Accounting anu

Nanagement at Puiuue
By: Antbony Ketner

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beibiew

II you want to learn the ins and outs oI any major corporation or business, a great way to
achieve this goal is by earning an Accounting degree. Accountants are primarily responsible Ior
running the Iinancial transactions oI a company and keeping accurate records oI any and all
Iinancial inIormation. Accountants` tasks can include 'preparing Iinancial statements, recording
business transactions, computing costs and eIIiciency gains Irom new technologies, participating
in strategies Ior mergers and acquisitions, quality management, developing and using
inIormation systems to track Iinancial perIormance, tax strategy, and health care beneIits
management (Accounting Overview). Through all oI these tasks, Accountants are able to
understand how a business functions. II any oI these tasks sound appealing to you and you
would like to understand how companies work, then maybe Accounting is right Ior you.
Worried about how successIul the job market is Ior accounting? There is absolutely no
need to be worried. America may be going through some diIIicult times, but 'Accounting jobs
are plentiful even in the current weak economy and the money Ior well-trained accountants is
good. Taxes, audits, bookkeeping will always need to be done. With the various Iinancial
scandals in recent years, the Iield has expanded (Accounting Overview). ThereIore, Accounting
is one oI the best majors to explore due to the Iuture job outlook.

able of Contents
Uverview......................................
Useful Links...................................
Management .....................................
Interviews
Nicbolas Pricbodko, Student.......................
Dr. )ason Stanfield, Professor........................
Amy Harvey, Practitioner..........................
Reflection.....................................
Works Cited......................................

seful Links
Accounting Overview: http://www.careers-in-accounting.com/index.htm
Accounting at Purdue: http://www.krannert.purdue.edu/academics/accounting/
Department oI Labor Accounting Statistics and InIormation:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos001.htm
American Institute oI CertiIied Public Accountants: http://www.aicpa.org/Pages/DeIault.aspx
Institute oI Management Accountants: http://www.imanet.org/imahome.aspx
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Nanagement
As I enter the classroom I am about to observe, I begin to have doubts as to whether I`m
in the correct room. I look around and see that most oI the students appear to be upperclassmen. I
take my seat in the back leIt-most chair and begin to observe the room. The room is oI adequate
size with seating Ior 75 students or so. The room is practically empty iI you exclude the students
and their desks. Stairs line the outsides and center oI the room. There is nothing on the walls
except a clock in the back oI the room. Waiting at the Iront oI the room is a small table Ior the
instructor to use, along with a console that controls a computer and screen. The room is well lit
but has no windows.
While making these observations, students enter the classroom as the time approaches
3:00 p.m. Each person walks in and Iinds a seat next to their Iriends. There isn`t much diversity
in the student body with most oI the students being Caucasian or Asian. Several students are
texting away on their smartphones or typing on a laptop. Other students made casual
conversation until the proIessor entered and then silence covered the entire classroom.
The teacher is very casual wearing a nice polo with a pair oI blue jeans. He begins talking
in a very enthusiastic tone. He introduces himselI as Dr. Jason StanIield even though his students
already know who he is. I assume he did this because I had inIormed him that I would be
observing his class, and he knew it would reassure my presence in his classroom, even though
we hadn`t met.
He began by
stating the two things
he would cover in
Management 504: the
exam the students had
just taken and the
lesson over itemized
deductions. One reason
he had been so
enthusiastic was
because the class
average on their mid-
term exam had been
the highest Ior any
class he had ever
taught. Despite the
class average being a
78 Ior the exam, he
reassured the students
that the exam only made up 100 points oI the 600 class total. He then switched over to the
PowerPoint presentation on itemized deductions and began teaching the lesson.
Being an Accounting major, I was excited to learn about this lesson because I didn`t
know much about those kinds oI deductions. Jason began his lesson by stating the deIinition oI
an itemized deduction and the six categories oI personal expenses that can be deductions:
medical, taxes, interest, charity, casualty, and miscellaneous. He continued providing examples
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oI each deduction that either he or a Iamily member had used on their tax return. For instance,
one year his dad tried to deduct all oI his own medical expenses when instead he should have
only deducted the amount over the limit. Having been a CertiIied Public Accountant (CPA),
Jason Iound this quite Iunny and helped his dad Iill his taxes the correct way.
BeIore becoming too involved in the lesson, I took a look around to see what the other
students were doing. Surprisingly, almost every single one oI them was paying attention to the
lecture, and they each had a copy oI the slides in Iront oI them to take notes. Having only taken
Ireshman classes in college, it was interesting to see how diIIerent the upperclassmen acted
compared to Ireshmen. I then reIocused my attention to the lecture and realized that I can
actually pay attention to everything he said because I did not have to take notes oI the lesson.
Overall, the class was very entertaining Ior those who have interest in accounting. As
boring as itemized deductions may seem, all the students Iound the class amusing and seemed
like they wanted to be there. The proIessor deIinitely made the class environment more
appealing and lively with the energy that he brought in his teaching. I can`t wait to take this class
and learn more about tax accounting. Since my knowledge oI this subject is little, I look Iorward
to learning something new each lecture.

