Sunday, June 2, 2013
Building Relationships
It is important to build relationships with your team members especially on your recurring clients. You will see them year round so why not make the best of it so they will be a joy to work with. Those relationships will also help out in the long run as those team members will likely pull you onto their other teams if they think you are good to work with. This will then allow you to build even a closer relationship with them. Also, never burn any bridges or make enemies even if they are the most annoying person to work with. You never know how it will come back to haunt you.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Importance of Networking
It's almost time for the interns to start. Hopefully my team will get an intern but probably not since my teams are so small. Generally the big teams fight each other over the best interns. So if you didn't network when you went through recruiting, then you have no shot at being on the top clients at your firm.They look for someone who is hard working and is proactive. So if you display those traits during the recruiting process, then you will have teams fighting over you. But the downside on being on a big client is that you will be pigeon-holed. Most big clients have multiple teams that specializes in certain areas. So if you are looking to leave after a couple of years, it might be in your best interest to be on a big client for a little bit just to see what it's like. But eventually, having a diverse experience will be help your career the most.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Big 4 Second Round Interviews
I volunteered along with several other staffs to host the interviewees during their 2nd round interviews at the office. At the end of the day we gave feedback on each interviewee. What surprised me was the recruiter only asked about our opinions on their conversational skills. So in the 2nd round, your resume is not important. It is all about your people skills. The ability to hold a genuine conversation. We are looking for people who have potential to be a partner because anybody can do the work of a staff. While having interesting items on your resume will help facilitate a conversation, it will only serve as a great opener and nothing more. Out of all the interviewees, only one person did not get an offer because the interviewers felt their conversations with her did not flow. Furthermore, she was not proactive in meeting all the employees as she only talked to her host.
If you are nervous when you talk to strangers, then I would suggest getting out of your comfort zone and just say something simple like "Hi" or "Good morning". Once you get comfortable enough, you can take it a step further. Getting a job at a Big 4 is not hard as long as you have decent grades and a good personality. Your resume will only get you the first interview. Anything past that will depend on your soft skills.
If you are nervous when you talk to strangers, then I would suggest getting out of your comfort zone and just say something simple like "Hi" or "Good morning". Once you get comfortable enough, you can take it a step further. Getting a job at a Big 4 is not hard as long as you have decent grades and a good personality. Your resume will only get you the first interview. Anything past that will depend on your soft skills.
Friday, March 1, 2013
How to get up to date on accounting news
As a staff 1 your team will always assume you no idea what you are doing. So it is okay to mess up because they expect you to. As long as you get all lunch orders right and show effort, everyone will love you. Also, always ask questions. If you even thought about asking a question for a split second, just do it. They are expecting it.
For everyone who is thinking about accounting, I suggest you to check out this site: http://goingconcern.com/ It will give you up to date news on everything related to accounting. Best of all, it isn't dry at all.
For those who are interested in EY, the following links are a must read/watch.
1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISC-1zt7a8A
2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhPlFM6ohfY
3) http://goingconcern.com/post/busy-intern-will-not-let-silly-work-get-way-important-things-getting-his-tires-rotated
These aren't really accounting related but everyone at EY has seen these so if you mentioned any of the above at a recruiting event, I am sure they will remember you.
For everyone who is thinking about accounting, I suggest you to check out this site: http://goingconcern.com/ It will give you up to date news on everything related to accounting. Best of all, it isn't dry at all.
For those who are interested in EY, the following links are a must read/watch.
1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISC-1zt7a8A
2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhPlFM6ohfY
3) http://goingconcern.com/post/busy-intern-will-not-let-silly-work-get-way-important-things-getting-his-tires-rotated
These aren't really accounting related but everyone at EY has seen these so if you mentioned any of the above at a recruiting event, I am sure they will remember you.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Big 4 Networking
Hey guys, before I jump into today's topic I am going introduce myself. I am a staff one auditor at Ernst & Young in the Bay Area. I started with EY in January 2013 and I went through all the recruiting events that you guys will encounter. I chose the name Third Time's D Charm because of my good buddy who got me into accounting and showed me the ropes. Unfortunately for him, he interviewed with PwC three different times before landing an offer so shoutout to you Kevin. For now, the blog will be able networking, getting your foot in the door, and how not to mess up when you start as an intern or full time. All this is fresh in my mind so what better way to give back than to blog about it. If there's anything you guys want me to talk about or any questions you might have, just leave a comment below.
Networking. There's the typical mumbo jumbo about how you should be prepared and know a lot about the company you are interested in. They say to ask certain questions like:
1) Why did you choose accounting?
2) Why did you choose your firm?
3) What do you like best about accounting?
The list goes on and on. Now these questions aren't bad questions to ask, but if you are repeatedly asking these type of questions then I will probably not remember you at the end of the night. Throw something personal in there. Show you are a real person and that you have actual interests. My co-worker said it best, during these networking events and even during interviews, the way we see who is right for the job is to picture ourselves working with you. If I am going to want to kill myself being in the same room with you, then you are probably not going to get hired. So it is okay to bust out a joke or talk about how outrageous Harlem Shake is. Sometimes I feel like I am being interrogated at recruiting events. So talk to me like a friend. Imagine the recruiting event as if its a party. You wouldn't ask me what I think about IFRS at a party would you? Now there's a fine line as you do have to keep it professional. So unfortunately, I can't tell you my Vegas stories.
Another thing is never appear bored or disinterested. If I see you playing Candy Crush Saga during a recruiting event, I will tell you the game sucks and then tell all the recruiters to blacklist you. So always find someone to talk to. It can be anyone even the janitor. Just don't be the person that is standing in the middle of the room staring off into space because that shows you aren't interested. I always notice this type of behavior so don't be shy and go out there and enjoy your time here. Go and ask any strange questions you have. If you are wondering about the perks of working at EY, I will be glad to tell you all the free hotel rooms I can accumulate or all the different sized binder clips actually exists.
Cliffnotes for those who thinks it was too long: Don't ask too many boring questions, pretend it is a party, and most importantly have fun.
Networking. There's the typical mumbo jumbo about how you should be prepared and know a lot about the company you are interested in. They say to ask certain questions like:
1) Why did you choose accounting?
2) Why did you choose your firm?
3) What do you like best about accounting?
The list goes on and on. Now these questions aren't bad questions to ask, but if you are repeatedly asking these type of questions then I will probably not remember you at the end of the night. Throw something personal in there. Show you are a real person and that you have actual interests. My co-worker said it best, during these networking events and even during interviews, the way we see who is right for the job is to picture ourselves working with you. If I am going to want to kill myself being in the same room with you, then you are probably not going to get hired. So it is okay to bust out a joke or talk about how outrageous Harlem Shake is. Sometimes I feel like I am being interrogated at recruiting events. So talk to me like a friend. Imagine the recruiting event as if its a party. You wouldn't ask me what I think about IFRS at a party would you? Now there's a fine line as you do have to keep it professional. So unfortunately, I can't tell you my Vegas stories.
Another thing is never appear bored or disinterested. If I see you playing Candy Crush Saga during a recruiting event, I will tell you the game sucks and then tell all the recruiters to blacklist you. So always find someone to talk to. It can be anyone even the janitor. Just don't be the person that is standing in the middle of the room staring off into space because that shows you aren't interested. I always notice this type of behavior so don't be shy and go out there and enjoy your time here. Go and ask any strange questions you have. If you are wondering about the perks of working at EY, I will be glad to tell you all the free hotel rooms I can accumulate or all the different sized binder clips actually exists.
Cliffnotes for those who thinks it was too long: Don't ask too many boring questions, pretend it is a party, and most importantly have fun.
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