Developing Plan
Planning for career development puts you in control of your professional life and gives you a better chance to match aptitude, interest, and finances with goals. We each have different personality traits, work habits, and timetables for what we hope to accomplish. In this book, we have explored the accounting field. We looked at public accounting practice, management accounting, governmental and institutional accounting, and accounting education. It is hoped that planning and achieving your career goals will be easier now that you have-gained some additional insight into the various fields of accounting. You have really taken the first important step toward success in professional ac-counting. Now it is important to carry your thinking forward and build a clear definition of each of the skills required and set a reasonable path to follow to acquire those skills.
Understanding the Field
A few simple rules can be helpful in maximizing your career development potential. First, be sure you understand the field of accounting. Continue to examine the various positions within the field and the training required. Talk with professionals employed in those positions. Don't miss an opportunity to hear professionals speaking about what their jobs involve. Often state CPA societies and other professional organizations sponsor career days and conferences for students. Look for these opportunities. Sometimes you can identify a trade show on computers or business topics that is open to the public or accessible for a token fee. Meeting business professionals and staying close to the state-of-the-art technology that accountants are regularly exposed to in their work will keep you in step with the times. Make these opportunities happen.
Establishing Goals
Second, establish your goals. Make them realistic and talk with others about them. Be specific so there is something definite to shoot for. There's always time to change the game plan slightly as your interests or ambitions change. Stay abreast of where you are in your career plan. Be mindful that our society is in the midst of another major explosion in technology that will have major implications for the gathering of information and how it will be used. The first computers seem archaic by today's standards, but they came on the scene only a short time ago. Don't make the mistake of following your game plan so closely that you get left in the Dark Ages! Set your plan of action in motion and review your educational and training progress on a regular basis. If you accept and understand that a professional accountant simply needs more than technical skills to reach the top rungs of the profession, your career planning efforts will be rewarded. Career planning requires imagination, perception, and sensitivity to other people. Plan now and you are well on your way to achieving your goals.
Strangely enough, increased employment opportunities have not made it easier for college graduates to make job decisions. When they must make a choice and they have several offers from which to choose, many graduating accountants begin to analyze their futures more carefully. They are not interested in just any jobs. They want career jobs- jobs offering challenge, advancement, opportunities, and a feeling of accomplishment. Unfortunately, many college seniors have no better than a vague idea concerning the nature of the work, duties, responsibilities, and demands that are inherent in different accounting positions. Even with such knowledge, selecting the right job is not easy; but the decision is an important one. Getting started in the wrong field or in the wrong job during the early development period usually results in a waste of precious time during which valuable experience could have been gained.
College students realize this but seldom do anything about it prior to the time campus interviews commence. Then, during the months preceding graduation, when time is at a premium, they spend many hours having interviews on campus, indiscriminately, with representatives from public accounting firms and companies engaged in widely different enterprises, trying to determine what kinds of positions are open to them and which ones offer the best opportunities. Students could save a great deal of time and be more effective during college interviews if they looked into these things prior to their last year in college and decided upon, at least, their general areas of interest.
Organizations are not all alike, and accountants seeking positions with them should give serious study to the question of which ones are best suited to their interests and capabilities. If you are enrolled in a college accounting program, you should seek out information and advice from counselors and teachers regarding the differences among industries, government agencies, and accounting firms-what they offer and what they expect of newcomers to their staffs.
Another good way to learn more about the profession is to obtain some practical experience in both public and private accounting through summer and part-time employment during school. More of these jobs are available than in the past, but applications for jobs should be made well in advance of the desired starting date.
The opinions of several persons engaged in accounting work also are valuable. You should interview more than one person because the opinion of one may be biased. Talk with former students who accepted positions both in public and private accounting and remained in it, those who voluntarily switched from public accounting to the business field, and experienced accountants who started in the business field and continued in it.
Students having no personal connections through which interviews for this purpose can be arranged will find that a few letters addressed to personnel directors of public accounting firms and corporations explaining why an interview is requested will generally produce favorable responses. Accounting professors and college placement directors have many business connections and are able to direct students to persons who can be of help.
Through these interviews or summer and part-time experience, students can gain a clearer conception of where their interest lies, thus enabling them to select more intelligently the firms and companies they wish to interview on campus.
COLLEGE PLACEMENT DEPARTMENTS
The primary purpose of college placement departments is to assist graduating students in obtaining positions, but their services extend beyond that, and students should not wait until their senior year to find out about them. Placement directors are often able to suggest summer employment possibilities and offer assistance in career decisions, including suggestions concerning subjects that should be taken to meet requirements for positions in which a student expresses interest.
Each year, companies send representatives to college campuses, especially those with the most prestigious accounting departments, to interview seniors seeking employment after graduation. The placement director and the staff of the department are responsible for arranging interviews. Recruiters usually bring with them literature describing their company's policies for hiring, promotion, and other information about the firm, company, or government agency. College placement departments have a supply of these brochures available for students desiring to learn about companies in advance of interviews. Students who read these brochures shortly before being interviewed will be able to ask better questions and obtain more information from interviewers than those who enter an interview "cold." Furthermore, they will be more effective during the interviews and be better able to arrive at sound employment decisions.
