Best Case Scenario

I received the graduate fellowship and job offer! This is the best possible thing that could have happened for me. Not only do I get a significant amount of money towards school/living expenses and a well paying job, but I also won't have to deal with the stress of the formal recruitment process. Plus, the firm I am going to be working for was one of the two that I had been focusing on working for in the first place. I also found out today that I will be getting a signing bonus, albeit a small one, on top of the fellowship award. All together, I am on cloud nine!

Back from the Interview

I went on the interview this past weekend to one of the big accounting firms, and I came away very impressed. I believe that I do have a good chance at receiving the fellowship and job offer, but am trying not to get my hopes up because there was another candidate there interviewing for the position with only one fellowship available. At least I won't have to wait long to find out, however, because I am supposed to hear back from the firm this afternoon in regards to their decision. *pray* It won't, be any means, be the end of the world if I am not offered the position, as there are plenty of other great firms and it doesn't mean I can't get a job offer during the regular recruitment from this firm. Still, it seems like the perfect place for me and I definitely emotionally invested myself in the trip, although I know that is a bad idea. Too late now, so we will see what happens.

Fun Weekend

Several of my fraternity brothers, my girlfriend, and one of the guys' lady friend came to visit me this weekend for the fourth of July. Many beers were consumed, which was something that I hadn't done since graduation...I guess I'm growing up! I probably spent a little more money than I should have, but everyone had a really good time and it reminded me how great my friends from school are. It is important that I keep in touch with my close friends from college, for personal and professional reasons. Two or three of them are going to law school, one is going into financial advising, a few others into accounting with me...good people to know and keep in touch with.

In other news, check out the site http://www.shoeboxed.com. Someone I know is working there and told me about the company. It is an online receipt organizing tool that helps you track expenses, create spreadsheets and expense reports, etc. This tool can be valuable for people budgeting, for work expenses needing to be reimbursed, etc. Take a look!

Things are coming together

I am excited. I'm making friends at my new school, have an easy summer job (although a bit unflexible), a good post-school job prospect, and my finances seem to be settling and becoming less of a stress. Although I have been very busy, this evening I am stepping back and just taking it easy.

Broke the Budget

I went on a four day road trip in between my summer sessions to visit some fraternity brothers and then to pick up my girlfriend from the airport and hang out with her for a couple days. I had been doing well in the June dining out budget, at $38 halfway through the month, but the weekend killed me. After a dinner and bar night with the guys, and picking up a dinner with the girlfriend, I'm about $6 over my $100 budget. I know that six dollars is not a lot of money, but now I need to make sure that number doesn't grow before the end of the month!

Office Visit!

One of the sizeable accounting firms offers a fellowship through my school. The recipient receives a $6,000 stipend towards tuition or (in my case) living expenses while in school, and then commits to working for that firm for two years after graduation. I just found out today that I have been picked to go on an office visit for the firm, which is the last step in the recruitment process. The first day I will meet several associates for dinner in the city and they are putting me up in a hotel for the night. In the morning, I will get an office tour and be interviewed. I am extremely excited: this would take all the stress of finding a job away while allowing me to directly take out less student loans. I hope I get this job!

Accounting Stereotypes

Every time I tell someone that I am getting a graduate degree in accounting, they are surprised. They tell me that they could never be a "bean counter," or sit in a cubicle all day. They say that accounting and accountants is boring and they can't see why I would want to go into that industry, and are surprised since they say I am "normal" and not "nerdy".

In reality, in auditing (what I am going into), accountants must be able to interact socially with clients. They do not work in the same cubicle every day, because auditors work at their clients offices, so you get a change of pace every time you start a new audit. Although you do need to be decent with numbers, all the "bean counting" is taken care of by computers now. The industry is recession-proof and is growing rapidly. Firms fight to hire new graduates with signing bonuses, passing the CPA bonus, a nice starting salary, great benefits, etc.

A large number of senior members of the industry will be retiring in the next 15 years leaving new graduates in a perfect situation to be groomed for partner positions. Being in public accounting allows you to learn how businesses work so that one day you can run one effectively if you wish to do so. When I look at my classmates, there is not a single "nerdy accountant" among us...ok, maybe one. Still, the accounting industry is one that seems to be misunderstood in its modern role in society. It is exciting to enter an industry that is in such high demand.

There are two things that are certain, death and taxes, and that certainty insures that there will always be plenty of jobs in accounting!