Salman Hasan- Systems Associate

As a member of the Systems Group at PKM, we often have to travel to various places. And, learning how to travel well is a skill you can take with you for the rest of your life. Here are a few tips that I have learned that will help you get through the airport with ease!

1. Don’t waste time looking for parking. If you are traveling on a Sunday- there’s a good chance you may find a decent spot. If it’s a Monday, forget it. Go to the back of the lot and just walk.

2. If your trip is for a week, there is no reason you should have to check in bags. Stick to one color. You don’t need brown shoes and black shoes. Just pick one and roll with it.

3. You can save time by printing your boarding pass at home or by printing at one of the many kiosks located at the airport.

4. You can also save time by having your frequent flyer number memorized. Nothing is more irritating than a person holding up a kiosk line looking for a credit card…that person needs to read this blog entry!

5. Knowing how to get through the security line quickly can make or break your time. While in queue, use this time wisely. Begin to put all unnecessary items in either your laptop bag or your carry-on luggage. Know how many bins you need! You will need one for your laptop, one for the liquids you are carrying on and one for your shoes and coats. All shoes come off- even flip flops, it’s a rule. Don’t waste time by testing this rule. Men should look to invest in some slip on dress shoes. If you are wearing a belt, take it off, unless you know from prior experience that the belt will not make the metal detector go off. If you can consolidate your bins, do it! Keep in mind that you cannot have items on top of each other. Also keep your “liquid’s bag” in the front of your luggage, so that is easily accessible. Finally, organize the items as they go through security. This is critical- you want to get everything off the belt and back on you in the least amount of time. It helps to be focused.

Hopefully with the above tips, airport travel will be less stressful and much more efficient for yourself and others around you.

Anna Barnes- Audit Associate

After working for PKM for only five months, I got engaged and found out that I would be moving from Atlanta to Macon, GA. I was a little timid about moving, because I did not want to lose my job or lose the clients I had already formed great relationships with. However, after talking to some of the partners, they assured me they would make it work.

I was nervous to change all of my clients after the relationships I had with my original clients had started to grow. One of the partners here came to me and said, “You’ll thank me one day, because I am going to put you on the Middle-Georgia jobs so you can see your husband.” While I was a little apprehensive at first, I do thank him now. I love the clients I work with in Middle-Georgia, and it is great seeing my family as much as possible. The partners and scheduling team at PKM worked really hard to change my schedule around and allow for the move. It is a continuous effort to schedule all PKM employees near their homes.

I have one client that was especially picked out for me, in South Georgia near my parent’s home. It is an internal audit, so I spend about four weeks of the spring and summer months in Fitzgerald, GA, where I grew up. I usually have great meals at night, and see all my grandparents while I am working. Last spring, I got to spend some very precious time with my grandfather before he passed away in late May. It really made me appreciate PKM and the thought process that goes into the scheduling here

Ben Brackmann- Audit Associate

As we are now in the middle of “busy season,” the amount of hours worked, and the need to prioritize to-do’s becomes very important. As the first real rush to get audits out the door is upon us, it makes sense to have a good system in place to ensure that nothing slips through the cracks. A few good organizational tips to help manage the stress and rigors of busy season are:

• Make a master to-do list: Put overall projects and goals down on paper, with details and due-dates to make sure you know when and where things have to get done

• Use a calendar: Sure, it may take more time up-front, but if you mark all due date for work and personal events down in one place, you’ll get a great picture of how things are stacking up (and how to balance everything that’s going on this time of year)

• Make a habit of staying current: Update your lists and schedule to ensure that you stay current with all of your to-do’s

With that said, putting these tips to good use will make sure that “busy season” is a little less stressful, and that you get a lot more done -and on time too!

Jenna Green-Systems Associate

We all know that passing the CPA exam is a huge milestone in the life of an accountant and that the commitment involved in passing the exam can be overwhelming at times. I know that before the exam, you need all the advice you can get so I thought I would share some of the tips I have learned along the way.

First, begin studying for the exam as soon as you can, especially while you are still in college. I know you hear this from everyone but it is absolutely true!! You may be busy studying in school but as you begin working full-time it only becomes harder to sacrifice social events with co-workers during the week and time with family and friends on the weekends. Getting a head start will take you a long way!

Second, make a commitment to go over the Becker reading material at least once and to complete all of the Becker study questions. If you successfully complete the Becker study questions and mark those questions that you did not get right the first time around to practice the second time around you are right on track to passing the exam. This seems like it is an easy feat, however, many times the reason people do not pass parts of the exam is because they do not complete all of the study questions at least once beforehand.

Third, do not get discouraged if you are unable to pass parts of the CPA exam on the first try. This can be a very difficult task and it is important to stay positive and focused on the end-result to ultimately accomplish your goal.

Fourth, reward yourself for your achievements! Each time you pass a portion of the exam give yourself at least a week off to enjoy yourself and have time with friends and family without the stress of the exam weighing on you! Just remember, the sooner you pass the exam the more relieved you will be and you will be on your way to a successful career as a CPA.

Carrie Connell- Audit Senior

Last week I was at a Super Bowl party and as I was taking the last bite of my hot dog, my friend asked me the same question that I am constantly asked every year between January 1st and April 15th…. “Oh! Since you’re a CPA, can you do my taxes?” My next response was, “well, will you still fill out the 1040EZ? If the answer is yes, then of course I can. If the answer is no, then I suggest you find a tax accountant, as I have been auditing financial statements for over five years and still feel like I am missing something when I fill out my own 1040EZ.” I definitely enjoy being in the audit department at PKM; however, there are many that are on the fence about which department they want to join—audit or tax. Then there are others that may just want to dabble in another department in order to better understand “the other side.” A wonderful aspect to PKM is that they understand this and at times allow rotations from the audit department to the tax department and even from the audit department to the information systems department. By taking advantage of these rotations more of us auditors may one day be able to say, “as a matter of fact, yes, I can do your taxes!”

Heather Bodner- Systems Manager

As a manager at PKM one of my responsibilities is recruiting. I have the pleasure of attending lots of different recruiting events at various universities. One of the most important things I take away from recruiting events is an impression of all the students that I have met. As you have probably heard many times, “you never get a second chance to make a first impression,” so it’s important to make your first one great! Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts to consider when at career fairs.

• Dress like a professional - Miniskirts or bright red four-inch heels may look great for going out to a party but they are probably not the best choice when meeting with potential employers. When in doubt, always learn toward the more conservative side.

• Handshakes - Remember you’re shaking hands, not arm wrestling. Try not to do any excessive shaking and don’t crush the recruiter’s hand. A firm, brief handshake will do.

• Grooming - Besides dressing like a professional, remember to focus on your personal grooming, such as well groomed hair, conservative makeup and no unusual piercings. Believe it or not, although accountants can be a bit a crazy at times, an eyebrow, nose and/or chin rings are not very common and may give potential employers second thoughts about how you might fit in with their firm and more importantly be perceived by their clients.

• Prepare an introduction - Introduce yourself! Its sounds simple enough but you would be surprised by how many times we have to ask recruits their name, their year in the accounting program, and what type of employment they’re looking for. Come ready to talk about yourself!

• Be ready to ask questions - Don’t let the recruiters do all the talking. Do your homework and after introducing yourself be prepared to ask a few simple questions about the firm or the recruiters you’re talking to. We’ll be impressed!

Keep these tips in mind and hopefully your first impression will be a lasting one—in a good way!