“Public Accounting Connection” is a series of articles that gives a glimpse about what life is like working for an accounting firm.
The articles are written by PASA members currently working at accounting firms all over the country. In conjunction with each article, our members will also write a follow up article that provide tips for new hires and entry-level public accountants.
At most accounting firms there is a designated scheduling person or department. Seniors, Managers and Partners will make scheduling requests and “pick up some time” from any available staff. The staff schedules are usually kept in scheduling software and/or on Excel spreadsheets. This schedule gives visibility to the staff and their supervisors about what clients they will be working on for the upcoming week, month, and year. The schedule is constantly changing, so it is important to check it often. Clients can be added or dropped from a staff’s schedule for a variety of reasons.
An in-charge chooses a staff for their client based on the following criteria:
The staff did a good job.
The staff has a good office reputation.
That is usually indicative of their abilities.
I will roll the dice and pick them up.
