By Nathaniel Luce
Our look at Public Accounting continues this week with a look at the field from a recruiter’s perspective. James Powell is the Managing Partner of KPMG’s Nashville office and the National Partner in Charge of Campus Recruiting and University Relations. He works with institutions and programs, including Vanderbilt’s Master of Accountancy (MAcc), to identify and recruit the next generation of accountants.
In a broad discussion with Vanderbilt MAcc’s Lindsay Donald, James touches on several important features of a career in public accounting:
Success is built on relationships. “One of the things I didn’t expect coming in was how much of a people business this is,” he says. James credits a lot of his growth to building solid client relationships, getting in front of larger audiences to sell himself or the firm, and working well within teams. “I truly believe the thing that separated me throughout my career was those ancillary skills,” he says.
Make it to manager. The path to manager can take five years, which may seem long to people entering the workforce, “but the doors that open are tremendous,” he says. Whether they continue at the firm or look for outside opportunities, managers will find more compelling and lucrative career options with the title than without.
There’s something about this public accounting track….As an undergraduate intern working in an internal audit department, James noticed a recurring theme. “Every single person I was working with started in public accounting,” he says. “The world-class training, the people you’re working with and learning from…it’s so invaluable, and that’s what public accounting gives you.”
The Big Four is committed to innovation. Big Four firms like KPMG put an emphasis on continually finding ways to improve, and through their innovation task force, they’re encouraging all employees to weigh in. “It could be client-related, day-to-day, or workplace environments.”
Listen to this week’s bonus podcast to hear more about the Public Accounting field and the career search.
Want to learn more about the Vanderbilt Master of Accountancy? Visit our program page, or request information.
