Debbie Sessions - Partner & Chief Operating Officer

A recent article written by Peter Vajda, a founding partner of SpiritHeart, discusses an issue Americans and a lot of the world are now facing with all the advancements in technology. Vajda states, “The reality is within this electronic, ‘transactional’ world, what is happening is that more and more folks may be ‘connecting”; however, fewer and fewer folks are ‘relating.’” With all the new technologies we live in a much more interconnected world, but the technology is also causing us to live in a much less “interrelated” world.

This is not only occurring in the business world, but also in people’s personal lives. Between email, iPhones, Blackberrys, LinkedIn, MySpace and many more, we are losing the “relationship” and simply “connecting.” This type of new relationship lacks an emotional connection and a deeper sense of commitment and intimacy.

Vajda goes on to state, “Healthy, conscious relationships that exude openness and trust can only be cultivated when and where all parties experience an ‘emotional safe zone’. As relationships are replaced by ‘electronic’ interactions and transactions, emotional connection, the ‘human factor’…erodes.”

Here are some self-reflection questions to ask yourself:

• What is your preferred mode of communicating? In person or by electronic device (even when in-person is very do-able)?
• How would you describe the nature of your relationships at work, at home and in friendships: connecting or relating? What would others say about how you relate?
• Are you usually physically available when folks need you? Emotionally available?
• How often do you have face-to-face conversations with each other as opposed to snippets sitting side by side while watching TV, or reading the paper or some business document, etc.?
• When you and your family sit down for meals, is the cell phone also a required utensil?

To read more on this topic view the entire article here, “Connecting vs. Relating - Wall Street is But a Symptom.”

Peter G. Vajda, Ph.D, C.P.C. is a founding partner of SpiritHeart, an Atlanta-based company that supports conscious living through coaching, counseling and facilitating. With a practice based on the dynamic intersection of mind, body, emotion and spirit, Peter’s approach focuses on personal, business, relational and spiritual coaching.

Tim Messman - Audit Principal

I recently attended a business development and marketing seminar in Chicago sponsored by PKF North American Network, the accounting firm association that PKM is a member of. The seminar was attended by marketing and business developers from accounting firms around the U.S. and Canada. The key speaker was Sam Allred, a noted expert in professional service firm business development. Sam spoke on various topics related to business development, but a couple really hit home for me.

First Sam spoke about how most of us do a number of tasks at an average level of effort. What if we focused on fewer tasks at a higher level of effort? We would likely achieve greater results from those activities, because they become a focus that we pour our heart and soul into, rather than just churning out effort because it is something we have always done or we think we need to do. This, of course, is easy to talk about in theory, but more challenging to implement. It takes a lot of planning and analyzing of the various tasks that are of interest to you and the ones that will be most beneficial. If you have passion for something, you are much more likely to exert a high level of effort. This means we also have to learn to ignore, or set aside, tasks that will not be focused on at the present time. This makes sense in business development, but also in life. We are all often weighed down by numerous activities that are done at a mediocre level with little results. We are just going through the motions! If we really focus on a few of those, we have a much better chance of success.

Second, Sam spoke about the benefits of a niche practice. Fortunately, at PKM, we have always been niche focused and I could relate to this discussion. There are numerous benefits including, providing a focus for the firm, being a recognized expert in the industry, staff members quickly learning from the repetition and as a result can progress more quickly in their career. Due to the success we have seen in our existing niches, we have expanded our niche focus to several other industries that we have serviced. It is exciting to see the firm growing by having a niche practice!

Jenny Price - Audit Manager

According to Brian Tracy of Brian Tracy International, the most common form of stress that people experience is the feeling of being overwhelmed with far too much to do and having too little time to do it in. Would you agree?

“Time poverty” is the largest single problem facing most professionals in America today and that is probably true for most college students as well. Between classes, studying, group meetings, creating resumes, looking for jobs and even working your current job having skills in time management are going to be key in your success.

