the executive insight dec

The Executive Insight

Table Of Contents

Letter from the Editor

Ascend Testimonial

Sailing Through the Uncertainty

Don't Break the Habit

Big 4 vs Mid-Size: Act 2

Who Needs Sherlock

A Finance Fixing

So What Now?

Thank You

Why Join Ascend

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The Executive Insight - December '162

Letter From The EditorDear Ascend Members and Friends,

I think it's safe to say we're getting better at this whole magazine thing! This month we'vecontinued our traditions of growth and improvement by adopting new methods to make yourreading experience even better.

As the semester comes to a close we welcome the coming finals and the subsequent holidays(mainly the holidays) with open arms. This holiday season your Ascend team gives you thewonderful gifth of knowledge. In the coming pages you'll learn about new careers,investments, resume tips, and even career lengthening advice.

Let us not forget why we are all in Queens College, to grow as individuals amongst peers whoaspire the same. As your Ascend team grows and improves, so too must you. So go ahead, flip(scroll) through with open minds you inquisitive leaders of tomorrow!

Best Regards,Ameen Sulaiman

2016-2017 Ascend QC Leadership

Ameen Sulaiman, PresidentGurpreet Kaur, Vice-PresidentEmily Equite, TreasurerKrista Benitez, Secretary

Jenny Xie, Head of TechnologyEric Tal, Head of MarketingNicholas Cheng, Head of Prof. DevelopmentEmily Chan, Associate EditorKarina Chen, Associate Editor

Executive Board

Board of Directors


Being actively involved in Ascend, as well as other business clubs, is the best decision thatI've made for my career. A great amount of my experience in the Executive Board of Ascend,and the skills has helped me endure the challenges of the real world, as well as the skills thatI've learned, such as project management and soft skills. The events that the Business clubswould host, in particular the mock interview event, have helped me obtain a job after college.I've done mock interviews in the past; however, there was one mock interview event thatAscend Queens College hosted humbled me and helped me realize that I was not a greatinterviewee. And I wanted to be great.

I would advise students to really think about their short-term and long-term career goals. It'sgood to have a general outlook of what your ultimate goals is, and how your short-term goalswill lead you to your ultimate goal. I initially joined Ascend to help me reach my short-termgoal after graduation: to get a job. Honestly, that's why I joined. However, I soon realizedafter joining that I had to work...really work to achieve that goal. If I were to go back to mytime as a student, I would have been actively involved in the business clubs as a freshman. Ifyou're not active right now, then I would advise you to do so as soon as possible..

Testimonial

Arnold Situmeang KPMG Audit Associate

Former Ascend QC Senior Advisor


Ascend QC Monthly Newsletter - September

We’ve all seen the headlines when the bigmergers are announced, and we’ve all seenhow they impact their markets. But whatreally goes on behind the scenes when acompany is going through a massive merger?After the immediate panic, and/or excitement,how do the executives plan what’s next? Whatdo the lower level “line folk” do during thistime? Well we’re fortunate enough to haveJeffrey Satenstein, former CFO of ChaseInvestment Banking and current AccountingProfessor at Queens College, share his storiesand the insight he gained from hisexperiences.

While Prof. Satenstein was with Chase theywent through 2 extremely pivotal mergers.First in 1995 with Chemical Bank, third largestin the country at the time, and then with J.P.Morgan in 2000 to form what we now know asJ. P. Morgan Chase. Prof. Satenstein states that“although these were called ‘Mergers ofEquals’,it was a bit of an oxymoron, because itwas clear that one side or the other would dominate as you wentthrough each individual businessfunction of the companies”. Inthe ‘95 merger’s case Chase dominated theretail aspect and Chemical actually dominatedthe Investment Banking side. Again, Prof.Satenstein was the CFO of Chase’s IB groupgoing into the merger, so it should come as nosurprise that he initially had little hopes in

Sailing Through the Uncertainty

retaining his position. “But as it turned out theprocess around which they decided whowould be responsible for each of the functionswas very fair.”


