Accounting Leaders Discuss Best Options for Accounting Grads
A Compilation of SmartPros Letters to the Editor
In response to a controversial SmartPros article by Professor J. Edward Ketz, Advice to Accounting Students: Smile at the Big Five But Look Elsewhere for a Job, leaders throughout the accounting community, from professors to recruiters, share their thoughts on how to steer accounting students and graduates toward a successful career, and discuss how the education of future accounting leaders greatly affects the industry.
Big Five Provide Diverse, Global Experience
From: Jeri K. Calle, Partner in Charge, University Relations, KPMG LLP
We find Ed Ketz’s article on Big Five hiring practices misses the mark on a number of critical fronts and does not provide a true picture of the myriad opportunities professional services firms are offering accounting graduates. More
Big Five Firms Put In the Effort But Still Lose
From: Rita Keller, rkeller@bradyware.com, Brady, Ware & Schoenfeld Dayton, Ohio, www.bradyware.com
I did enjoy this article. We are paying for the fifth year for recruits. What bothers me more is that bright, young grads are choosing not to go into public at all! We recently made an offer to what we considered an "all star." We "lost" him. It wouldn't have bothered me so much to lose him to another firm -- but he chose not to enter public accounting. Maybe now I understand why -- he'll get a better offer in a couple of years from the Big Five. More
Accounting Students Have Many Opportunities in an Ever-Changing World
From: Bud Kulesza, an official of the Institute of Management Accountants
J. Edward Ketz is exactly on point with his advice to accounting students, but having been a Practitioner in the non-public arena for over 25 years, I must say that public accounting has never been "where the action is". The best analogy is that of coach or referee versus participant in any sport. More
Extra Education Does Provide Benefits
From: Robert K. Elliott, immediate past chairman of the AICPA
The Big Five are all growing at double-digit rates and hiring all the talent they can find, while accounting majors are down 23 percent nationally over last three years. An objective observer might say that the problem lies with the producers rather than the consumers. When Ford customers didn't like the product, Ford didn't criticize the customers, it designed the Taurus and lured them back. More
Students: Mid-Sized Local Firms Make a Great Start
From: Edwin J. Kliegman, former president of the National Conference of CPA Practitioners
I think Mr. Ketz is off base in several areas. He states that 5-10 years ago accounting grads commanded some of he highest salaries. That's not so. Accounting salaries have never been in the top echelon. True, the Big Eight, Seven, Six or Five have led the way in paying higher salaries, but never matched law and management information services, to name but two. More
Students Don't Have the Business Sense to Deal With Accounting Issues
From: C.D. Giedt, CPA, cdgcpa@msn.com
Good article, very bluntly accurate. I have complained for 20 years that college students don't have the business sense to deal with accounting issues. As the tax system grows more historically complex (like all the different depreciation methods for real estate over the last 20 years) it gets harder if not impossible to find students with productive skills. More
Students Shouldn't Ignore the 150-Hour Rule
From: Dennis Beresford, professor, University of Georgia
I have just a couple of comments in response to Professor Ketz's piece. First, at the University of Georgia we continue to have excellent success in placing our accounting graduates with Big 5 firms, many other regional and local firms, and a number of corporations. More
Send Students Elsewhere
From: Allan S. Boress, CPA, www.ihateselling.com
In accordance with the salary figures, I noticed about five years ago the declining ‘quality’ of new college hires at the Big Five via my work with them as a sales consultant to the profession. It used to be they hired the cream of the crop, but either the produce had spoiled, or less was available. These latest salary figures bear that out. More
Advantages of Working in Public Accounting
From: Bob Jensen, Jesse H. Jones Distinguished Professor of Business, Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas, rjensen@trinity.edu, http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen
I don't agree entirely with Ed Ketz, but his article is food for thought. What Ed fails to balance in the article are some of the underlying long-term advantages of majoring in accounting and working in public accounting. More
Accounting Degrees Have Great Worth
From: W. Steve Albrecht, associate dean of the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University
Accounting degrees do have great worth. We teach measurement better than anyone; we develop analytical skills better than anyone; we help students deal with rigor better than anyone; and we help them understand the value of information better than anyone. More
What are your thoughts on this topic? SmartPros welcomes comments, corrections and perspectives from all members of the community. To add your voice to Letters, write accountingeditor@pro2net.com. Letters here may be edited for space, clarity, relevance and fairness. For unedited views, comments and connections, please visit Accounting Message Boards.
