Accounting Firm Service lines (1 Viewer)

[UWS-Uni-Student]

Im wondering how you choose a particular service line in an accounting firm if you meet the requirements for several lines and are interested in several lines. How is it that you pick one specific line to do (even for vacation work)

 

[Vagabond]

How?

:-s

Research them and choose one which you find the most appealing/think will offer you the best future in terms of growth potential (within the service line and out of it), flexibility?

 

[UWS-Uni-Student]

And when say 3 fit this category?

 

[Vagabond]

Surely one must appeal to you the most. If not, and if you are confident in yourself, go with the largest one.

 

[UWS-Uni-Student]

Is it easy to move around in order to diversify ones knowledge base, as oppossed to specialisation?

 

[seremify007]

But surely you wouldn't want to be a jack of all trades?

Btw when you say service line, at least from a large firm perspective, I'm assuming you mean Assurance (audit) vs. Tax vs. Advisory kindof thing? Or were you referring to business units (eg. client groups such as financial services or consumer products)?

 

[turtleface]

Is it easy to move around in order to diversify ones knowledge base, as oppossed to specialisation?

You want to be careful about moving around. I think organisations need people with skills who can do stuff others can't. If they need a jack of all trades they can pick up some dude from the street.

I can see what the appeal is with wanting to rotate or move around through different divisions and learn new things, but that would take a long, long time. That is why I think the rotation programs that Commerical Banks and stuff run are a waste of time. You basically spend 3 months doing photocopying in one division, get rotated through another division and end up doing another 3 months of photocopying there. But hey...theres the illusion you are diversifying your knowledge base.

To really pick up stuff, you need to spend several years working in each different area.

 

[UWS-Uni-Student]

But surely you wouldn't want to be a jack of all trades?

Btw when you say service line, at least from a large firm perspective, I'm assuming you mean Assurance (audit) vs. Tax vs. Advisory kindof thing? Or were you referring to business units (eg. client groups such as financial services or consumer products)?

Yes thats correct I was indeed referring to Assurance, Taxation, Advisory, Corporate Finance, etc

 

[seremify007]

Some firms do encourage rotational work where you work in different divisions for a few months at a time and switch; then later on in a year or two's time you pick the one you want to stay in. This is more noticeable in say Advisory (corp finance and the like) rather than Tax/Assurance.