The Ratrace

[violagirl]

I'm not really looking forward to going back to work on Monday. I generally like my job. But after being promoted this year, I'm almost ready for "backsies". 

If anyone has worked in public accounting they might be able to understand. It is like a giant pyramid scheme. I swear the last annual meeting felt like I was at an Amway convention or something and was getting the rah rah to get out and hock my wares to my "network". 

The problem is I'm in a pretty niche area of accounting with not a lot of demand for in-house practitioners in the  private industry in my area. I feel kind of stuck. 

I like the technical aspects of my job, I even like talking to clients etc, but the constant pressure to sell iI dont' know what to do with. I waiver between optimism that I can do it to dread of another networking event. Why do they think a bunch of introverted accountants suddenly want to go out to become sales people? I dont' even get that. 

They even kicked around the idea of "mandatory" volunteering. I couldn't even wrap my head around that. 

How does an introvert manage in this extrovert world? 

[Deleted]

Beats me.  I'm very much an introvert; you can't change the stripes on a zebra.  If you're very good in one area, they can't expect you to be as good in another.

[Deleted]

My son is in corporate accounting, and they paid him piddling amounts to pick up some licenses to sell insurance products. Piddling amounts come in handy at his house plus he likes his company. The point is that I think the pressure is everywhere.

I've actually heard of "mandatory" volunteering before. Companies want to look good. They want their employees to make them look good. 

[Deleted]

I've worked for a couple of small consulting firms and there was always pressure to bring in new business. I have an excellent network but never got the hang of selling.

I once asked my brother, a highly successful tax accountant, and he said he got his foot in the door by pointing out that he could probably save companies more in taxes than he would cost. Too bad I was in an area where properly quantifying liabilities could result in a hit to the bottom line.

I highly recommend "Selling for Dummies". If you can get some coaching from someone at your firm who's good at bringing in business, that would help, too. If you can bring in business, you become very marketable, so it's worth trying to acquire the skill.

[milee]

Jan 1, 2015 19:01:59 GMT -5 violagirl said:

They even kicked around the idea of "mandatory" volunteering. I couldn't even wrap my head around that. 

When I was in public accounting, our firm basically required volunteering. The type, amount and level of volunteering you did was discussed regularly with suggestions for improvement given.   Also, as the partners found out about requests from nonprofits that needed volunteer financial help, they'd call people in to personally ask them to volunteer for the work.  It was fairly high pressure.

But not as high pressure as the selling.  That was - like you're finding out - constant and unrelenting.  You really couldn't make it past certain levels if you weren't bringing in business and they made that very clear.

There were some other kinds of odd/unpleasant things we were required to do, too:

-It was not considered acceptable to bring your lunch to work (professionals only, the admins were allowed to pack lunches).  The partners had the idea that they wanted their professionals out and about being seen.  Reading between the lines I think they also wanted the professionals to project an image of success and wealth and considered brown bagging it to look cheap.  That was a tough one on the budget for the first few years when staff isn't paid all that well, and also sometimes a real PITA when you're already working a 12 hour day and just want to eat something quick at the desk while you work.  In those cases, it would be considered OK to order food in.  I never understood the difference in prestige between that and just bringing lunch, but whatever.

-Volunteering to help the Firm at the local college recruiting events was "highly encouraged".  Although some of the recruiting events were fun activities, it still wasn't what most of us wanted to be doing on our small amounts of unpaid time off.

-Travel time to clients was unpaid.  Not a big deal if your clients are within a normal commute, but when you started being a recognized expert and were requested for jobs around the country, the unpaid travel time was a killer on top of the already long working hours.  I remember one client I had that was a nightmare for about 5 months.  It took two flights and then an hour's drive, so I'd leave my house Monday mornings at 5 AM, not be at the client location until around 2 PM and none of that time was paid or chargeable, so I still had a 10-11 hour workday to complete to hit the billing targets.  Same thing for the return trip home on Thursday or Friday.  Unpaid/unchargeable travel time really, really sucked.  And didn't help when you also had to be doing your sales networking, volunteering, etc. as well. 

 

[violagirl]

I don't mind going to an occasional networking event or going for lunch with a client or potential client.  I know public accounting is generally "up or out". I'm just trying to figure out how far up to go. As I build my client base I can see it getting easier to get new clients (assuming I am competent and they like me). I guess it is starting at basically 0 that is overwhelming. Then add to it that I'm not a sales type.