The ProcessUsually when a merger is announced thehighest positions are announced with it, theCEO, chairmen of the board, and the heads ofeach of the businesses. The rest of the firm isresolved in a cascading manner. When hislevels turn came, Prof. Satenstein was giventhe opportunity to essentially interview forthe combined CFO of Investment Bankingposition, against the CFO at Chemical’s IB.Luckily Prof. Satenstein knew what they’d belooking for.

“Frankly what they’re most interested in,what we would call an ‘overlap merger’, is away to reduce cost.” You’d be expected tobring costs down significantly within 18-24months. How significantly? “The general rules

was to take 50% of the smaller group andthat’s the expense reduction you’re lookingfor”. So, for example, if one group spent$100,000 and the other group spent $80,000,the expected reduction would be $40,000. Thiswas not only a challenge for the executives

Accounts From a Former CFO of Chase Investment Bank

“Frankly what they’re most interested in,what we would call an ‘overlap merger’, is away to reduce cost.”


Prof. Satenstein gave his pitch and was touted toretain his position pretty early on. This meant thathe had the unique opportunity to sit on theinterviews of the variousother positions, and sharehis objective opinion onthe pitches. They’d, ofcourse, take the time tohear each side “but in theend, it became prettyevident who would takecharge”. What did thismean for the loser? Well sometimes they weremade “deputy” to the head, but this was onlymeant as a short-term place holder until anotherplace in the company is found for them. On veryrare occasions co-heads would be appointed, butthis was especially unusual “because you’rerunning the risk of nothing ever getting decidedupon”. But these efforts were made to retain asmuch of the desired talent as possible, rather thanlose them outright.

After Prof. Satenstein’s role was announced, hethen had to appoint his team of 20-25 controllers.

This is where Prof. Satenstein adopted anincredibly bold approach: “When I was announcedas the CFO of the Investment Banking business,everyone from my former staff was surelythinking ‘That’s wonderful, I’m safe, I’m protected’and whoever was on the Chemical side would beeliminated. It turned out that I did just theopposite”. He elaborated on this choice by statinghe made this decision because, although he had avery good understanding of the Chase side ofthings, his team of Chemical controllers wouldprovide him with vital insight into the opposingside. This approach may have cost him a fewfriends, but it certainly was the best move toeffectively run the combined finance functions.

Although everyone’s experiences during awill be different, there’s no denying the uneasethat comes along with the uncertainty in the air.Prof. Satenstein stresses the importance offlexibility, in all areas, when traversing thesebumpy waters. “Don’t resist change. You’ve got torealize that the way things were done in the pastare not the way things will be done goingforward”. Mergers are exciting times; you mustthink of them as such. As long as you’re flexible, inmeeting new people and adopting new processes,you’re more than likely to survive.

By: Ameen Sulaiman

"When I was announced as the CFO of the InvestmentBanking business, everyone from my former staff wassurely thinking ‘That’s wonderful, I’m safe, I’mprotected’ and whoever was on the Chemical sidewould be eliminated. It turned out that I did just theopposite”

but for the line folk as well. The reality of thesituation is that 100% of the revenue is expected tobe kept, but far from 100% of the staff will. The cost reduction is part of the long-term goal,but in the short term the banks placed hundreds ofmillions in reserves for the immediate expensesthey expected to incur due to the merger. Thereserves were used for such things as severancepackages, stay bonuses, and of course theextensive re-structuring costs.

Settling In

The end of the Fall semester is coming to aclose and the highly anticipated WinterBreak is undoubtedly on everyone’s mind.Many have opted to take Winter classes,either to stay ahead of the game or to catchup on any missing credits for graduation. Allin all, despite the upcoming vacation,Queens College students are definitelythinking about the future.

