Author: Chris Dill
A career in public accounting is both challenging and rewarding. No matter what firm you work for, the track to reach partner is very similar. Jim Toto, Kristen Walters, and Philip Culotta, in an article published in Accounting Today, lay out the typical progression for those in public accounting. For starters, whether graduating from college or moving into the profession, you are more than likely to start off as a staff accountant. The rest of your path and some related responsibilities might look somewhat as follows:
- Staff Accountant: Introduction to tax and audit work
- Staff to Senior: Starting to lead engagements, seeing an increased workload, mentoring staff-level team members
- Senior to Manager: Becoming aware of where you want to specialize, developing the ability to train others and delegate tasks, and significant increase in client service leadership.
- Manager to Partner: An ever-evolving role, perhaps the largest and most challenging step, you are ultimately responsible for the work and ensuring Firm success
This organization structure is very similar to that of our firm. At Brickley DeLong, it is our goal that if someone starts off as an intern or staff accountant, that they are able to progress through this sequence and eventually become a partner at the Firm. We believe in training, goal setting, mentorship, and challenging our employees to help them grow in their careers. With this, our unique structure trains employees in both tax and audit, so that employees ultimately progress on a path to which they are most attracted to. Our most recent “Next Generation” initiative has received high praise from employees as its goal is to bridge the communication gap among different generations, as well as train attendees in how to succeed in their careers.
If you have any questions or would like more information on employment paths and opportunities at Brickley DeLong, please visit the referenced article, view our accounting career pages, or contact Chris Dill at cdill@brickleydelong.com or (231) 726-5835.