by Michelle Peters
Recruiting season is here! And while that brings a lot of excitement, it also requires making hard decisions that can affect your career track. Choosing a firm to work for can bring up a lot of questions. Should you pick a large, mid-sized, or small firm? Go local, or shoot for one of the Big 4? Does it really even make a difference?
Deciding to go with a mid-sized, locally-owned firm like Sweeney Conrad has distinct advantages. We’ve put together a list of the top 10 reasons we think you can benefit from looking at a local firm our size!
- You work with some of the best local businesses and leaders. Local is where it’s at. When you work for a business that is founded where you live, you get a chance to meet business leaders in your own community daily! This helps tremendously to grow your professional and personal networks.
- You acquire a breadth of knowledge from exposure to clients in a wide variety of industries. At a small or mid-sized firm, you will most likely get involved with many different types of clients. This means that every day is different, and you are always learning!
- You will be mentored closely by managers and partners early in your career. Leadership genuinely supports and values you as an individual. One of the greatest things about working at Sweeney Conrad is the level of shareholder involvement. Because of the size of our firm (and dedication to “people first”), our partners and principals get to know each of us individually and guide us every step of the way.
- There is strong community and close working relationships among all levels of professionals (staff, seniors, managers, partners). Not only is there a great deal of interaction with shareholders and principals, but the company as a whole works closely with one another. We are a unified team- lucky enough to get to work with each other at a variety of levels.
- There is diversity in work. This is a fantastic benefit for carving out your own path. A smaller firm means you get to work on a variety of different entities and issues, instead of just one small specialized area. It’s a great way to “dip your toe” into many different kinds of work to see where your passions and skills are best utilized.
- It’s not just about the numbers. There are plenty of other projects to get involved in at a mid-sized firm. At Sweeney Conrad, we have different teams that are not related to the “accounting and advisory fields”- like “fun team,” “charitable giving team”, and “women’s network.” This gives you the ability to get involved in areas outside of your area of practice.
- There is a great deal of opportunity for growth, upward mobility and flexibility in determining your path. There are a lot of directions you can take your career as a CPA. At a smaller firm, there is often the opportunity to be mentored by the people who are where you would like to be. They will help you carve your own way.
- Competitive pay. Need we say more?
- The ability to maintain a healthy balance between career and personal goals (most of the time). When the partners at your firm really know you- they work hard to create a work culture that supports you both professionally and personally. Work-life balance is always a challenge in our field, but when you matter to your employers- so does your happiness.
- Opportunities to travel for trainings and business trips. Continuing to stay “in the know” on the latest changes and additions is key to our profession. If you’re not just a “number cruncher” your growth is important to your firm. This means opportunities to continue training- and sometimes even to travel!
Deciding where to take your first job is not an easy decision. But with a local mid-sized firm you can get the best of both worlds- it’s large enough to be innovative and forward-thinking yet small enough to where you will get noticed.
If you’d like to learn more about upcoming recruiting events send us a message at resume@sweeneyconrad.com .
