Recruiting Series: III. The Attitude

This segment is almost as embarrassing for me to write as it may be for you to read. It is imperative that although public accounting firms recruit Texas heavily, we are not by any means entitled to any sort of job or internship. As my usual custom though, let’s start with some tidbits since my last installment.

Artillery Fire Between North and South Korea

After North Korea warned South Korea not to participate in military drills near their sea border, South Korea responded by firing artillery, albeit away from North Korean shores. North Korea retaliated by shelling Yeonpyeong. The skirmish lasted an hour. For more, read here.

Former Player of the Year Kevin Durant (35) and Coach Rick Barnes; Barnes earned his 500th victory last night over Sam Houston State.

Congratulations to Coach Rick Barnes

Coach Barnes earned his 500th victory last night with Texas’ win over Sam Houston State. Barnes (500-250) is the 12th active coach to achieve the milestone and only the 50th in NCAA history. Congratulations, and I look forward to supporting the team this Saturday against Rice.

BA 324…Again…

I was going through the New York Times site earlier today, and I stumbled upon an article called Numbers in the News. This post shows how the New York Times style manual would handle certain sentences and their syntax. This is BA 324 heaven from probably the most renowned periodical in the country. Oh, and there are previous articles in this post also, so feel free to read older posts as well. (You know you want to…) Anyways, this serves as a good refresher, especially if you are GMATting, LSATting, or writing any sort of publication within the next couple of months.

Anyway, on to topic.

The Attitude

This episode is going to be short, mostly because there aren’t any sorts of steps or tips to make, other than to ensure that you enter recruiting with the correct mindset. Make no mistake about it—you are applying for a job. So yes, while you have the array of bright lights and glamorous recruiting events, at the end of the night, you better remember you are going to work with your recruiters and you better be able to account!

Be a Pro!

I know it’s weird trying to be cool while also being professional—at the outermost layer, these two almost seem to contradict each other. How can you do it? (1) Keep conversations appropriate. Don’t lead the conversation somewhere you’d feel uncomfortable having your mom and priest hear. (2) Don’t try too hard to be liked. This usually leads to faux pas which is something that a firm cannot take a chance on.

To sum that up, don’t talk too much, give others a chance to contribute to the conversations, and don’t try to stick out too much. You already stick out by having a good GPA from a great program and having survived a round of interviews; therefore, anything “weird,” and you’ll be sticking out in a bad way and giving a firm a chance to cut you.

You are Competing

That’s right! A&M, SMU, UTEP, etc. have accounting programs too, and while ours may be ranked the highest by some publications, students at these schools get pretty good scores, too. How do I know? Because the TSBPA shows the scores between universities! Kind of like the SAT, everyone takes the same test at the end of the day, and Texas MPAs aren’t the only ones that pass.

Whatever you’re taking for granted, a student at A&M is working to take it away from you, and if he gets it, then good for him. Therefore, don’t get caught up in the mindset that it’s all about UT because those recruiters will be at another school tomorrow. It’s an egocentric mindset, and it will catch up with you when the Aggie gets the offer.

Final Thoughts

Remember, that Texas MPA is all about opportunity—not entitlement. As with any education, the degree doesn’t guarantee success, much less a job. You still have to go out, network, charm, and prove yourself each and every day. This is similar to….class! Yes! What makes our program strong is the fact that preparation is essential in our classes, and our classes put us in an environment that requires us to be sharp or get beat; that is, we learn this “survival of the fittest” in our classes in order to get decent marks. Likewise, take that same attitude into recruiting, because any slip during the process may cost you that job you wanted.

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