Category Archives: Recruiting

Experiences and thoughts on the recruiting process.

Employment, Joel, Recruiting

Career Crossroads

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Life is full of decisions. In fact, every hour and every minute is composed of miniature ones that we subconsciously make. While some are intuitive, others require long and serious analysis to guide the next course of action. It is these critical decision points that give us pause and rightfully so. As recruiting season for full-time opportunities reaches its denouement, the next phase of decision-making starts. This is where everything comes together.

To choose one opportunity over others is tough. It is not easy considering all the factors that come into play. I find it interesting that in this kind of soul-searching process, money, though relevant, is not the main driver of my decision. It sure helps, but more important than that is the question of future opportunities, ambitions, and caliber of experience.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

For lack of a better illustration, I think about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and place special emphasis on the top three tiers: Self-actualization, Self-esteem, and Belongingness. In order to make sense of this big decision, I find myself asking the following ten questions (in no particular order): 1) Where do I see myself in 5, 10, or 15 years? 2) Where do I want to live? 3) What are the benefits like? 4) What kind of corporate culture would I like to be in? 5) Does the firm share the same values I have? 6) Did I like the people I visited and those I have met? 7) What kind of training will I receive? 8) Are there opportunities to travel? 9) How can this experience help me get to the next level? 10) How does the position fit in to my story?

It is important to look far enough down the road that the immediate role in front of me matters, but not too far that I can’t see how this decision can lead to what I envision.

What I realize in this exercise is that as much as I have devoted time in getting to know several companies, I am also learning more about myself, my interests, and personal goals. It is interesting how it comes full circle. Through this process, I have had to revise some of my plans and reassess earlier assumptions. So far, I have visited quite a few firms and I am really glad for these opportunities. Though it won’t be an easy one, I’m looking forward to making a decision in the next few weeks and use exactly this framework I’ve laid out. Choosing the next step after graduate school is certainly my next crossroads.

Career, Employment, Recruiting, Student Life

Recruiting and Finding One’s Match

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Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match
Find me a find, catch me a catch 
It’s all about the fit.

It is hard not to be reminded of this classic song as recruiting season heats up. Though Fiddler on the Roof was referring to a marital arrangement, I think the analogy still holds true with recruiting. At the end of the day, it is about how a candidate fits with the firm culture and whether a relationship can blossom. This is one thing that I have noticed employers emphasize more and more during interviews. The main question is whether our values and personality align with theirs.

I like to think about this exercise as a search for our perfect match. If only there was a Match.com or E-harmony website we can use to help us in this quest, recruiting can be much easier. One only has to look at the number of personality matches and boom we have a match and a 90% chance that the relationship would end up in a lifelong state of happiness. But, there is none.

What I am finding out is that as much as I am learning about future employers, I’m also realizing things about myself, my career goals, the kinds of people I want to work with, and my passion. Just like any serious relationships, I am looking for folks I like and whose company I enjoy. In short, I am looking for my perfect match.

I am reminded of an advice I heard in a career panel once. The question many students ask in deciding which firms to apply to is how the first few years are going to look like. The representative commented on how myopic this perspective is and how much better of a question it is to ask how one sees himself/herself in the firm in 5, 10, 15, 20 years. His point is that finding the right fit, the right people, and the right match to our values can make us happier in our careers in the long run. Putting all factors aside, the crux of the matter is whether chemistry exists between us and the firms or not.

What a relief it is to realize this! Passing an opportunity becomes not so much because of inadequacies but simply a difference in nature and there’s nothing wrong with that. Ultimately, we’re looking for the firm that complements us. This takes the stress of recruiting away and encourages us to simply be at ease with who we are. After all, our personality is our greatest asset and the best matchmaker we have. Now, that is something we can definitely sing about.

Employment, Jonathan, Recruiting

Here comes recruiting!

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When I came to MPA, it was with the knowledge that our Career Services team was top notch, and that employers actively sought students from the program.  The fact that the program makes us so much more employable and desirable to employers was a big selling point for me.

What I was surprised by, however, was how quickly that process started.  Before orientation, I met with Vinh in Career Services to go over my resume and get some guidance.  At orientation, we jumped right in with a great networking event (in particular, the employer “speed dating” was really cool) followed by an MPA career fair.  The MPA program uses a fairly robust system for connecting students to employers, including resume submission and interview scheduling.