I"m not even super "corporate". I'm not sure I can explain it. I tend to call a spade a spade. Like when hotels say they are only changing towels every second day because it is "for the environment".   You mean the environment of your bottom line. Or stores charging 10 cents per plastic bag "for the environment". Who believes that crap? Or companies forcing their employees to volunteer for the cause of the month. I mean is it volunteering or is it advertising? It smells like advertising to me. It is all so fake. If I want to spend my free time helping a cause, I shouldn't have to pick one that provides an avenue to talk up the business. Can't a person just go walk some dogs at the shelter and not have to announce it to the world?

Since when did corporations become the next social program? 

Maybe I'll just get a few hives and become a beekeeper. 

[milee]

Jan 1, 2015 22:20:08 GMT -5 violagirl said:

Or companies forcing their employees to volunteer for the cause of the month. I mean is it volunteering or is it advertising? It smells like advertising to me. It is all so fake. If I want to spend my free time helping a cause, I shouldn't have to pick one that provides an avenue to talk up the business. Can't a person just go walk some dogs at the shelter and not have to announce it to the world?

Since when did corporations become the next social program? 
 

At the firm I was with, it had nothing to do with being a social program or advertising and everything to do with networking.  They wouldn't really care if you go walk shelter dogs or not, unless that also put you into regular contact with company decision makers and/or other volunteers that were potential clients. 

[zibazinski]

Wow, public accounting sure has changed I know two guys who startedc late 70's. Both are partners. Yes, it was up or out but both were compensated for travel time and if car was driven past a certain radius, mileage. Both saved their mileage miney for new cars and it worked for them. No forced volunteering, either.

[ArchietheDragon]

If you don't want to be a partner, get your experience and get out. 

[violagirl]

My firm is not quite as draconian as yours Milee, but sometimes it feels like they want to sap every moment of every day from me. 

The things I like about public accounting.: I'm in tax not audit so I dont' do a lot of travelling. I get bored quickly so I like the variety of companies I work on. Just when I get tired of one, I get a new file with a new set of problems or a totally different industry. I'm treated more like a contractor than an employee. While I am expected to get a certain amount of hours, it isn't set in stone the time that I do them. I do KIND of enjoy the frenetic pace of busy season. As long as busy season doesn't last all year. They are also paying for my Masters. 

So from the technical standpoint and who I work with - I'm happy. On the "The Firm is Your Life" side I'm not sold. 

Options: I could leave. But I'm more in international tax so I'd have to go to a big enough place that my skills would be useful. There are a few around here. I worked for one of them before and would not really care to again. 

I'm still trying to figure out what I'm good at. Do I even like managing people? Maybe I'm just not the manager type. Maybe I just have to grow into it a bit. 

According to my direct manager, he doesn't really have to do a lot of "selling" because he already has client base so he meets with various people several times a week. As he is moving toward being a partner, I am going to be kind of inheriting these clients. So maybe I just have to suck it up and drag myself to "events". 

Do I want to be a partner? I dont' know. Not if it involves selling  my soul. 

[ArchietheDragon]

Jan 2, 2015 9:53:53 GMT -5 violagirl said:

Do I want to be a partner? I dont' know. Not if it involves selling  my soul. 

It involves selling yourself.   There are tens of thousands of tax accountants that a potential, or current, client could use.   You have to convince them to use you.     They don't choose to use you for the final product they get.  They could get that from any number of people.  They choose to use you for you. 

[Bonny]

Jan 2, 2015 9:57:58 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Jan 2, 2015 9:53:53 GMT -5 violagirl said:

Do I want to be a partner? I dont' know. Not if it involves selling  my soul. 

It involves selling yourself.   There are tens of thousands of tax accountants that a potential, or current, client could use.   You have to convince them to use you.     They don't choose to use you for the final product they get.  They could get that from any number of people.  They choose to use you for you. 

From someone who preferred the technical aspects of real estate far more than the "selling" side, I did pretty well during the five years I sold real estate.

First you have to believe that you're good at what you do and that people need your service. In other words, you're a problem solver and can help them plan for their future.

After about six months of doing the grunt work (open houses and "floor time" aka answering the phones) I had enough of a client base that my business was all referral. I was "selling" to relatives, friends and colleagues of the original base clients. When you inherit your boss' clients send out the introductory letter, meet with them personally, perform well, send follow up contact and ask for referrals.

My favorite response when they thanked me was to say "Don't thank me if you think I'm good give my cards to your friends and colleagues". That was a surprisingly successful approach.

Good luck; you can do this!

[Phoenix84]

That does seem to be the way a lot of jobs are these days, they expect you to be good at everything and the kitchen sink. I guess that's the new economy.

That's one big appeal about my job, at least I don't have to sell stuff or drum up business.