icholas Piichouko
anagement Student at Purdue University

I was given the opportunity to interview an
upperclassman in the Krannert School oI Management. The
Iirst person that came to my mind was my Resident
Assistant, Nicholas Prichodko. Nick is currently a IiIth year
senior Irom Carmel, IN. Even though he has been in college
Ior Iive years, management was not always his Iirst choice oI
major. In Iact, he was Iirst accepted into the College oI
Health Sciences, because he wanted to become an eye-
doctor. AIter attending his Summer Transition Advising &
Registration (STAR) day, Nick changed his major to
Engineering beIore his Ireshman year began. It wasn`t until
he was a semester into college that Nick decided to switch
his major to Management. ThereIore, iI you are unsure oI
what major to choose, pick something that currently interests
you, and iI you need to change it, there is no problem in that whatsoever.
One program that Nick recommended I try out was the Study Abroad program. Over the
summer beIore his senior year, Nick travelled to London, England and participated in an unpaid
internship Ior seven weeks. Nick told me that, 'there is a program called Kappa that placed us
with companies in London. We also studied classes including one about British pop-culture.
Nick didn`t just work Ior a company and take a couple classes. He went with a group and
together, they took weekend trips to various locations such as Scotland and Rome. Overall, he
said it was an amazing experience and something that I should deIinitely look into.
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As a student, I wanted to know what kind oI Iun activities or clubs I could get involved in
here at Purdue. He Iirst mentioned his participation in Boiler Gold Rush (BGR) as both a Team
Leader and Team Supervisor. Nick said that BGR is 'a really good organization that helps
develop your leadership skills and is a ton oI Iun. I went through BGR as a Ireshman and
noticed that this program requires the leadership oI upperclassmen. There is no staII or Iaculty
leading BGR, just a bunch oI upperclassmen that enjoy having Iun. Nick also mentioned that he
is in the Greek system as a member oI Pi Kappa Phi. This is something that I, myselI, do not plan
on pursuing, but I have heard wondrous things about the system. 'Great way to meet new people,
helps develop selI-discipline, and creates everlasting relationships with colleagues are just the
beginning oI everything Greek liIe can do Ior you. These are only a Iew oI the over 900 clubs
and organizations that you can look into at Purdue.
Approaching the end oI our interview, I asked Nick iI there was any advice he could give
me that we hadn`t previously discussed. He recommended attending the career Iairs, even iI
employers aren`t looking Ior Ireshman students. He believes the Iairs are an ideal way to gain
business experience and better understand the interview process. Another good growth
experience Nick suggested was to live in an apartment. He, himselI, has yet to do this, but thinks
that living in an apartment allows you to become more oI an individual and prepare you Ior the
real world.