Recruiters are chosen at least partially because they can communicate well with today's college students. Because they often are just a few years older than the persons they are interviewing, these recruiters are in an excellent position to give an accurate picture of what the transition from college to employment is like.
College placement directors are sincerely interested in assisting students in securing jobs in which they will be successful, and students should take advantage of the valuable services they offer.
INTERVIEWS
The interview is the focal point of getting a job. It is a meeting of a prospective employer and employee, and contrary to the thinking of many young people, it is not a "one-way street." Interviewers are as anxious to find applicants meeting their employment standards as applicants are to obtain positions offering good experience and advancement possibilities. This mutuality of interests requires complete frankness on the part of both the interviewer and the applicant. Employment arrangements predicated upon false or erroneous representations are generally of short duration.
Naturally, employers want to know all about each applicant before offering him or her position. They endeavor to determine during the course of an interview the applicant's interests, goals, technical back-ground, college grades, college and community activities, personality, ability to use language grammatically and effectively, ability to get along well with others, willingness and capacity to accept responsibility, and sense of loyalty. Sometimes testing devices are used as an aid in making selections, but more often employment decisions are made solely on the basis of personal reaction and the evaluation of the interviewer.
Similarly, applicants want to know all about each prospective employer before reaching a decision concerning an employment offer. They inquire about the nature of the work, the location where they will be stationed, the extent of traveling involved, whether training programs are provided, whether rapid advancement can be expected, whether the prospective employer follows the practice of making advancements from within the ranks, and if so, whether such advancement is based on merit or length of service. Applicants are justified in asking these and other pertinent questions in order to evaluate and compare both immediate and future possibilities with different employers.
The time allotted for interviewing each student on college campuses is usually thirty minutes. During this relatively short time, the matters mentioned are discussed, and, at least insofar as the employer is concerned, tentative employment decisions are made. However, employers do not customarily make offers to students at the time of the campus interview. Those students considered good prospects are usually invited to visit one of the plants or offices of the employers at the employers' expense. Such visits provide an opportunity for employers to further evaluate the students and for the students to meet people with whom they might be working. After the office visit, the student is informed of the result, and when an offer is made, the student is generally given several weeks to consider it before a reply is required.
Of course not all students or beginners can obtain positions through campus interviews since only larger organizations have college recruitment programs and even those seldom send recruiters to all colleges. For the many students and others who do not obtain positions through campus interviews, office interviews can be arranged by correspondence. June graduates should try to arrange for interviews several months before graduation. They will find that Christmas and spring vacations are excellent times to visit the offices of prospective employers and that definite appointments in advance will prove advantageous. Thirty minutes to two hours or more are generally required for office interviews.
There is no fundamental difference between campus interviews and office interviews, except that final employment decisions are made by employers at office interviews. In each instance, the time element is important. The time allotted for interviews is relatively short for an employer to size up an applicant and for an applicant to learn what an employer has to offer. Yet during this short period, applicants must be able to create a favorable impression. If they are unable to do so, they will have difficulty in obtaining worthwhile positions. Therefore, an applicant would be well advised to find out as much as possible about prospective employers prior to taking interviews. If company literature is available, it should be read. A general knowledge of a prospective employer's personnel practices, methods of operation, products sold or services performed, and the location of plants and offices will provide a background for an applicant to ask intelligent questions during an interview. Knowledge of this kind generates self-confidence and helps to create a favorable impression on interviewers.
An interview is more than a "talk fest." It starts from the moment the interviewer first sees the applicant. Poise, grace, appearance, and assurance can be identified at the time of introduction. The applicant's interest, which is an important factor, is determined by the general attitude evidenced, the questions asked, and the way they are asked. Careless or inappropriate dress, lack of poise and assurance, and inability to speak fluently, grammatically, and effectively are factors most easily ascertained by interviewers.
Applicants should be prepared to answer questions relating to college grades. It is noteworthy that in the field of accounting, employers- particularly those interviewing beginners for staff positions in public accounting-generally place importance on grades as an indicator of potential. Consequently, applicants are frequently asked questions concerning their cumulative average in all subjects and their cumulative average in accounting subjects. Sometimes they are also asked to submit copies of their college records showing the marks received in each subject. Students and graduates can obtain copies of these records from their colleges. Those having good grades should be prepared to submit their college records to prospective employers during interviews, and those who took some or all of the objective tests forming part of the AICPA College Testing Program should also be prepared to furnish the scores they attained on those tests.
Although it is true that employers in the accounting field stress the importance of scholastic attainment, college grades are not necessarily the determining factor when making employment decisions. An applicant's personality and characteristics in relation to the position are equally important and often the determining factors.
Employers expect applicants to put their best foot forward. Accordingly, an applicant should not hesitate to explain a below-average scholastic record if there is justifiable reason for it. For example, if the overall average grade stems from poor marks during the first two years followed by a notable improvement during the last two years, this should be pointed out. Similarly, if such grades are attributable to part-time work that interfered with time for study, this might be mentioned. Applicants should also mention scholastic attainments and extracurricular activities when these things will bolster their application. Such explanations, when tactfully made, have the added advantage of indicating ability to deal effectively with others. Obviously, if such explanations are presented the wrong way, they would be better left unsaid.
