All posts by brooksbutler

Austin, Brooks, Student Life

MPAs Work Hard, Play Hard

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Hook ’em! Some of us MPAs in between tailgating and going to the game.

Work hard, play hard. It’s a cliché used by many groups to identify the fact that yes, their path is difficult but it doesn’t stop them from partying. Of course, I can’t speak for the entire class of MPA students, but I think it’s a stereotype that applies here as well.

Since I like to start with good news, let’s first delve into the “play hard” bit. If I am honest with myself, I have to admit that an important factor in my decision to come to UT over other master programs in accounting was the cultural amenities Austin has to offer. I knew that I couldn’t be happy in a sleepy, encapsulated small town or a suburban concrete savanna. Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World and a thriving mecca for wandering hipsters from all over America. The city’s unofficial (maybe official?) slogan is “Keep Austin Weird” which, turns out, is more of a plea to newcomers not to try and shape the city into their preconceived notions of a cool city. Instead, the idea is to be weird yourself and be a cultural contributor.

I have had the good fortune to spend some R&R time with my fellow MPAs in Austin. Most recently, a sizable group of us went to 6th Street on Halloween night. There were tons of people in the streets, closed down to traffic for the night. 6th Street can be a fun party any time of the year as well. Tailgating before football games has also been a good way to unwind on the weekend before watching our (now ranked!) Longhorns play on our home field.

Possessed by Paul James, a talented local musician I saw at the Scoot Inn with a fellow MPA.

Catching some great live music is one of my favorite things to do, period. Having lived in Nashville and New Orleans previously, I am no stranger to a good music scene, and Austin definitely has a great music scene. There are some great venues on Red River and also on East 6th Street (as opposed to the aforementioned and affectionately dubbed “Dirty” 6th Street).

I suppose I should get around to the “Work Hard” part. Being that UT’s MPA program is the top ranked program of its kind, you can be sure that we work hard. The result will be our technical competence in our field, which is one of the reasons grads of this program are highly sought after. When we aren’t partying, we spend a lot of time studying for our upcoming exams, completing homework assignments, group projects, and case studies. That’s not even including all the recruiting events we attend throughout the year.  All this hard work we put in towards earning high marks definitely earns us the right to party.

Stock photo of some really intense studying, much like that which can be found in the University of Texas MPA program.
Brooks, Career, Uncategorized

LinkedIn, or LinkedOut?

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LinkedIn is the quintessential social network for the modern business professional. It is basically Facebook for the business world, right? I have to admit that I do not use it to its potential, but there is a profusion of bloggers and would-be self-helpers who optimistically point out the 10 steps to success with LinkedIn. They would have you believe that it is the key to an effective business networking effort, but I am not sure I completely buy it.

Personally, I believe that the key to business success is personal connection. It may be argued that LinkedIn provides an additional avenue to connect with those who you know in the professional realm. Certainly, it is a good alternative for those who wish to keep their Facebook a little more casual. To me, you are not really making a personal connection with others on LinkedIn, but you are instead solidifying an existing professional relationship. This may not always be the case, but still there is some value to that.

Some argue that there’s really no point – they use it to keep up with old co-workers and may eventually enjoy its potential, but feel like there is little use for the average Joe six-pack. Further, this guy claims that it is impossible to forge a meaningful relationship with anyone on LinkedIn who has the ability or willingness to further your career. Those who are successful are not hanging around on LinkedIn waiting to give you a leg up.

Others, alternatively, point to the potential opportunities to be seen by recruiters who notoriously comb the site looking for an experienced new hire to fill voids for firms all over the world. Recruiters are known to scour LinkedIn for public accounting employees with a few years of experience, hoping to scoop top talent from the ranks of Deloitte or PricewaterhouseCoopers. In fact, that’s why I have kept my LinkedIn profile maintained – to be ready for when recruiters start looking for people like me. Also, the MPA Career Services team has pointed out to me that there is a Texas MPA network group on LinkedIn, which I searched around to get a feel for what MPA grads were doing on down the road as I was feeling out my recruitment strategy.

The reality is that LinkedIn does have some value, but I do not agree that it is some key to success. I still firmly believe that the ability to form personal relationships is the most valuable resource for successful people.

 

 

Austin, Brooks

Central Texas Barbecue Trail Part I

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If you weren’t hungry already, you probably are now.

In the first installment of my Texas barbecue quest, I wrote generally about the differences between Texas and Memphis barbecue styles. Now it’s time to talk about some real live Texas barbecue.

For my first foray into Texas barbecue, I didn’t want to be disappointed so I went after the best I could find. There are a few local favorites, but I ultimately decided on The Salt Lick. The Salt Lick is a central Texas institution located about 45 minutes southwest of downtown Austin on a nice spread of land in Driftwood. In 1967 Thurman Roberts built their first pit to supply locals with great food using family recipes passed down since just after the Civil War. From there, popularity grew and now the full-service restaurant seats over 800 patrons.