In Brian Tracy’s article, “Too Much to Do, Too Little Time” he lists the keys to time management. Tracy states, “The two indispensable keys to time management are: 1) the ability to set priorities; and 2) the ability to concentrate single-mindedly on one thing at a time.” Setting priorities is the way to make sure the items you must get done, will actually get done.

Ask yourself the question, “What is the most valuable use of my time right now?” This will help you stay on track because the natural tendency is for us to clear up the small things first rather than focusing on the important items.

Time management takes a lot of self-discipline, but when done right you’ll see your stress levels continue to fall!

Mike Morris - Systems Principal

The interview process is changing - the days of mailing your resume a few dozen places, waiting for the call for an interview, then impressing someone enough to obtain a job offer are over. Employers are now adding additional elements to the interview process. The shrinking workforce to choose from and the high cost of recruiting are causing employers to take measures to make sure their potential new hires will stick around.

An increasing number of companies are using behavior, personality and skill assessments in their hiring process to help secure employees that will fit with the company. The cost of replacing an employee is much more than the cost of assessing potential hires. This is attractive to companies because they can use the assessments to hire employees that will fit with the company and decrease turnover.

If you find yourself interviewing for a job and they want you to take an assessment of some sort, here are some tips to help you through the process.

• Plan accordingly - find out ahead of time how long the assessment is expected to take and know where you’ll be taking it.
• Take it seriously - your attitude and cooperation will tell a lot about you. Show up on time and dress professionally.
• Prepare ahead of time - familiarize yourself with some of the more common assessments, some of which allow you to take practice tests.

For more on this topic, read the article “Beyond the Job Interview: Personality and Skills Assessments” from ResumeEdge.com.

Cathy Schaffer - Tax Senior

Despite recent increases in the unemployment rate, there are still several industries that are seeing continued growth and the accounting industry is one of them. According to Yahoo! HotJobs the industries with the greatest number of job openings are healthcare, retail, sales, technology and accounting & finance. Another encouraging sign is that of the top locations for those seeking new positions, the city of Atlanta is high on the list!

The job market however will always be competitive, so here are a few tips on how to stand out from the crowd.

• Update and upload your resume
• Research potential employers
• Prepare for interviews
• Keep networking

For more on these tips, visit the Yahoo! HotJobs 100 website.

Ben Brackmann - Audit Staff

Debbie Sessions, PKM partner and COO, was quoted in an article that mentioned the firm in Catalyst Magazine’s September 2008 issue. The article titled, “Do Happy Employees Equal a Better Bottom Line?” talks about PKM and how our firm promotes the psychological health of our employees as a top priority.

The article states, “Consider Porter Keadle Moore, an accounting firm that promotes the psychological health of its employees as a top priority. The company mandates vacations before heavy tax seasons and has early release Fridays in the summer. Employees are encouraged to put their families first and are offered part time, flex time and work from home options to do so. Employees are mentored, given opportunities for professional development in and out of the office, and follow a Career Track Planning Guide.”

To read the entire article written by Collette McKenna Parker, click here.

Chris Bowler - Systems Manager

The easiest question you’ll be asked in an interview with a potential employer will be, “Do you have any questions for me?” Always say yes! This will show them that you are interested in the job and allow you the chance to show how knowledgeable you are about the position and the industry.

Choose your questions carefully depending on who is doing the interviewing. A question that is appropriate for a future coworker may be inappropriate to ask an executive. An article by Erin Hovanec on Yahoo! HotJobs shares questions suitable for every type of interviewer you will encounter.

The Recruiter - The “Big Picture” person

• How would you describe the company culture?
• What types of employees tend to excel at this company?
• Can you tell me more about the interview process?

The Hiring Manager - Your future boss

• What are the most important skills for the job?
• How would you describe your ideal candidate?
• What’s a common career path at the company for someone in this role?

