Spring Events on Campus
March 29, 2011
It’s the time of year when we start climbing out of our cubicles and visiting campuses in Washington! There are several Beta Alpha Psi dinners and banquets on the horizon, as well as Spring Career Fairs. You can keep track of our campus visits on our College Recruiting page on our website. We always try to bring some of our staff to the events, so you can talk to our employees and find out what it’s really like to work at Peterson Sullivan.
In April we’ll be at University of Washington, Gonzaga, and Seattle University. We look forward to meeting you!
UW Accounting 505 Class
August 27, 2010
This week Meguire Heston and I were invited by professor Bill Anderson to visit with the students enrolled in University of Washington’s Summer Intensive Accounting 505. These students have already obtained a Bachelor’s degree and are going back to school to focus on Accounting and obtain the credits needed to sit for the CPA exam. It’s always a pleasure talking with Bill’s students, as they prove themselves to be true professionals with interest and eagerness to put their skills to work.
And ‘intensive’ isn’t just the name of the course…it’s an accurate description of what they go through! Right before our arrival at 10:30 they were given a stack of work to be ready to discuss in their 1 p.m. class that same day. And they had a final the following day! So thanks to all of the students who stuck around, despite the heavy workload. It was a pleasure meeting you all!
Here’s some tips I gave recently for students graduating from certificate programs who already have work experience and are looking for new jobs in public accounting.
- Emphasize your former work experience on your resume and in your cover letter. Use quotes or references from former employers that describe your positive qualities and the impact you had on your prior workplace.
- Don’t use headhunters or recruiting agencies as many employers will not want to pay the agency fee for someone being hired into an entry-level position.
- State in your cover letter that you are willing to “start at the bottom” or that you are looking for an entry-level job. Many employers fear experienced candidates may not be willing to start over in public accounting and be supervised by people less experienced than they are. Make sure you clearly state that you expect to come in at entry-level since this is your first public accounting job.
- Create and publicize your LinkedIn profile! With your work experience and recommendations from former employers, this is a way to shine.
Western Washington University Career Fair
May 20, 2010
Thanks to accountants (and WWU alums) Keaton Wersen and Brian Burns for attending the Business Career Fair at Western Washington University in Bellingham last week. They both had a great time and met some fabulous candidates! We look forward to recruiting at WWU this fall on October 12.
For a closer look at our recruiting schedule, visit our College Recruiting page on our website at: http://www.pscpa.com/careers/college-recruiting/
Seattle University Accounting Career Fair
April 20, 2010
We had a great time at the Seattle University Accounting Career Fair on April 13. Held in PACCAR Atrium, the event is a nice size and a great way to get some one-on-one talking time with students. Albers Placement Center Director Mary Lou Moffat and Manager/Recruitment Coordinator Sommer Harrison stopped by to say hello, and we got to catch up with Taylor, one of our newest employees coming on board in the summer, as she rushed by on her way to Audit class.
I was fortunate to have Keith Derdowski, Associate, at the fair with me. Keith graduated from Seattle University in 2008, and he still recognized some familiar faces from his classes. Keith is in the midst of his second busy season with us, but he still took time to help his alumni school. Thank you, Keith!
Many thanks to Krupa Patel, Beta Alpha Psi Vice President of Professional Events, who organized the event, kept us all informed, and gave us a great lunch! Luckily for us, Krupa works part-time in our Scanning and Records department, so we get to take advantage of her organziaing skills on a regular basis.
Undergraduate Women in Business at UW
March 10, 2010
Last week we sponsored a fundraising event for the University of Washington Undergraduate Women in Business. Keynote speaker Martha Fuller, EVP of Finance and CFO of Vulcan, Inc. was presented with the “Woman of the Year” award, and the Paving the Way scholarship was awarded to a deserving member. We didn’t win any of our silent auction bids, but our table won their dessert in the Dessert Dash at the end!
College Graduate Job Market Outlook
October 30, 2009
Finally, some encouraging news for 2009 college grads. It seems like all we hear on the news recently is how “bad” the job market is for recent college grads. And although we all agree that a challenged economy presents a challenging job search, Alison Doyle from About.com takes a not-so-dire stance on the current job market.
“If you’re a college senior or a recent graduate who is still seeking employment, don’t panic! This job market is challenging but not impenetrable. Although hiring will be down from last year, many organizations still plan to hire college graduates this year according to surveys by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.” Read more here.
UW BAP Meet the Firms
October 22, 2009
We will be on the University of Washington’s campus tomorrow interviewing a few MPAcc students, but two weeks ago Peterson Sullivan LLP was at the UW BAP Meet the Firms event. Located in the Husky Union Building West Ballroom, more than 20 firms showed up to meet the students. We enjoyed seeing you all there, and we are looking forward to seeing a few of you on campus tomorrow.
Gonzaga Beta Alpha Psi Career Fair and Bowling
September 24, 2009
On Friday, September 11, a team of PS employees traveled to Spokane for Gonzaga University’s Beta Alpha Psi Career Fair and Bowling Night.
The career fair, held in the Jepson Center Lobby from 1 to 4pm, was a great opportunity for Gonzaga students to meet current staff from exhibiting firms. Jamison (Associate), Jennifer (Associate), and Sarai (Audit Senior) gave great first-hand witness to what it’s like here at Peterson Sullivan. Then it was off to Hugo’s on the Hill for some competitive bowling from 5 to 7pm. The Beta Alpha Psi group laced up some neon rentals and took over the lanes to show their skills.
We look forward to seeing some of the students again when Sharlyn Turner and Nathan Hartman go to Gonzaga for on-campus interviews September 28.
Campus Recuiting Team
September 23, 2009
Meguire Heston, Campus Recruiter
Next week we kick into high gear and start recruiting on campus. It’s always an exciting time of year for us, as we travel to the schools and get the opportunity to meet so many students. We are so excited to have Meguire Heston coordinating all of the campus recruiting details for us. We hope you will all enjoy working with her as much as we do!
Other members of our campus recruiting team include Sharlyn, Nathan, John, Bob, and Matt. Sharlyn and Nathan will be at Gonzaga, SPU, Seattle U, and Western. Bob will head to Pullman for WSU and Matt will go down to Tacoma for PLU.
UW MPAcc in Taxation Reception
September 22, 2009
Last night we attended University of Washington’s MPAcc in Taxation reception. It was the first day of orientation for the students starting the rigorous year long program in taxation. We were impressed with their energy and enthusiasm, and look forward to recruiting Tax Associates from the program! Tax Partners Al Dunnell, Jim Schneidmiller, and John Smolke were with me and enjoyed the opportunity to meet so many of the students.
John Smolke will be on campus interviewing on Friday, October 23. Be sure to sign up for an interview so you can see what we’re all about! Deadlines to submit your resumes in the Symplicity system are October 8.