The big questionis: What are youdoing this Winterbreak? If you’retaking Winterclasses orpreoccupyingyourself with workor internships, thenprops to you.However, if youdon’t see yourselfhustling in thecold days ahead,keep reading because this article is for you!Make it your mission this winter to mastersomething that’s becoming extremelyimportant in the work force, master yoursoft skills. In other words, enjoy your break,but don’t break the habit of thinkingprofessionally and working towards selfimprovement.

Don't Break the Habit

The Soft Skills


members who work in service industries,especially restaurants…” Well, isn’t that a funfact! Next time, don’t discount the small parttime jobs you’ve had when crafting yourprofessional story.

Other skills that employers seek out are“teamwork...critical thinking, social skills,creativity, interpersonal communication,adaptability and having a friendly

personality.” Apparently, these soft skills are abig hit with employers, an analysis of “2.3million LinkedIn profiles” shows that “nearly58% of employees who touted stellarcommunication skills were hired over thecourse of a year.” Since communication isunmistakably important, addingcommunication skills to your resume andcover letter is just as vital.

According to an article published in the WallStreet Journal, “The ‘Soft Skills’ EmployersAre Looking for,” by Kate Davidson,employers are seeking out individuals withcommunication skills, organization skillsand punctuality. According to Davidson,these skills are “most prevalent among

To emphasize your communication skills,try to include experiences that provided youwith a leadership role or team role. As aleader, it is essential to have strongcommunication skills in order tosuccessfully relay information and guideothers. As a team member, the way you

For example: As Vice President of theResident Student Association on campus, Ieffectively bridge the gap in communicationI do this by preparing 5 budget proposals amonth, and summarizing input from boardmembers during weekly meetings. As aresult, strong communication helped thecommittee to double the number ofsuccessfully planned events from theprevious year.

The preceding example would be a strongfit for a cover letter and with a bit oftweaking, it could also be written in resumeformat. Can you think of anything that helpsyou highlight your communication skills?This can include positions in clubs orpositions from jobs that you have held. Makesure to highlight your value by providingquantifiable results demonstrating theeffectiveness of your ability to communicate.

In the demonstration above, we were ableto discuss an experience in a way thatexemplified the soft skill of communication.This process can be applied to the rest of theskills mentioned by Davidson in a similarmanner. The first step is to identify arelevant experience that exemplifies thecharacteristic that employers are lookingfor. After identifying, you can start by givinga brief description of your role, but moreimportantly, how you added value andsubsequently developed as a professionalfrom this experience. To highlight yourvalue, show the results of your contributionsusing quantifiable measurements.

The takeaway from this article is to understandhow to advertise your unapparent strengths.This is a great way to separate yourself from apack of candidates. Hard skills are important,but at the end of the day, when an employerhires you, they want to believe that you can bea part of the team and contribute inmeaningful ways. This is when soft skill, “traitsthat don’t show up in a job posting but areessential for succeeding in the workplace,”come in.

This break, don’t break the habit ofprofessional and individual improvement thatyou have developed. Practice including softskills into your resume and cover letter byfollowing the procedure detailed in the article.It will definitely make all the difference!


By: Karina Chen

Tips to Help DevelopYour Soft SkillsMaking the Skills

Easy to Find

communicate with others can largely impactwhether or not your team achieves its goal.

Ascend QC Monthly Newsletter - September

If someone were to ask you Big Four orMid-Size, which one would you choose? Haveyou done enough research to make thisimportant decision? Have you done anyresearch at all? These are the types ofquestions we need to ask ourselves as weapproach graduation. As time is narrowing in,and as the decision of where to start ourcareers becomes more tangible than everbefore, being able to answer these questionswith confidence and surety help us developthe clear vision of where we ultimately wantto be.