APPLICATION LETTERS
An application letter serves as a means of presenting the qualifications of an applicant to an employer. Basically, it is not an application for a position but a request for an interview. This is true even though it may have been written in response to an advertisement, because an employment offer is seldom made prior to a personal interview. Whether an interview is granted often depends on the way the request is made. Certainly, it is safe to assume that a courteous letter setting forth briefly and clearly an applicant's qualifications will be more likely to result in a favorable response than a careless letter containing grammatical errors and misspelled words. Many personnel directors can attest to the fact that letters of the latter variety are not uncommon.
Perhaps a few general observations concerning the preparation of application letters may prove helpful. In the first place, application letters should vary in composition and presentation according to the circumstances surrounding each particular case and according to the writing ability and personality of the writer.
Letters imparting a personal touch will create greater interest on the part of the readers than formal ones. This personal approach can be achieved at the outset by addressing letters to an individual by name and by using that person's title, if any. The salutation "Dear Mr. Jones," for example, is more direct and consequently better than "Dear Sir." When writing, be sure that the person's name is spelled correctly. Most people dislike seeing their names misspelled. Likewise, using the first person when writing application letters is customary and warmer than using the third person.
Sometimes application letters are written to employers at the suggestion of employees, former employees, or others. Mentioning the name of the person who offered the suggestion generally has value. However, as a matter of courtesy and prudence, permission should be obtained before using names in this way or even as personal references in application letters.
Application letters should be typewritten and then signed with pen and ink.
PERSONAL RESUMES
Applicants should submit certain basic facts about themselves to employers. These include name and address, educational background, experience, and data available for employment. This basic information should be summarized in the form of a personal resume.
Many applicants have their resumes printed commercially or other-wise duplicated, then attach copies of letters of application. When resumes are included, the application letters themselves can be shorter and the contents slanted toward the particular opening for which application is being made. Most employers prefer short application letters with resumes attached to long letters detailing background information. How-ever, sending a resume without a cover letter or using a preprinted application letter is considered poor practice.
Care should be taken in preparing resumes. The appearance and the information supplied can create either a favorable or unfavorable impression.
THE FIRST FEW MONTHS
Getting started in a new job can be, and usually is, an interesting experience, but for beginners with little or no business experience, it may not be exactly easy. Difficulties encountered in getting started seldom stem from a lack of interest on the part of employers or un cooperativeness on the part of fellow employees but rather from the natural tensions that grow out of learning many new things in different surroundings and making new associations within a short time.
A beginner may have the benefit of formal orientation training pro-gram that gives insight into the departmental organization of the employer and offers the new accountant an opportunity to meet a number of key personnel with whom he or she will later have dealings. But with or without such a program, trainees will have no difficulty during the initial employment period if they approach their jobs with earnestness, interest, and a willingness to learn.
Normally, the transition from school to the business world is uneventful and follows pretty much the pattern the beginner might anticipate from pre-employment discussions with the employer. Sometimes, though, at the outset, things may not work out as expected. Beginners may first be assigned to inconsequential or routine work, possibly quite alien to the positions for which they were employed. As a result, they may feel frustrated and discontented, especially if the importance of the new job was given a buildup at the time of hire. However, such assignments may be of short duration to fill in while arrangements are being completed for the beginners to take up the responsibilities for which they were employed.
Although considerate employers should explain this in advance, a wise beginner will accept such an assignment in good grace for a short time before seeking an explanation. The answer probably will become apparent without inquiry, and, in the meantime, nothing has been lost since any experience beginners receive will add to their general knowledge of business. If the answer is not forthcoming within a reasonable time, the beginner in all fairness should discuss this matter with the employer before seeking another position.
Obviously, new jobs require certain adjustments. For beginners who have had no previous full-time employment, the usual 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. office hours may seem somewhat long and confining, especially during the first few days when they have no fixed duties or responsibilities. This generally changes when their jobs take on meaning and they become better acquainted with other employees. Also during the first few days, beginners hesitate to ask questions, being unsure whether their questions concern things they are expected to know about and whether their questioning will indicate ignorance. Beginners might be compared with people who are given a jigsaw puzzle of a ship to assemble without being told whether the ship is a sailing vessel, motor launch, or destroyer or whether it is of ancient or modem vintage. In these circumstances, matching the first few pieces causes difficulty, but as more pieces are assembled, the job gradually becomes easier and more interesting.
During the early stages of employment, beginners are observed critically. The manner in which they approach their work and deal with other employees is quickly noted. An attitude that can be described as "I've done my part by reporting for work; now it's up to you to teach me" is the best possible way to alienate employers and co-workers. On the other hand, those entering their duties with interest and enthusiasm will find that they are given credit for doing well and are excused for their weaknesses. But, of course, this does not go on forever; soon they are expected to do things right and take full responsibility for errors. They are instinctively catalogued by employers as good, average, or poor, and once so classified it becomes increasingly difficult to change first impressions.
