Generally speaking, you can't trust Sam Antar because he's a crook. But when it comes to advice on advancing your accounting career, you can trust these tips. Sam studied under Abe Brilloff at Baruch, graduated in 1980, became a CPA in 1985, worked for Crazy Eddie predecessor auditor Penn Horowitz (which was replaced later by KPMG), and went on to help perpetuate one of the most infamous frauds in the United States. So he knows what he's talking about when it comes to careers.
Let's check out Sam's advice.
Tips for Advancing Your Accounting Career: Remind the audit client that in accounting the number is any number they want to report.
— Sam E. Antar (@SamAntar) December 2, 2014
Tips for Advancing Your Accounting Career: If the audit client won't like the question, don't ask it.
— Sam E. Antar (@SamAntar) December 2, 2014
Tips for Advancing Your Accounting Career: If you find improprieties and the engagement partner says you're wrong, he's right.
— Sam E. Antar (@SamAntar) December 2, 2014
Tips for Advancing Your Accounting Career: Understand your role. The engagement partner is a salesman and you are his marketing assistant.
— Sam E. Antar (@SamAntar) December 2, 2014
Tips for Advancing Your Accounting Career: Treat GAAP like the tax code where it's form over substance, not substance over form.
— Sam E. Antar (@SamAntar) December 2, 2014
Tips for Advancing Your Accounting Career: Restating financials means admitting to past audit mistakes. Don't restate.
— Sam E. Antar (@SamAntar) December 2, 2014
Tips for Advancing Your Accounting Career: Your real bread is buttered by the audit client. Even when he's wrong, he's right.
— Sam E. Antar (@SamAntar) December 2, 2014
Tips for Advancing Your Accounting Career: Audits are designed to check boxes, not to open them to see what's inside.
— Sam E. Antar (@SamAntar) December 2, 2014
Tips for Advancing Your Accounting Career: If the audit client says you are smart, it's because they want you to stay dumb.
— Sam E. Antar (@SamAntar) December 2, 2014
Tips for Advancing Your Accounting Career: You are in a service business to please the audit client. That's why they are called clients.
— Sam E. Antar (@SamAntar) December 2, 2014
Now go forth with that information and be the best little professional you can be!