In my first article I shared an insideperspective of the culture and work-lifewithin a mid-size firm. This time I wasfortunate enough to gain a deeperunderstanding of someone who works for theopposite side of the spectrum, the big four. Iwas given the opportunity to interview withMuaz Paracha, Auditor at Deloitte. Muaz, arecent Queens College graduate, thoroughlyenjoys sharing his story with as manystudents as possible. He was sitting in thesame Powdermaker Hall seats less than a yearago, and was kind enough to offer his adviceand experienced insight on how he made it toDeloitte.

Big 4 vs Mid-Size: Act 2

This is the primary and most practical step inthe decision making process. Researchingevery company, knowing their mission and understanding who they are and whatthey do is unexplainably important. Once an


Research! Research! Research!

and understanding who they are and whatthey do is unexplainably important. Once anunderstanding is made, envisioning yourselfthere will make the selection easier. “Youhave to see through it all, and see what’s thereal reason I want to work here.” In order todo research you need to understand whatyou’re looking for, what are yourpreferences? In Muaz’s case “It was a naturalchoice to go Big Four.” Knowing hispreferences significantly narrowed down hischoice firms and channeled his personalvision.

While work within the Big Four and the Mid-size are the closely related, there are somenoticeable differences. One distinguishingfactor is that the Big Four clients are muchlarger. “They handle the biggest clientsbecause they’re the biggest firms and have theresources to do so.” Mid-size on the otherhand are not as capable to handle these well-known clients because of their limitedresources. Their clients are smaller scalewhen placed in comparison to those of the BigFour.

Another benefit of working at a Big Four isthe size of the teams, typically these teams arelarger than those within a Mid-size. Thenumbers can run anywhere from around 15people to so large that they take up an entirefloor of a building within a client site.However, sometimes teams are as small as ateam of 2. “At a Big Four you can be put on asmaller engagement that’s comparable to a

Know the Differences


it was his networking skills that got him thosecontacts, allowing him to sit where he is today.

Talking to Muaz it was clear that he waspassionate about both his job and Deloitte. Whenasked what he enjoys most about his job heresponded, “The satisfaction of getting your workdone. Accounting is like a puzzle, it’s the lawapplied to numbers. We’re the eyes and ears of theinvestor. It’s society trying to be good.” Someadvice he gives to students entering into theaccounting profession is to communicate withothers, be accountable of your time, ask questions,and always welcome challenges.

One critical part to Muaz’s career was hisrelationship to ALPFA. ALPFA opened all the rightdoors for Muaz, and led him to where he is today.During his stay at Queens College he was thePresident of the ALPFA QC Chapter. He likens hisexperience to “a stomping ground to becoming aprofessional.” Through the leadership position thathe served through, he gained the soft skills that areneeded in accounting and learned to trust himself.

Muaz encourages students to get involved and to join one of the many business clubs on campus. He alsoencourages students to go for a leadershipposition. The return on taking a leadershipposition is enormous and highly beneficial. Onething that really struck to me that he mentionedwas to “never sell yourself short.” Taking onleadership roles is key, it opens all doors.“Involved means fully involved if you want tomake the most benefit.” Choosing between BigFour or Mid-Size revolves around personalpreference. The key lessons to take out of thisarticle is to do your research, network, and getinvolved. Deloitte might not recruit at our schoolbut that shouldn’t be an excuse to not aim high. AsMuaz said, “never sell yourself short.” If you doyour research, network, and get involved, thepossibilities are capped by no one except yourself.

By: Emily Equite

“Networking is a huge part of the process and it’salways good to have a head start on that, havingpeople you can call upon, that’s what Deloitte had forme.”

mid-size firm. You get exposure to both...you’renot really trading off that much in the sense thatsome clients you work on will be the same size asmid-size firms.”

Even though there are tremendous benefitswhen working at a Big Four, there are also somenegatives. One being, “In Big Four you have to be alittle too specialized. Whereas in Mid-size somepeople can do both audit and tax.” Being able to doboth allows diversity in thought, and aids yourdevelopment as a versatile professional. “At theend of the day these companies don’t do anythingthat’s much different from one another. Thenames are different, the software and everythingelse is similar.”

