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.
No, I Can't Fix Your Computer
Jim Rumph- Systems Senior
As I am a Systems Auditor, or IT Auditor, some people sometimes ask me various technical questions such as help with Excel or how to make a computer run faster. And, while I may know the answer to it, I try to explain that that is not exactly in my job description. One of my first points to make is that we are still auditors, in that we spend a lot of time examining processes, not looking at bits and bytes.
Since virtually all companies use a computer system for some purpose, a Systems Auditor examines what information systems companies are using to achieve their business objectives, such as producing financials or providing a service. Next, we assist them in determining if they are adequately maintaining the systems, since information systems are only as good and accurate as the people programming, configuring and using them. We then help management ensure that processes are in effect so that can have confidence in their systems.
This process is evident in many of our projects including SAS70 engagements (where we provide an opinion of control effectiveness for a service provider) and SOX 404 work (testing internal controls as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act). Also, a good thing about these types of engagements is that we can do it for all types of companies, since everybody has information systems, so we get a good opportunity to learn how different industries work!
In short, as technology advances, more and more companies have begun to rely on it and must make sure that they have proper controls in place—this is where we come into play. So, next time you get a virus, “No, I can’t necessarily fix your computer.”
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