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To Whom It May Going Concern: “You’re an accountant concerned about being around nerds?”

To Whom It May Going Concern is an infrequent feature of some our favorite messages that come across the wire. If you have something important to tell us, email [email protected] with "To Whom It May Going Concern" in the subject line, @ us on Twitter or just yell really loud and maybe we'll hear you. Just a reminder that all messages are considered on the record unless specified otherwise.

I'm going to a Holiday party tonight where I will meet a number of strangers who will want an explanation as to what, exactly, it is that I do here.  I don't mind explaining that it really just consists of reading a few articles on the internet, writing a sentence or two, correcting my typos, listening to Adrienne talk about her cats, and spending the rest of the time checking out Twitter.

Skeptical Stranger: "You get paid for that?" 

Me: "Yep!" 

Skeptical Stranger: "How do you make money?"

Me: (throwing back bourbon) "Huh?"

And it's fine, I guess. It's certainly easier than being one of those auditors who have to explain that, yes, there are CPAs that don't prepare tax returns.

ANYWAY, for this TWIMGC, there are only a couple of messages, so it's clear that you couldn't be happier with everything that we do. If that changes, do let us know.

From: Chris
Subject:
Starting Salary and comments
My main issue was with the comment about the E&Y Charlotte office.  Hmm, where do I start?  Too many nerds, really?  You're an accountant concerned about being around nerds?  Having said that, I think nerds today are thought of in the non-traditional way as being sexy.  And as far as the campus event goes, wow!  First, you judge a decision about starting your career around a social event (enough said about that rationale) and the fact that E&Y personnel did the work that others were supposed to reflects their willingness to do something where others are slacking, if anything.  
 
Let me tell you, a look into how a firm operates is the way that they pick up cups and other things…sound reasoning right there.  Oh well, good thing they didn't sign because that ball of negativity who calls herself/himself a "professional" isn't going to last long in a career that is service/people-oriented.  E&Y wouldn't stand for it.  Don't worry about publishing this because the only way to have a quote on one the goingconcern.com articles is to say something absolutely ridiculous like that.  But anyway, just wanted to set the record straight.
Record straightened. E&Y Charlotte has been vindicated. Although we wouldn't mind hearing about other perspectives.
 
From the tip box:
As I was mindlessly typing away today, I had this thought: how many words do you think an average auditor types in a day?  I am guessing I probably write a book's worth each week.

I'm not going to put a hard range on this because wordiness varies greatly, but generally speaking, there is an inverse correlation between the number of words typed and your place in the firm hierarchy. When you're an associate, your emails are long and elaborate because you want to demonstrate intelligence and contemplation. Also – no one reads them.

As your career moves along, your time is more valuable (at least you think it is) and delegating lots of your writing to others (see: Administrative Assistants) becomes necessary and eventually, your words hold so much weight with people that you can reply in fragments and short utterances like, "Meh," or in the case of Deloitte's general counsel, "Fuck me. Again?"

Most OMPs don't even write emails, they just walk around staring at other people until they burst into tears or start packing their personal items into a cardboard box.

The same goes for actual work. The lower down the ladder you are, the more writing you will do. Partners can't be bothered with typing. They're already doomed to an early grave thanks to the years of sitting on their asses; they can't be expected to suffer with carpal tunnel, too. Try thinking of the partners once in a while, wouldja?