The Path In is the SameOnce the advantages and the disadvantages areestablished, the second step is to network.Everyone stresses the importance of networking,but for good reason, networking can be a decidingfactor just like it was for Muaz. “Networking is ahuge part of the process and it’s always good

to have a head start on that, having people you cancall upon, that’s what Deloitte had for me.” Theprofessionals you network with could potentiallystay with you and help you in your future career.The professionals Muaz new before starting atDeloitte still help him today.

Throughout his journey in Deloitte, Muaz hasabsolutely enjoyed his time. Prior to working fulltime he interned there as well, which heavilyinfluenced his decision to stay within the firm. Hisinternship helped him get his foot in the door,connect with professionals, and opened significantopportunities. “The ultimate reason why I choseDeloitte was number wise, I had more contacts atDeloitte through ALPFA than any other firm.” And

You probably didn’t catch their names inthe paper after solving the Enron scandal,and they most likely escaped your attentionin the media regarding Wells Fargo, butbehind the publicity, and the all-encompassing headlines, are the people whofollowed the paper trail and spotted thetruth, they’re the forensic accountants.Forensic Accounting is a growing field that’scalling for individuals with an inquisitivecombination of accounting knowledge andinvestigative skills. What do they do? Theytake large sets of financial and business dataand analyze them, looking for fraud, maybea number that doesn’t quite fit thedescription. The job requires a uniqueproficiency to interpret Financialtransactions, with the ability to presentthose findings in a way that’sunderstandable to the public.

A study done in 2012 by the Association ofCertified Fraud Examiners estimated thatalmost 5% of annual revenue around theworld was lost to fraud. This is equivalent toa 3.5 trillion dollar loss! That’s why Forensicaccounting has become increasinglyimportant, and today can be found in almostevery industry. Interested in criminalinvestigation? The police force needsforensic accountants. Maybe law is yourforte? Lawyers need forensic accountants.Forensic accountants are the mediators inshareholder and partner disputes, theytackle the business/employee fraudinvestigations, they trace the missing assetsin relational disputes, and are on the huntfor those who breach their professional

Who Needs Sherlock When You'veGot a Forensic Accountant


standard of care within the financials. Theseare the individuals who serve the public asexpert witnesses, and provide evidence incourt against those who plague society withfraud and monetary deceit.

What does an average day for a forensicaccountant look like? Well, it depends on whatcategory you fall into. Like in audit, therankings start from associate, move to seniorassociate, then manager, and lastly partner. Asan associate (beginners, basically us) the jobconsists of intense research, specificallyregarding SEC filings, and legal regulations.You also might find yourself reviewingextensive amounts of Emails searching foranything fraudulent, and then making detailedbinders with all your findings for the seniorlevel employees. Once you move to seniorassociate, you start to do less of the technicaland more of the controlling. Such as assigningjobs to the associates, controlling the group

develop relationships with the client and bythe time you hit partner you get to be theexpert witness on trial, the guy who does thefinal presentation representing the firm andits findings. Unlike most fields of accounting, forensicaccountants do not have a busy season,rather one account described it as "busybursts" whenever a report is due orimmediate information is requested. Thisfield of accounting also requires extensivetraveling. For almost one third of the year aforensic accountant will not be spending thenight at home, but rather in a hotel roomacross the county, or across the globe. Itprovides the type of employment thatconstantly presents you with newopportunities. You never work with thesame client twice, you travel all over theworld meeting with different corporations,and you get to work with people fromvarying past experiences. You might beworking with a historian, or a physiologist,or maybe someone who use to work for themilitary, this type of employment placestremendous emphasis on team work, soworking with others is a mandatory skill.Lastly, unlike most accountants who willwork with on one project at a time forensicaccounts work on about 5-10 differentprojects at once, providing some diversity ineveryday tasks.

