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Are Résumés Obsolete in Public Accounting?

Posted on by Megan Lewczyk
resume public accounting

Okay, maybe not quite obsolete, but they absolutely should be. Résumés don’t convey much. Did you work Big 4 or not? Did you have a high GPA in college? They’re the only truly socially-acceptable way to brag about an award or study abroad experience. Beyond that, a résumé isn’t very helpful.

You can tell by someone’s signature if they’re a CPA, so that’s something you probably already know once you have an opportunity to dig into that person’s résumé. Plus, people rarely update them. They are just a static proclamation of how cool you are…

Why not rely on social media, in this case, LinkedIn, instead? Or, just skip it and go straight to a skills assessment that corresponds with the actual job? Wouldn’t that be much more indicative of someone’s abilities?

LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner preaches that “skills, not degrees” should be the foundation of every hiring decision. Who cares if you an accounting degree if you don’t have any idea what you’re doing?

Oh, wait, being in over your head without enough training is an auditor’s life. Bad example.

Let’s go back to this Business Insider article, which quoted startup founder Adam Markowitz:

Potential over pedigree. Talent, grit, and passion [are] everywhere — from Ivy Leagues to community colleges, dev boot camps, and everywhere in between.

I agree marketable skills matter more than a fancy degree. And, I’d say in public accounting, the ability to fake it ‘til you make it is also required. That’s something that doesn’t show up on a résumé either.

Unfortunately, no matter how flawed, firms still ask for them. So we have to oblige and scrap one together. But, why spend time crafting your résumé for public accounting recruiting season when as soon as you make it to an on-campus interview, you are asked to retype everything on your résumé (and more) into a digital application? Who has time for that? It’s annoying.

I argue that the “meet and mingle” events are much more important in public accounting than a candidate’s résumé. For direct campus hires especially, no one has done much to differentiate themselves on paper anyway. Maybe a stellar GPA or past internship? Nothing really stands out at that age.

That’s why firms do so many of this type of event. To get a sense of you as a person, and if they can spend 10-14 hours a day in a room with you, without wanting to gouge out their eyeballs. Then, if you pass that first impression test, the internship will determine if you can tick and tie sufficiently and, by golly, you’re in! With people jumping ship right and left, firms won’t tell you, but they do need you.

So, can we just skip the résumé and save us all a little time?

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Stop Worrying About Things You Can’t Control

The following post is republished from AccountingWEB, a source of accounting news, information, tips, tools, resources and insight — everything you need to help you prosper and enjoy the accounting profession.

The first person you have to manage every day is you. You want to be in a strong position at work. You want to take charge of your role in every relationship with every boss. It’s just that there are so many factors beyond your control at work.

I’ve done hundreds of focus groups with thousands of people around one very simple question: What gets in the way of your success at work? Like clockwork, nine out of 10 responses are factors that are totally beyond the control of the individual.


What gets in the way of your success?

• Company policies, rules, regulations, corporate culture, standard operating procedures
• The way things have always been done around here.
• There is too much work and not enough time.
• There are too many low-priority activities that take me away from my most important tasks and responsibilities.
• There is a lot of conflict between and among employees, which creates a stressful, negative mood.
• Resources are limited and sometimes I don’t have the people, materials, and tools that I need to do the job.
• There is no clear chain of command in this organization.
• I answer to too many different people.
• My various bosses each have different standards of performance and conduct.
• My various bosses each tell me conflicting things about what should take priority.
• My various bosses each tell me conflicting things about rules and policies.
• Some bosses yell and scream and make things difficult.
• Sometimes bosses don’t make time for me one-on-one, some bosses don’t make expectations clear, and some don’t keep track of performance.

Sound familiar? There are so many factors beyond your control.

But you control you. You control your own thoughts, words, and actions. You control your attitude, commitment, time, effort, and your ideas. You are responsible for playing your role to the best of your ability every day at work. So be powerful. Focus on what you can control: You.

First, make sure that the first person you are managing every day is you. Make sure you are taking good care of you outside of work so that you are bringing your very best to work every day. Arrive a little early. Stay a little late.

And while you are at work, you need to be all about the work. Your work, that is. Focus on playing the role assigned to you before you ever try to reach beyond that role. Focus on your tasks, your responsibilities, your projects. Focus on doing them very well, very fast, all day long.