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.

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.

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!

Kelly Newman - Tax Staff

To be successful in any career there are certain skills and talents that people should possess and this is no different in the world of accounting. Have you often wondered if you have what it takes to be successful in a career in accounting? We have the answer for you! Careers-In-Accounting.com has a page dedicated solely to the skills and talents required to be successful in your accounting career. Let’s take a look.

Accounting is very team-oriented and it is crucial that you enjoy working as a part of a team. This means you should take advantage of those group projects in school and learn all you can from them!

Keeping up with current advances in technology is also key to your success in accounting. Many firms are implementing new electronic systems for submitting and preparing financial statements as well as day-to-day office operations.

Networking skills are also very important to a career in accounting, it is important to have a good network of business contacts in consulting as you progress. Business development will become part of your job and a great way to start is to stay in touch with your classmates, as they may become your future clients!

Now that you have a general idea, for more information on skills required visit their website.

Julie Stevenson - Audit Manager

Good news! According to the 2008 Salary Guide from Robert Half International, starting salaries for accounting and finance professionals are expected to increase on an average of 4.3 percent in the coming year. Among those projected to see the largest gains are public and general accountants. Steady hiring is also expected to continue in public accounting firms as most are on the hunt to increase their staff due to the increase of service offerings.

Those with one to three years of experience are also greatly sought after as firms look to address “rising workloads and hire their next generation of leaders.” According to the guide, at small firms, professionals in this one to three year experience stage can expect an almost eight percent increase in average starting salaries. Remember, those with CPA credentials earned ten percent more on average as well!

Note: It’s important to remember such factors as location, experience, education level, professional designations, and the size of the firm are taken into account when determining salaries.

For actual salary ranges and more information on a career in accounting, visit The American Institute of Certified Public Accounts webpage.

Jayce Simpson - Audit Intern

Over the years, Monster.com has received thousands of questions related to careers in accounting. They thought it would be beneficial to answer the most commonly posted questions all in one place for our convenience. Here are some of those questions you’ve been burning to know the answers to…

Can I advance in accounting without a CPA or CMA designation? While employers tend to prefer a CPA to non-CPA candidate, plenty of accountants work without one. Those with a CPA tend to receive higher salaries as well. The average salary for an accountant with either certification is $102,400 versus $80,700 for those without a CPA or CMA.

What jobs can I get with an accounting degree, but no experience? In public accounting, entry-level positions include that of a staff accountant or junior auditor. Before you graduate, you should be able to find work as an accounting assistant or accounting clerk. When you reach your junior year, you should have no trouble finding a summer internship.

How hard is the CPA exam? Very hard, so hard that fewer than half of those taking the test in the first quarter of 2007 passed any section. Don’t let this discourage you - there are plenty of study options available.

What do I have to do to become a CPA? First, you will need to choose where you want to practice. Each state sets its own rules for CPAs. Most require 150 hours of education and at least a year of accounting experience. They differ on whether that experience has to be public accounting or gained under the supervision of a CPA. They also differ on how long you must work before you are eligible to be licensed.

For more questions and answers view the entire article.

Nicole Knox - Tax Intern

As discussed in a September 2007 article in Business Week, a career in accounting has greatly increased in popularity for new college grads. Accounting firms dominated their second annual ranking of the best companies for new college graduates.

Accountants have typically been stereotyped as “bean counters”, but all that changed this year. The article gives credit for this increase to massive demand and the “mad scramble” to recruit the best and the brightest of the new generation.

The number of students graduating from college with a degree in accounting has risen approximately 29% in recent years, but how are these companies going about the recruiting process? The new generation of college grads have different expectations about their careers and companies will have to take this into consideration.

Some firms, like PKM are researching the use of social networking sites such as Facebook and others are showing their more hip side by creating rap videos and sitcoms. Some have also created more incentives such as more vacation time and four-day weekends several times during the summer.

View the entire article here.

Laura Snyder - Director of Marketing

Accounting marketing veteran, Jean Caragher, wrote an article recently about “implementation.” I was drawn into the article because of its US Open tennis hook (both Jean and I are big tennis fans!), but continued reading because she is dead on about the importance of implementation. What differentiates great firms from mediocer firms is the ability to implment. Having an innovative idea is just one step in the process. Without the abilty to implement the idea, it is nothing more than an idea. Among other things, Jean encourages firms to implement by:

1. Holding each other accountable.
2. Rewarding efforts and results.
3. Providing training to raise the confidence level of your team.
4. Making the commitment to not be average.

So, in Jean’s words (taken from IBM’s new ad campgaign), “Stop talking. Start doing.”

Phil Moore - Managing Partner

Today, I read a blog posting called “Dysfunctionality and the Winning Ad Agency Team” written by Bart Cleveland, partner and creative director at McKee Wallwork Cleveland, a small advertising agency in New Mexico. What could Bart and I possibly have in common? After all, Bart and his coworkers live in a right-brained world of words and visuals; I head an accounting firm that lives and breathes number and facts. Despite our stereotypical differences, if you look beyond the obvious, just a little bit deeper, many aspects of our firms seem quite similar.

Reading Bart’s blog about the “buzz” in his office gave me a feeling of warmth, similar to the feeling I often get in my own office, as PKM comes to life each morning. Since I’m an early riser, my hours of quiet transform, later in the morning, into a hubbub of activities as people get reacquainted and ready to begin their days. This activity, this coming to life, is palpable and so invigorating. Even after all these years, I’m amazed and proud of the PKM relationships, formed over hallway conversations and cups of coffee, through which our employees transition from coworkers into friends.

