sure that any public images or messages you post don’t detract from your professional image.
• Don’t stop networking once you have a job - Although these networking sites are great job search tools, they can also help you once you have secured a position. They can help you stay up-to-date on industry trends, find mentors that can offer career advice or alert you on upcoming events and educational opportunities.

One thing to remember, embracing technology can be beneficial but job seekers shouldn’t depend solely on the digital world. Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International states, “Tried and true methods such as networking at industry events, submitting well-written resumes and cover letters and diligently following up with hiring managers are still essential to landing the ideal job. Combining personal and online networking offers the best of both worlds.”

To view more on this topic, visit www.rhi.com.

Nick Head - Audit Staff

At PKM we go by the phrase, “Professional service, with a personal touch” and one of the ways we make sure this is true is by getting to know our clients. Investing time in getting to know clients and not just showing up to complete the work is a big part of our job at the firm and makes working on engagements more fun and interesting.

This past week I was at a client in Albany, Georgia where we were engaged to review their IT general controls. One procedure is to go and observe data back up tapes at the client’s data back up location. To do this, I had to ride with Gary, the banks mail clerk and courier. As we pile into his mini-van, he started telling me about his son in the Navy.

To make a long story short, an hour later, I knew more about Gary than the ISO of the Bank. He talked my ear off and about froze me to death with his A/C, but to be honest he made me laugh and helped me get in a better, happier mood. Just one of the many perks of working with good clients.

Caroline McCormick - Audit Associate

Atlanta is a city widely known for its ever-growing population and relatively low cost of living among big cities around the country, not to mention the temperate Southern climate. Atlanta was recently named the number four best city for jobs in the nation by Forbes.com thanks to the city’s high quality of life, affordable cost of business and easy access to the global market through the world’s busiest airport. Here are five reasons soon-to-be college grads should be looking to Atlanta as you start your search for jobs.

• Film and Television production - With the headquarters of Turner Broadcasting (including CNN, Cartoon Network and Tyler Perry Studios) located in Atlanta, the city if a great and inexpensive place to get your foot in the door of the film and television industries.
• Arts Organizations - Atlanta is thought of as the “cultural capital” of the Southeast and according to the Creative Industries 2008 report by Americans for the Arts, our city as the highest number of arts businesses per capita, this is more than San Francisco, New York and L.A. just to name a few.
• Technology Companies - Opportunities in information technology, software and web development are plentiful in Atlanta.
• Healthcare - Emory University healthcare campuses, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Shepherd Center, Centers for Disease Control, the Arthritis Foundation and the American Cancer Society are some of the nationally known healthcare providers located here in Atlanta.
• National and international headquarters for nine Fortune 500 companies, including UPS, Home Depot and Coca-Cola.

For even more information on why you should consider the city of Atlanta when searching for your future employment opportunities, visit the ADA website.

Jennifer Wallace - Tax Associate

Your friends may be jealous - new industries and sophisticated technology is creating expanding opportunities for business, which all add up to better opportunities for CPAs. Better salaries aren’t the only attractive element to a career in accounting - career stability and steady upward growth are also available due to the ever increasing demand for CPAs.

The salaries page on StartHereGoPlaces.com gives you an idea of the average salaries for college graduates in both the public and private accounting industry. To view these salaries and even more information about the accounting world, visit their website.

Eric Fisher - Tax Senior

The Tampa Tribune published the following article by Dave Simanoff in their February 5, 2008 edition:

“Conventional wisdom said demand for accountants and auditors would have tapered off by now.

Well, conventional wisdom was wrong.

Staffing agencies such as Robert Half International, which specializes in pairing employers with accountants, say demand for talented, skilled professionals in the Tampa Bay area and around the country continues to rise, and salaries are growing.

The Wall Street Journal reports the Big Four accounting firms - PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young and KPMG - will hire as many or more interns in 2008 as they did in 2007, bucking the downsizing trend at other major employers.

Meanwhile, enrollment in the University of South Florida accounting program grows each year. And the industry is evolving rapidly, attracting new interest as it branches into such fields as information technology and forensics.”

Click here to finish reading the entire article to see why choosing a career in accounting is now better than ever!

Doug Kant - Audit Staff

It pays off to begin your job search early! According to an article on JobWeb.com, students who began job-hunting early and through their college career centers were rewarded for their efforts. The most successful students utilized their college career centers and were more active with speaking to potential employers.

On campus interviews are an excellent and convenient way to get ahead and gain experience with the interview process. Posting resumes on college career center websites and interacting with employers at career fairs are characteristics of the more successful students. Unsuccessful students relied heavily on job postings in the newspaper, websites, and company websites.

Colleges supply all the tools needed for students to become employed in their desired field. It’s up to the student to take action and begin planning for the future!

View the article from JobWeb here.