The Executive - The industry expert

• How do you think this industry will change in the next five years?
• What do you think gives this company an edge over its competitors?
• What’s the company’s biggest challenge? How is it planning to meet that challenge?

The Coworker - The “Straight-Talker”

• What’s a typical day like in the department?
• How would you describe the work environment at the company?
• What’s the most enjoyable part of your job? What’s the most challenging part?

There is however some questions you should never ask too early on in the interview process - no matter whom you are meeting with. Don’t ask about salary, 401(k), vacation or anything else that may make you seem that you are more interested in the compensation than the company.

Read the entire article, “It’s Your Turn: What to Ask an Interviewer.”

Carrie Connell - Audit Senior

You’re always hearing about what to make sure you include in your resume, but I have a website for you that will tell you exactly what NOT to include in your resume. Resumania is a term and website created by Robert Half, founder of Robert Half International. The term is used to “describe errors made by job seekers on resumes, applications and cover letters.”

Resumania was first published in the RHI company newsletter way back in 1996 and it was encouraged to readers to submit items they came across. Over time a steady flow of blunders came in from around the United States and its popularity continues to grow. They website may be funny and give you a bunch of laughs, but its purpose if to emphasize the importance of professionalism in resume preparation.

Some things to avoid in resume writing: personal information, attempts at humor, misusing or omitting words, extraneous or inappropriate information and awkward phrasing.

Visit Resumania to find out what mistakes people are making in their resume writing and check out the Top 10 Questions Frequently Asked by Job Hunters.

Jamie Hood - Audit Manager

You’ve gone to school for the past however many years gaining your knowledge and building your skills in accounting. The question is, what’s the next most important item in you’ll need in your career tool belt? A recent survey, conducted by Robert Half International, of 1,400 CFOs found that the answer to that question is technology. Paul McDonald, executive director of Robert Half Management Resources stated, “Take this survey as a wake-up call to get well-versed in enterprise architecture planning (EAP), Excel, Access and Report Writer.”

For most recent college graduates, you are already experienced with Excel and Access. Make sure you highlight this in your resume. One way to make sure you stand out is to include your technological experience in your functional statement instead of just listing all the systems you know at the bottom of the document. For more information and tips on this topic, check out this article from JobsintheMoney.

Candice Gaston - Audit Senior

Your profile information tells of the high school where you graduated, the college you currently attend, your ever changing relationship status…and how hammered you were this weekend. All of your friends post messages on your wall and paste pictures of your “extra-curricular” activities - so what does this have to do with your future employer? A great deal according to the New York Times article, “For Some, Online Persona Undermines a Résumé.”

Companies are utilizing these social networking sites to find out more information regarding the students they recruit. Sometimes, what employers find will cause them to completely forget the outstanding 4.0 and the “president-of-every-club” potential employee. No matter how glowing the résumé, information on your Facebook and MySpace pages can wreck your potential internship and/or full-time position.

Within the article and according to the Patricia Rose, the director of career Services at the University of Pennsylvania, companies even ask college students working as interns to perform their online background checks. One recruiter, while performing her own online review of a promising job applicant, found explicit photographs and commentary about the student’s “drinking and pot smoking” escapades, including “testimonials from friends.” Among the pictures, she found photos of the formerly-known as “promising job applicant” passed out after drinking. Needless to say, the potential job for this promising job applicant was given to another student - probably one with cleaner Facebook or MySpace pages!

Easy lessons: review your social networking pages to ensure whatever content you have posted is something you would feel comfortable showing to a future employer! Take down the unprofessional commentaries from your friends, delete the pictures you don’t remember taking because you were in a different state of mind, and land the job of your dreams!

Don’t let your online social page outweigh your glowing résumé in the mind of your potential future employers!