When you first arrive, you feel like you are entering a ranch. After driving through country roads for a bit, the entrance to Salt Lick is obvious and bounded by its own vineyard. Since it is a BYOB establishment (!), and us being a fresh group of MPA students enjoying a beautiful Saturday, we carried our beer to the hostess stand and were immediately seated. Right as you walk in, you see what all the fuss is about. The pit is there to greet you and lay out your options in plain sight. It definitely didn’t make choosing what meat to eat any easier.

So, as you can tell, at this point I am pretty excited about eating some barbecue. Since I’ve heard brisket is the centerpiece of Texas barbecue, I went with a combo platter of burnt brisket and ribs (to compare to my Memphis ribs, of course!). It wasn’t long before our meals arrived. The ribs were “fallin’ off the bone” good and a formidable match for the legendary Rendezvous ribs in downtown Memphis. The brisket came in three styles, but after hearing the description of the burnt brisket, I had to try it first. It was caramelized to perfection. On top of that, the tangy sauce meshed perfectly with everything. Yes, this is as good as or better than West Tennessee barbecue.

While you’re in Austin, you have to try The Salt Lick. You will not be disappointed! There are a few other places I’ve heard about and still need to get around to trying, such as Franklin’s and la Barbecue. Nonetheless, I am now a believer in Central Texas Barbecue!

Austin, Feature

Maybe You CAN Teach an Old Dog New BBQ

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One thing about Austin I was anxious to check out was their world-famous Texas barbecue. Having grown up in West Tennessee near Memphis, I have been spoiled with great barbecue my entire life. Thus, most places I go outside that small area have disappointed me with their pathetic excuse for barbecue. For instance, I won’t even bother with barbecue in Nashville. Although the Carolinas are very proud of their ‘cue, it’s just not my style. I learned while living in New Orleans that they have a great food culture, but their heritage with barbecue is somewhat spotty. There was only one barbecue place there I would go to, called The Joint, but it was distinctly Memphis-style barbecue so maybe that’s why I enjoyed it. My goal with this series is not to join the debate about which region produces the best barbecue (Memphis will clearly win that one) but simply to find out if Texas barbecue is in the same league, whether as a rival or partner.

The differences between Memphis-style and Texas-style barbecue are many. Texas barbecue has its own style, and can even be classified differently depending on what part of the state you are in. For this series, I will be discussing Central Texas barbecue. The main difference I noticed initially is that Texas barbecue is mostly beef, while other Southeast US barbecues are typically pork. The pulled-pork sandwich is one of the main staples of Memphis barbecue, but it is less prevalent in the Texas style. The Central Texas style in particular is more focused on the quality of the meat and less emphasis on the sauce. This is a stark comparison to what I am used to, which is all about the sweet barbecue sauce.

I have heard a lot about some specific places to try out: Salt Lick, Franklin, La Barbecue, and Rudy’s to name a few. Hopefully I will be able to get to all of them while I am in Austin to make a proper judgment of Texas barbecue and  it will live up to my standards as everyone has assured me it will. The next article in this series will be about my first Texas barbecue experience, and it is sure to make your mouth water if this one hasn’t done the trick already.

Academics, Career, Employment, Events, MPA Council, MPAC, Recruiting, Student Life

First Impressions

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First impressions are important because they always last, and the same goes for my entrance to the MPA program. Notwithstanding a brief visit last fall and interacting with career services over the summer, my first impression of the actual MPA program began just a few weeks ago when all the new Traditional MPA students met, many for the first time. It was orientation week, and we were finally starting the journey we had been planning and anticipating for several months.

As we all gathered in the large banquet hall set aside for the first day, I was nervous about the people I would soon meet. What was everyone going to be like? Where was I going to fit in? Quickly, the fear passed to excitement as I began introducing myself to my new classmates. I’ve always enjoyed meeting new people, and there was no shortage of interesting backgrounds to discuss. Various schools, different areas of the country, and multiple nationalities were represented in the newest cohort. One thing we all had in common was our ambition to succeed and the stuff to make it happen.

Most of orientation week was centered on career services and academic planning. Vinh Nguyen spent time speaking with us about the different career paths available to MPAs. The “industry, audit, or tax” question could be a dissertation on its own, but it was something that many of us were still struggling with as we approached our first day of class. We had the chance to meet our professors at a breakfast and then hear their perspective on the “industry, audit, or tax” question. Also thrown in the mix were several events where we had to make our first impression on potential future employers: an etiquette dinner, a networking reception, and a career fair were all on the bill for the first week. We even had a chance to socialize as a class at a pizza and bowling party thrown by the MPA Council.

Back to first impressions, though. The professors are clearly passionate about what they do, and it is evident that they are proud to be a part of the MPA program. I’m sure you are aware of how big of a difference it makes when a teacher is excited about what they are teaching, and these folks have it. The career services department is top notch from their support and preparation to facilitating interaction with future employers. I ended the week with a pleasant optimism about my job prospects. The students I will be learning alongside are an extraordinarily bright and diverse group of fun people. The connections I made that week are sure to last a lifetime. Hopefully I left a good first impression on a few people, too!