Less than two weeks after the start of the semester I saw resume deadlines for some employers.  The Big 4 recruiting process is particularly involved, so it pays to be on the ball with the recruiting system.  I’m in the middle of the recruiting process now, and it does take some effort to stay up to date.  At orientation, it stuck in my mind that we should think of recruiting as another 3-hour course.  That seemed like an exaggeration, but it’s not.  Between writing cover letters, attending information sessions, meeting with employers, interviewing, office visits, and the various other aspects, it’s really true.  On one hand, it can be pretty overwhelming to balance classes, extracurriculars and recruiting, but on the other hand, it’s worth the time because this is the job I’ll have after graduation.

I’ve had a couple restless nights thinking about recruiting, but I’ll sleep easy once that work pays off and those offers start coming in.

I can’t guarantee a joke every post, but I do have another one:

Did you hear about the chairman who hated meetings?

He was bored of Directors.

Career, Recruiting

Fifth-Year MPA Wisdom

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You gain wisdom in your graduate year of MPA…along with a backpack.

Hello MPAs – I hope the semester is going well for all of you! I have recently started recruiting for full-time positions, which has led me to reflect on my internship recruiting and work experience. The benefit of going through the process again is that I can identify ways to make myself a stronger candidate than I was as a third-year MPA. Of course, I have more experience and coursework than I did two years ago, but there are also ways you can prepare outside of the classroom that will help you stand out among your peers. Here are a few lessons that I have learned since my first year in the program:

1. Read the newspaper – every single day. “But I don’t have any time!” – myself, as a third year. The thing is, if you have time to keep up with your news feed on Facebook, you have time to follow real news as well. As an accounting student, it is important to be aware of what is going on in the world, because events can impact our future clients, the standards and regulations in which we operate under, and the entire profession. A recent example is the Detroit bankruptcy and the city’s underfunded pension, which has led to pension accounting standards being questioned. We are not going to be able to simplify problems someday as we do in class and ignore tax effects or pretend that interest rates will remain constant – our work is going to be affected by market forces and world events, and we need to understand how these complexities interact. I highly recommend subscribing to the Wall Street Journal; student subscriptions are very affordable and will definitely help you make an impression.

2. Take finance courses. “But I want to be an auditor…why do I need to know about beta?” – myself, as a third year. I think we sometimes we accounting students feel smug when our fellow finance majors do not know how to record journal entries or build a balance sheet – however, it works both ways. We are missing a piece of the puzzle if we only focus on accounting. How can you audit a financial instrument someday if you don’t understand how the derivative was priced or what features it includes? Finance coursework will strengthen your skill set and will make you a more well-rounded accounting professional in the future.

3. Practice case interviews. “But I don’t want to go into management consulting!” – myself, as a third year. I am guessing that the majority of us do not plan on going into management consulting – however, we all plan on going into some type of client service, which involves the exact scenario a case interview simulates. Our clients or managers will ask us to identify problem areas and propose solutions, and we will likely be put on the spot. Case interviews help you practice organizing your thoughts and communicating them in a concise and coherent way. I recently did my first mock case interview, and while I correctly identified the problem and solutions, the path getting there was a little bit rough. This is a skill I will continue practicing, because it will help me sound more organized, confident, and articulate when I have to give impromptu proposals or presentations in the future.

4. Explore a variety of career options. “But I already know what I want to do!” – myself, as a third year. I was fully confident when I started the program about what position and employer I wanted to apply for. A year and a half later, I ended up declining my full-time offer for that exact position and employer and had to go back to the drawing board, because the experience was not what I had expected. The MPA program affords you so many different options, and I recommend taking some time to research all of them during the early stages of your career exploration. You may end up signing your offer with your original top choice, but you also may end up discovering a career path that is a better fit for you.

Career exploration is something I have really been concentrating on over the past few months, and I am excited about pursuing several different opportunities this fall. So far, I have decided on applying for positions in industry, financial services, and forensic accounting. I will keep you all updated on my recruiting journey – feel free to comment if there is anything you would like to know more about!

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!