Risk Assurance? The Executive Insight - November '167

are the individuals who serve the public asexpert witnesses, and provide evidence incourt against those who plague society withfraud and monetary deceit.

What does an average day for a forensicaccountant look like? Well, it depends on whatcategory you fall into. Like in audit, therankings start from associate, move to seniorassociate, then manager, and lastly partner. Asan associate (beginners, basically us) the jobconsists of intense research, specificallyregarding SEC filings, and legal regulations.You also might find yourself reviewingextensive amounts of Emails searching foranything fraudulent, and then making detailedbinders with all your findings for the seniorlevel employees.


projects, and working through the morecomplex tasks. Then as a manager you beginto develop relationships with the client andby the time you hit partner you get to be theexpert witness on trial, the guy who does thefinal presentation representing the firm andits findings.

Unlike most fields of accounting, forensicaccountants do not have a busy season,rather one account described it as "busybursts" whenever a report is due orimmediate information is requested. Thisfield of accounting also requires extensivetraveling. For almost one third of the year aforensic accountant will not be spending thenight at home, but rather in a hotel roomacross the county, or across the globe. Itprovides the type of employment thatconstantly presents you with newopportunities. You never work with thesame client twice, you travel all over theworld meeting with different corporations,and you get to work with people fromvarying past experiences. You might beworking with a historian, or a physiologist,or maybe someone who use to work for themilitary, this type of employment places

tremendous emphasis on team work, so working with others is a mandatory skill.Lastly, unlike most accountants who will workwith on one project at a time forensic accountswork on about 5-10 different projects at once,providing some diversity in everyday tasks.

Forensic Accounting is a growing field, The Bureau of Labor Statistics has predicted a 13%boost within the industry by 2022. Theunfortunate truth is that fraud, litigation, andelaborate financial schemes have plagued oureconomy, but it’s the accountants who havebeen following the numbers and bringing thiscorruption to light. So if you ever think thatbeing an accountant simply means fidgetingaround with meaningless numbers and doingwork with no real value, then think again,cause the next big bust is probably going to bethe result of a forensic accountant whograbbed his magnifying glass, went to work,and followed the numbers.


By: Krista Benitez

http://www.acfe.com/career-path-forensic-accountant.aspxhttps://www.aicpa.org/InterestAreas/ForensicAndValuation/Resources/PractAidsGuid

ance/DownloadableDocuments/ForensicAccountingResearchWhitePaper.pdfhttp://abfa.us/

We've all at least heard the term "mutualfund" or "index fund" get tossed around in afinance class, but most of us have neverbeen introduced to the neglected step sister,the lovely Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF).Unknown to most, the ETF has been aroundsince 1993, but her moment of glory didn'tcome until almost ten years later. Today, ofthe $14.72 trillion dollars worth of assetsinvested by companies, $1.34 trillion areheld within an ETF. So we've got to askourselves, what type of investment is this?And should I get involved?

In comprehensive terms the ETF is aninvestment fund that tracks commodities,futures, currencies, indexes, and other typesof financial products. What forces thisinvestment to stand out, is that it comes witha series of benefits that the similarly styledmutual fund and the index fund cannotoffer. First, unlike a mutual fund wherecostly professional advisors are activelytrading and trying to beat the market, theETF provides a passive form ofmanagement. Rather than beat the market,it's trying to follow the market trends anduse them to its advantage. Although indexfunds primarily do the same thing, they arecostly to trade while an ETF is almostcommission free. That's because an ETFtrades like common stock. Throughout theday, like any normal stock would, it's tradedand priced continuously on public stockexchanges. Not only that, but an ETF can besold short, held on to for the long term, orbought on the margin, exactly like commonstock. This gives investors higher liquidityrates, allowing them to get out with minimalrisk and expense if necessary.