Bart also talks about winning teams, which I too feel we have at PKM. With dozens of unique personalities and skill sets blending into a single functional unit we are ready to tackle whatever the world has in store for us. Both firms have “a clear single-minded goal” to provide an exceptional service to clients through an atmosphere filled with the “sound of laughter of a winning team.”

Like Bart, PKM employees are “selected for more than their technical skill.” “Personality is as important as technical acumen.” In an earlier blog, posted on September 11, 2006, I talk about this as a key component of the PKM culture. I couldn’t have written it better myself! To me, Bart’s blog also describes PKM in a nutshell.

Terry Ammons - Partner

As an accounting graduate (or soon to be) considering employment with a public accounting firm, what type of work can you expect to perform throughout your career? While traditional accounting services (audit/assurance and tax compliance and consulting) still lead the way, the following outsourced services are quickly growing in response to today’s business environment:

Fraud/Forensic Accounting - with accounting scandals still making the headlines and fresh in the minds of business executives and corporate boards, the prevention, detection and investigation of financial fraud is in high demand.

International Business - as the trend toward a truly global economy continues with multinational organizations importing and exporting goods and services between the U.S. and countries around the world, there is an increased demand for knowledge and a melding of international accounting standards.

Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 Consulting - corporate governance has opened up a new world of opportunity in the area of documentation and testing of internal controls over financial reporting.

Management Consulting - as executives get busier and busier and face increased pressure to differentiate their organizations, many look to external sources for assistance with financial planning, operational and strategic planning, and mergers and acquisitions planning and due diligence.

Technology - accounting and technology make a great combination as organizations seek help from business consultants on their IT hardware and software solutions and keeping them secure.

Whatever you may face working in public accounting, I can assure you, it won’t be boring!

Arvil Stanford - Audit Principal

Ethics play a major role in the accounting profession. They are the basic principles of good conduct that help people decide whether an action or decision is morally right or wrong. Ethical behavior in business not only defines an organization’s image, but also protects its financial “bottom line,” helps it avoid scandal, and prevents it from facing governmental intervention in the form of fines, penalties and, in extreme cases, imprisonment.

When thinking about ethics, it is important to remember that just because something is legal, it isn’t necessarily ethical. Laws outline minimum society standards, but do not address ethical behavior. Individuals need to be ethically responsible and think beyond the law and consider how the consequences of actions affect themselves as well as the well-being of others.

Within the CPA profession, practitioners agree to abide by rules that were established more than 100 years ago and that are governed by state regulatory bodies. There are three characteristics of ethical behavior:

1. Independence - Is the decision free from conflict of interest or control of others?

2. Objectivity - Is the decision based on verifiable facts and uninfluenced by emotions or personal prejudice?

3. Integrity - Does the decision adhere to the profession’s code of conduct?

A CPA must be independent, objective and act with the highest degree of integrity. Violation of any of these three characteristics deems the action unethical. For more information about ethics visit the AICPA website.

Debbie Sessions - Partner and Chief Operating Officer

In a recent post, “It’s a Good Time to Be an Accounting Major” I discussed the fact that graduates with degrees in Accounting make more money than many of their peers. What I didn’t mention at the time, is that according to jobsinthemoney.com, accounting professionals are also more likely to receive raises, thus further widening the financial gap. In the article entitled “Accounting, Financial Workers Happier Than Most” it states that because of this, more accounting professionals are very satisfied with their compensation and jobs. About 34% of the financial workers surveyed described themselves as being very happy with their compensation, compared to 28% of the survey respondents overall. About 78% were either very or somewhat satisfied with their jobs, compared to 72% of all respondents.

Laura Snyder — Director of Marketing

In the July issue of the Journal of Accountancy, James Metzler discusses “The Small Firm Advantage.” Having only worked for one firm — a small firm, I can’t personally speak to the differences between large and small firms, but I can say unequivocally that I will never work for any CPA firm other than PKM. Personally, I can’t imagine any other firm being able to live up to the expectations created by my experience at PKM.

How did PKM achieve such high expectations? The small firm advantage! According to Metzler, small firms have flexibility, creativity and culture on their side — all of which are not only present at PKM but also consciously and continuously monitored and improved. Firm management is fully aware of its advantages and works diligently to raise the bar.

To work at PKM, you truly need to be special. The firm focuses on recruiting only those individuals that blend into our unique culture. This is important because with only 65 employees, personalities play vital roles in our intimate team-based environment. Once individuals join the firm, they are recognized and rewarded for their contributions. With so few employees, it is much easier for management to be flexible and creative and individualize its reward program and thank employees in ways that have special meaning to each individual.

I’m not suggesting that small firms are better than big firms. Big firms have their own distinct advantages. You need to decide which set of advantages is right for you. Do you want to be one of many in a large organization, or a recognized individual in a small organization whose flexibility, creativity and culture are key ingredients to the firm’s success? The choice is yours and should be based on what you want to get out of your work experience.

Debbie Sessions- Partner

In a world where many college students find themselves wondering, “Will I be able to find a job when I graduate?” it is a good time to be an accounting major! A career in public accounting not only exposes you to the detailed inner workings of a variety of different organizations, but also pays better than most other professions.

It is no wonder that according to CNNmoney.com, accounting degrees are the fifth most lucrative of all professions. CPAs are among the most sought after professionals in the market, and, for good reason. As a CPA you have an impact on the businesses that drive our economy. Your observations, your ideas, and your affirmations make a difference.

And, because you work for a multitude of different clients throughout the year, every day brings something new. What better career than public accounting where the work is exciting and you get paid better than many of your classmates while performing rewarding, valuable work.