i. }ason Stanfielu
%ax Accounting Professor at Purdue University

When I Iirst met ProIessor Jason StanIield, I was observing his
classroom Ior my ethnography assignment. Immediately, I could tell that
he was a laid back guy that was very enthusiastic about teaching. He was
excited to talk to his students about how well they had done on their
exams. Based on all the enthusiasm he possessed Ior accounting, I quickly
decided that he would be a great person to interview to learn a little bit
more about accounting and why he decided to get into this speciIic Iield.
AIter discovering that he was a LaIayette native, he told me why he
decided to choose Accounting as his major Ior his Bachelor`s degree. His
answer was simple: 'I didn`t know what else to major in. He had
previously taken a Management 350 class and it was Irom that moment
onward that he discovered he had a passion Ior Accounting. What was his reason Ior going into
Tax Accounting? He Iigured out that with taxes, it was more about the rules oI the law and
involved logic and politics, all things he had much interest in. It was not until an employer at his
sales management job that he decided to pursue a Master`s degree in InIormation Systems at Ball
State University. AIter he learned how much he liked interacting with other students and
teaching them new things, he decided to
earn his P.H.D. at Purdue University
and to become a Iull-time lecturer.
Now that I knew a little bit about
his educational experience and why he
was interested in Accounting, I began to
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ask him in-depth Iinancial related questions to gain his perspective on a couple topics I had
interest in. Some oI these questions included, 'Do you think we will ever be able to get out oI the
recession we are in, 'Why do several people avoid paying their taxes when it is required by the
government, and 'Even though the over-consumption oI goods Iorces people into debt, is this,
in some way, a good thing Ior our economy? He gladly stated that 'people think their
government is a very bad steward oI resources.so why should they pay any more money iI the
government is just going to waste it anyway.
Furthermore, 'I think that a lot people believe the underlying problem is consumption in
excess oI income. But in Iact, economic theory would state that iI people are spending money,
then we should not be in a recession but instead have economic growth. However, the reason
we`re in a recession is because banks aren`t willing to continue lending.
From there, I decided to take the conversation a diIIerent direction and ask him what
advice he could give me as a college Ireshman. One oI the major things he stressed about doing
was to get involved! He strongly encouraged me to check out any clubs that interested me and to
also take a look at clubs involving my major such as the Purdue Accounting Association (PAA),
the Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) Business Fraternity, and the SMEF (School oI Management
Employers Forum). Some other advice he gave me was to get an internship. He said that oIten
times, most employers are looking Ior people out oI college who have already had internship
experience. He recommended going to social events and talking to recruiters and other students
to just create connections in hope oI stumbling upon a job experience or internship.
Finally, to ease out oI the busy educational topics, I asked him some personal questions
about his liIe and about some oI the things he enjoys doing. He said that he has been married Ior
ten years and has a two year old daughter. He explained to me that at times it is diIIicult to
balance his social liIe with his job as a lecturer but Ior the most part his job is Iairly Ilexible. In
his spare time, he enjoys playing water sports on Raccoon Lake along with the occasional video
game. He also likes going camping and doing yard work.
From this interview, I learned that university proIessors are very similar to the average
adult. They do not Iocus all oI their time on preparing lectures and enjoy to going out and having
some Iun. Dr. StanIield could not be happier with his liIe; he loves teaching students new things
every day, he enjoys spending time with his Iamily and he appreciates every aspect oI his job.

Amy Baibey
orporate redit anager at Herff Jones

Amy Harvey is a coworker and boss oI mine Irom HerII
Jones Inc. I met her through a program at my high school where
seniors are allowed to intern at various companies around
Indianapolis. I was Iortunate enough to get an interview with Amy
back in January, and she believed I was best Iit Ior the job in their
Credit Department. Over my eight months oI working there, I
developed an amicable Iriendship with my boss, as I completed
research and processed paperwork Ior the department without error.
Through this Iriendship, she has given me tons oI advice and written several letters oI
recommendations Ior me to apply Ior scholarships. As we approached our Iiscal year end, I
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began to discover how hectic a business can become. Due to her hospitality and generosity,
whether that was providing donuts in the morning or allowing us to dress casual, she was able to
keep myselI and my coworkers Iocused on completing the mounds oI work thrown upon us.
Through my experience at HerII Jones and a phone interview, I was able to better understand the
tasks Amy does as a Corporate Credit manager and how she is able to successIully manage the
department in a productive way.
Amy began her career in the business world as a Bankruptcy Foreclosure Manager at
Bank One Mortgage. AIter the selling oI the servicing division, she was Iorced into the decision
oI moving out oI Indianapolis or Iinding a
new job. It was here when she decided to look
Ior a job in a stable company because the
banking industry provided little job security.
There was a position available at HerII Jones
as the Operations Manager. She recalls, 'I
needed a new job that would be around Ior a
long period oI time. HerII Jones had been around Ior over eighty years at that time and I decided
to apply Ior the job. Shortly aIter obtaining this new position, several changes in procedures and
disciplines were made among the company. This resulted in a shiIt oI responsibility among
people. Amy became the Corporate Credit Manager and upon receiving this new role, had
several new obligations and tasks that she would now be required to be responsible Ior.
Amy has worked Ior HerII Jones Ior eleven years and always enjoys coming to work. She
said, 'The best part about my job is that I`m always learning something new. I don`t go a day
without a new challenge. Every day is diIIerent than the one beIore it.
One oI the things that are always changing is the statistics oI the company. She enjoys
seeing the Iinancial reports and then comparing them to previous months to evaluate how well
the credit department is doing and iI we should be doing things diIIerently. The most problematic
part oI her job is when she comes across customers with whom it is diIIicult to work. 'It`s a
HUGE problem when customers don`t want to pay and are unwilling to return my phone calls,
Amy explained. 'That then slows down the production oI the credit department and I`m
responsible Ior Iixing the problem.
With each new challenge, Amy communicates with other mangers to hear their opinions
about how a solution can be achieved.
As our interview came to an end, I asked her what advice she would give to do well in the
business Iield. Among her several points, one oI the most important ones was to 'challenge
myselI. She recommends keeping a list oI everything I have ever accomplished, so that way I
can apply what I have learned to the diIIerent situations I will come across. She comments that
'people will oIten Iorget what they`ve done. Employers, however, are looking Ior everything that
you have done, and they want speciIics about how you did certain things.