Ryan Barrow - Audit Staff

Have you ever felt like you were just another face in the crowd at a recruiting event? Ever wonder if there is anything that you can do to distinguish yourself from other students when meeting firms? Great news! There are a few things that you can do to make that lasting impression that you so strive for.

For starters, make sure that you are confident and SMILE! Approaching a firm representative with a smile and knowledge of the firm goes a long way in making that lasting impression. Be sure to be prepared with intriguing questions that adequately communicate your interest. Ask about the firm culture and the people. Ask about the firm’s work/life balance. It is important to realize that most people choose their employer based on the firm’s culture and people, so be sure to ask!

Finally, follow up with the people you meet at any firm function. This may be the most important thing that you can do to make a lasting impression. Just the other day, I received a handwritten thank you note from a student that I met at a career fair. This shows initiative and is a really good idea! At the same time, do not feel as if you must handwrite a thank you note, a simple email will do.

Follow these pointers at your next recruiting event, and make that lasting impression that you are looking for!

Anna Barnes - Audit Staff

PKM is the place to work if you really want a work environment where you can have fun with your coworkers and always feel like a vital member of the PKM team. PKM helps every new employee ease into the working world by assigning them a buddy. At our firm, we have buddy events and accountability teams that meet for after hour events like bowling, dinners, and more.

I started working full-time with PKM in January 2008. One of the first events I went to was with my accountability team to Agatha’s Dinner Theater just a few blocks from the office. Agatha’s is a place to eat delicious food while also putting on a show yourself! It is a comedy murder mystery theater where the audience performs the show. We had a great time as each member of our accountability team did their best to act out our parts in a play about campers who got lost in the woods.

My buddy also helped me ease into the work environment at PKM by answering all my questions about what was expected of me and she even took me for a much needed massage!

Erika Jackson - PKM Perspective Participant

The PKM Perspective program is a great way to get to know more about PKM and the public accounting industry. I cannot think of a better way to learn more about a firm. Everyone I met at PKM was very friendly and everyone I saw working there seemed to be happy. I have not done an internship yet, so this program gave me the chance to see what it is like to work at a public accounting firm.

One aspect about PKM that I think sets them apart from other firms is their belief in work life balance. A lot of firms will tell you that they believe in work life balance, but they do not explain how they try to help you have a healthy balance between work and life. At the PKM Perspective, they explained how they helped their employees balance work and life. For example, if an auditor lives far away from the Atlanta office, they will try and give them clients that are close to where they live so they do not have to spend a lot of time traveling.

PKM is a great company that puts their employees first. I feel that the perspective program gave me the opportunity to have a direct insight on what the company is all about.

John Payne - Audit Staff

Fall is just around the corner: fraternity parties, early morning tailgates and football Saturdays, but in the public accounting world it is recruiting season. Public accounting is a unique field regarding the hiring process. Rising juniors and seniors often live life aimlessly from weekend to weekend assuming that any major will guarantee them a position in the workforce. In reality, finding a secure, promising job after graduating is challenging. Accounting majors are blessed with the opportunity to weigh their career options before graduation. During the recruiting process not only do you learn about the public accounting firms, but you learn about yourself. Not many undergraduate students are given the chance to acquire an internship, especially one that results in a paycheck. My internship with PKM was rewarding in many ways. Along with the technical side of accounting, I learned how to adapt to the working lifestyle, manage time efficiently, and represent an organization. With that being said, I would strongly urge every accounting major to participate in an internship.

Five Tips to Remember for a Recruit

• Schedule as many interviews as possible, the more options the better.
• Ask the firm as many questions as they ask you. They should impress you as much as you impress them.
• Understand that no one expects you to be an accounting whiz; it is your eagerness to learn that should stand out.
• Don’t get stressed out, have fun with recruitment.
• Smile, be polite, and be yourself at all times.

Hopefully my five tips will help you throughout the recruiting process. There is a firm for everyone so have a stress free approach and keep an open mind. Being recruited is fun and also educational. Just remember it is not a life or death situation. You experience a public accounting job for a few months and get to go back to college and apply the knowledge you acquired, maybe even impress your professors with some accounting jargon. Sounds like a win-win situation to me.

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.- Coach Vince Lombardi

Colby Babb - PKM Perspective Participant

Before leaving for the PKM Perspective program, I was very nervous and anxious about the experience. I did not know anyone else who was attending. However, everyone was so polite and generous, and PKM’s employees are very knowledgeable and engaging. After seeing our agenda, I was surprised at the amount of information that we were planning to cover. I really did not think I would be able to retain everything so quickly.

However, PKM did an excellent job of presenting itself and the accounting profession. Not only did I retain what I learned about PKM, but also I’m so excited that I was able to build a relationship with such a great company. The greatest characteristic of PKM, in my opinion, is how they actively desire and do take care of their employees and clients.