A Finance Fixing The Executive Insight - December '1614

ETFs are not only less maintenance, and lessexpensive, but they are less risky because theyallow investors to diversify. For example,instead of investing in one type of stock, ETFsprovide investors with a benchmark return ona range of different stocks within an indexbeing tracked. Not to mention, they come witha tax benefit too. When dividends aredistributed and capital gains are made, thevalue of the stock within the ETF increases, andthe company stock holders as well as thoseindividual corporations, are taxed on whatevergains or dividends are realized. However, theinvestors of the ETF are indirectly benefitingfrom this increase in value, however becausethe relationship is indirect the ETF investorsescape the tax.

These tactful investments are created by afew specialized investors that are known asAPs or authorized participants. It's is onlythrough an AP that an ETF can be created andpurchased back. Some of the more notableETFs currently trading on the market are theQQQ which tracks the Nasdaq, the DIA whichtracks the Dow Jones, the SPDR which tracksthe S&P 500, or the OIH which tracks the oilindustry. Almost every prominent sector hasan ETF that's tracking the index, there's evenone for the foreign markets.

Although not as common and a bit unfamiliar,ETFs have shown themselves to be stableprofitable investments overtime, just requiresa little knowledge, a little patience, and a lot ofresearch.

ETFs are..

By: Krista Benitez

http://www.nasdaq.com/etfs/what-are-ETFs.aspxhttp://www.forbes.com/sites/mitchelltuchman/2013/06/28/what-

is-an-etf-three-simple-answers/#62706195d8b3http://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/etf.asp?lgl=no-infinite

So What Now?

Congratulations! You were able to secure a job upon graduation. But now what?You’re anxious about your first day of work, and unsure how to navigate theworkplace. Peilei Peng, once a Queens College student, now an ExperiencedAssurance Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers, offers some advice and insightto the questions you may have:

dependability, and working in a team environment. For Peilei, taking the FinancialStatement Analysis course with Professor Satenstein enabled her to build these skills.Because the course required her to work on a team project, she learned how to beboth a team leader and a team player. So while the classes you take do train you andprovide you with the necessary accounting knowledge, she strongly suggest that youenroll in course(s) that require you to work in a team.

When working in a big firm, or any other firm for that matter, you may find it difficult tostand out. To grasp the attention of upper leadership, Peilei “recommends to communicatethe expectations with your seniors and managers in the beginning – ask them what theirexpectations are of you.” Many jump into a job without knowledge of the expectations thatupper management have for them; something she believes you should avoid. When theirexpectations are communicated to you, you can start working towards meeting that goal andeventually going beyond it.


How applicable are the skills you learn as a student? This is something that I question constantly. After speaking to Peilei, I learnedthat much of the accounting knowledge obtained from class will serve as a guidethroughout your first year in public accounting. However, when it comes toapplication, “it really depends on the area of your focus,” which will be picked upon the job. When working in a public accounting firm where team structure iscrucial, it is important that you build on the soft skills, such as, communication,

What are some tips to stand out from your coworkers andget good annual reviews?

How to survive your first busy season? For Peilei, her first busy season was of course tough, but also a unique experience. When shefirst started, she was placed in a team with one recurring member, everyone else was new. Shewas able to get through her first busy season successfully by getting her seniors, managers andexperienced associates on board, and by developing an understanding of what her “to do’s”were. In reality, she had to do more than what was initially assigned. However, it was becauseshe kept an open and accepting mindset that she was able to move forward and successfully

Managing your time can be tough, especially during busy season. So how do you makesure you’re not swamped in work 24/7? It is extremely important to communicate yourpersonal plans to your team members. Once they become aware of these plans, they cantry accommodate them. From Peilei’s experience, “team members embrace flexibility andrespect the personal things you need to do.” But at the same time, you as a team member,have to ensure that you complete your assignments on time so you don’t hold your teamback. Additionally, having a detailed plan for the year helps tremendously as you get abetter understanding of when the downtime and peak-time is. This way, you know when youcan book more personal activities in your schedule. For Peilei, it was easier to manage herwork-life balance in her second year at PwC because she “knew what was coming and whenthe downtimes and peak-times were.”

