It’s early spring at the time of publishing. The rest of the northern hemisphere is beginning to emerge from its winter slumber. Daffodils are sprouting, birds are chirping, and Daylight Savings Time is wreaking havoc on our sleep schedules. It’s a time of renewal. No so for public accountants. Early spring is a time of […]
How to Corporate – Drinking Etiquette at Company Events Read More »
In our initial “Knowing Your Place” article, we took a detailed look at the most common roles you will encounter on your public accounting team. Now we’re looking at the rest of the public accounting ecosystem, including the mysterious world of the partner class. With any luck, your interactions with many of the following groups
How to Corporate – Advanced Knowing Your Place Read More »
Utilization is one of the most widely used Key Performance Indicators (“KPIs”) in public accounting. Most firms will have target utilization rates for their non-equity employees, with particular attention given to associates’ and senior associates’ utilization goals. If you’re new to public accounting, utilization can feel like one of those enigmatic metrics that sets you
Public accounting is one of the most grind-oriented careers out there, especially for those on the partner track. An accountant’s career path is prescribed from the moment a freshly minted associate signs their letter of employment, and it looks roughly like this: These are rough estimates, and each individual’s path will vary depending on their
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Public accounting firms often rely on a common business structure called the “partnership model.” The partnership model intentionally creates two separate classes within the business: the equity-holding partners, and everyone else. The equity partners serve as business owners, while everyone else serves to support the business. Most equity-holding partners aren’t in public accounting for the
Public Accounting Firms are Machines Designed to Enrich the Partners Read More »
This article is Machiavellian in nature. Those among you who have scruples about taking advantage of your employer will want to look away now, lest you join the rest of us reprobates on this cheerfully deceitful path. Hopefully that scared away the goody-goodies. The business world is full of opportunities for employees to take advantage
Manipulating KPIs for Fun and Profit Read More »
This is truly the most basic of the “How to Corporate” lessons, but if you struggle with clothing yourself and generally getting along in the workplace, you’re not going far anyway. I combine these two because in many ways dressing appropriately for work is a type of etiquette. Even if you draft magnificent emails and
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One of the earliest tests of your career is to learn the hierarchy of public accounting firms. Even interns are expected to quickly figure out the ranking system and assume their place in it. In addition to ranking the roles in the accounting firm from most prestigious to least, we also provide you with valuable
How to Corporate – Knowing Your Place Read More »