Scott Jones - Audit Staff

If you took a poll of all current PKM employees, I believe that the general consensus would be that the earlier you take the CPA Exam the better. Ideally, it’s best to take and pass the exam before starting work. There are several reasons for this. First, all of the information on the exam that you learned in college will still be fresh on your mind. This gives you a better chance of passing and also, you would hate to have to go back and relearn everything from a class you took several years ago. Second, you will still have strong study and test taking skills from all those years of college. These skills fade over time if they’re not used regularly. And finally, it’s difficult to find a sufficient amount of free time to study for the CPA Exam while working a full-time public accounting job. The last thing you want to do at the end of a long day of work is study.

In order to pass the CPA Exam before starting work, it’s important to set up a realistic exam schedule, always allowing yourself plenty of time to study and prepare for the next section. If you’re motivated enough, it’s good to get a head start on the exam while in grad school. Many of my friends completed the exam before graduating with their Master’s degrees. Be sure to plan ahead, though. Scheduling for the CPA Exam for the first time takes six to eight weeks to process.

I would also like to mention the great benefits that PKM provides regarding the CPA Exam. PKM will reimburse you for study materials and will also pay for exam fees after you pass the exam. They also throw in a nice incentive bonus for passing the CPA Exam before starting work. Really, there’s no excuse for not at least attempting each section of the exam prior to starting work. So plan ahead and start studying for the exam as soon as possible. Get it out of the way before you start work so you won’t ever have to worry about it again. I promise you, you won’t regret it. Good luck!

Sara Cox - PKM Perspective Participant

I was very impressed by the so well planned PKM Perspective Program. It offered me an opportunity to speak to PKM employees at different levels of their careers, as well as learn more about the firm and the strong, friendly culture, which PKM has created. The program was very well balanced with informative sessions as well as time to have fun and get to know new people.

I am very happy that I got the chance to attend this program to understand PKM’s practice, culture and clients. Every part of the program truly was fantastic.

Laura Snyder - Director of Marketing

Career success is the result of a combination of many of different factors. Alone, each of these factors will do little to help you along your career path; however, when combined, your effort, attitude and desire can make the difference in achieving career success.

Leading accounting firm consultant, Sam Allred, believes that effort, attitude and desire are three key factors in his firm’s success. Here are some brief tips on how you can use these three factors to make your career a success.

• Desire can be defined as something you wish for, long for or crave. From a career perspective, if you choose a job that focuses on things you really want to do, then you are setting the stage for success.
• Your attitude also plays a large role. Thinking positively and believing you will succeed, as well as treating others with a positive attitude and surrounding yourself with other positive thinkers, are important in helping you achieve the success.
• Finally, you must put forth the effort. Desire and attitude are important, but without effort you are destined for failure.

To achieve career success, remember to put forth the effort (work hard), have a positive attitude (embrace change and career long learning) and work in a profession you desire (love what you do and know that what you do also helps your clients succeed).

Debbie Sessions - Partner and Chief Operating Officer

PKM has won its fourth annual Practice Innovation Award from Practical Accountant magazine. This is the ninth year the magazine has recognized firms that take a lead in developing new or improved services and in promoting efficiency in the practice of public accounting. Thirty-two firms were recognized this year in the categories of staffing initiatives, focus on business development, enhanced firm culture & operations and technology tools.

PKM was recognized in the staffing initiatives category. Here’s a snippet of what Practical Accountant had to say.

“PKM has done a lot to ensure that it remains a ‘Psychologically Healthy Workplace,’ for which it recently garnered an award from the American Psychological Association and the Georgia Psychological Association. Their efforts have kept turnover well below the national average and kept the results of employee-satisfaction surveys glowing.

PKM has implemented a number of steps to make sure that their being ‘psychologically fit’ isn’t a one-off. Employees are surveyed for anonymous feedback on how the organization can be improved, and the results are shared with employees along with specific initiatives that will be developed to address improvement areas. The firm promotes work/life balance with remote/home office technology to help in teleworking, as well as flexible schedules, and part-time employment, and the firm prepares staff for stressful periods by mandating pre-busy season vacations and early-release summer Fridays.”

To see what else the magazine had to say about PKM, read the entire article here.