eflection
BeIore high school, I had absolutely no idea as to what occupation
interested me. For some reason, I knew I wanted it to involve money, but I
wasn`t quite sure as to why. It may have been because oI the golI ball business
my Iriend and I started. Or, it was due to the Iact that my mom worked Ior
"Every day is different. I'm always
learning something new."
-Amy
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National City. I Iirst became interested in Accounting around my sophomore year oI high school.
AIter an exciting year oI learning the basics oI accounting, I continued taking classes to acquire a
more in-depth knowledge. Over the next two years, a passion developed and I decided it was a
career I wanted to think about pursuing. Despite my conIidence about pursuing a career in
Accounting, I still had doubts as to whether it was the right decision Ior me. Since I had always
been set on taking accounting classes in high school, I never explored any other options that
might be appealing to me. AIter the completion oI this assignment, I was able to get rid oI those
doubts and realize that business is my true calling. I also discovered that management is a
possible option to explore as both oI them are tied closely together.
Through the process oI interviews and mini-ethnography, I was able to get a better
understanding oI my path to become an accountant. During the class observation, I could picture
myselI sitting in that exact room, learning about itemized deductions as an upperclassman. AIter
that, I talked with an upperclassman that was majoring in Management. He told me what kind oI
activities he was involved in and how to best position myselI Ior liIe aIter college. He
recommended Iinding a Iew organizations to get involved in and take big, leadership roles in
them, instead oI only being a member in numerous clubs. From there, I interviewed a proIessor
who had a background in tax accounting. He was able to give me tons oI advice such as getting
involved in things related to your major and Iinding internships to gain valuable work
experience. Moving Iorward, I interviewed my boss at HerII Jones and she told what businesses
are looking Ior in new hires, what kinds oI qualities they should possess, and how to prepare
myselI Ior proIessional interviews.
Prior to this assignment, I had thought that I would always want to study Accounting and
eventually become a CertiIied Public Accountant. Since then, I have discovered there are so
many kinds oI accounting that I could pursue. Public, Iinancial, Iorensics, managerial, or even
governmental are all diIIerent possibilities to explore. Every type comes with diIIerent obstacles
and opportunities that will provide me with learning experiences. ThereIore, I have a set a goal
Ior myselI to expand my knowledge to decide which kind oI accounting best suits me. This
assignment really opened my eyes and made me realize how important it is to Iind a career that is
right Ior me. From my interviews, I realized that both ProIessor StanIield and Amy love their
jobs, and it inspires me to become just as successIul and happy in their career choice. Through
each part oI this assignment, the reality that I am growing up came to my attention. I have to
become involved on campus; I have to Iocus on my studies; I have to make connections with
other people because in the end, it all aIIects my liIe and how I choose to live it.

oiks Citeu
"Amy Harvey." Telephone interview. 21 Oct. 2011
'Dr. Jason StanIield." Personal interview. 13 Oct. 2011
Drake, Phil, Randy Beatty, and Howard Bunsis. "Accounting Overview." Accounting Jobs from
areers-in-Accounting.com. Web. 22 Oct. 2011. http://www.careers-in-
accounting.com/index.htm~
"Nicholas Prichodko." Personal interview. 18 Oct. 2011