complete her assignments. A big tip she has is to always ask questions – and to not be afraid to doso. This was something she struggled with during her first year tackling the busy season. Optingfor the longer, more time-consuming route, she decided to figure things out herself whenconfronting obstacles. She wants you to remember that “no one is perfect when they start, youjust have to be humble and willing to take in feedback.” From her experience, she gatheredthat to survive your first busy season, it is helpful to be a team player, be open to taking onmore tasks, and leverage the help extended from your seniors and managers by askingquestions.

By: Emily Chan


How to manage your work-life balance?

How do you stay motivated? Everyone stays motivated and finds motivation differently; it really depends on your values.Setting up a detailed daily plan with her team is motivating for Peilei. Accomplishing the goalsfor the day translates to not having to deal with crazy hours for the upcoming days, which is alsoa motivating factor. What really motivates her, however, is constantly being challenged andgetting exposed to new areas. Her team respects one another’s interests, which allows her toswitch from one area to another. For example, moving from revenue testing to administrativeexpenses can be a refreshing change. Also, knowing that “if the team does a good job, it looksgood as a whole” helps her stay motivated.

Transitioning from a college student to a professional in the workforce can be tough. How youmanage your time and expectations play a big role in your performance within your position. Sokeep your mind open, soak in the constructive feedback, and take the advice seniors have tooffer, it will be helpful down the road.

Thank YouTo all those who dedicate their time to help Ascend in

making Queens College a better place.

Ahmed, GalibAndrejack, JohnAng, RobBarker, NigelBarreneche, LauraBello, MichelleBrecak, JosipCai, WendyCameron, KeeshaCarlson, JohnFreedman, AJFruchter, MaxHitzig, NealJoseph, AlanKhan, IftakarKhan, MariumKrinitz, JudithLakenauth, Susanna

Lapsys, AdolfasLee, KevinLee, TimMathai, BasilMei, DianeMilich, MarvinMiller, DeniseNavi, JosephO'Connel, LizOsdoby, JaciParacha, MuazPeng, PeileiRahman, AbdulRivera, EricRodriguez, FelixRoowala, SabahRozenberg, JonathanSatenstein, Jeffrey

Shamash, MatthewShen, DianaShults, DianeSin, MarcoSingh, JapneetSingh, VanessaSitumeang, ArnoldSpitz, LaraStudent AssociationTariq, ZohaibTumulty, ScottTyranski, GlennUddin, TaiValencia, ChristianVasquez, BryanVivar, AaronWazeed, AkilaZheng, Kelly

The Executive Insight - November '1617

What makes Ascend unique is our dedication to our members. Weare committed to offering our members strategic professionaldevelopment programs and unparalleled access to key decisionmakers and senior executives across a wide cross-section ofindustries. Our goal is to help each member reach their careeraspirations and maximize their leadership potential while bringingincreased value to their organizations.

Ascend offers robust professional development and careerenhancement programs designed to cultivate QC's talent. As anAscend member, you have access to world-class leadership andprofessional development programs, unique leadership networks,and opportunities to develop your leadership skills and influence inthe community. Membership in Ascend also provides exclusiveaccess to members-only benefits and discounts.

Opportunity to connect and engage with mentors and seniorexecutives across industriesAccess to invaluable career advancement advice and opportunitiesJob search assistance (resume writing, interview tips)Connect and engage with recruiters from across industriesParticipate in career development and career coaching workshops

Why Join Ascend

The Value of the Student Membership

Join our Editorial or Marketing Teams Today!The Editorial Team and the Marketing Committee are our newestiniatives to continue the culture of success here at Ascend QC.Contact us at [email protected] if you're interested in gettingpart of the action!

The Executive Insight - November '1618

The Executive Insight