Making Partner

As I have mentioned in a few of my other post, I have a job with Grant Thornton after graduating college.  There are many opportunities to move up in the company and take on more responsibility.  It is my goal to make partner at Grant Thornton.

Until this past January, I thought it was easy to make partner in an accounting firm.  I thought you just put in the time and effort and there was nothing to it, however it is really hard and you have to be in the right place at the right time.  The partners ask you to join in the partnership of the firm.  It is not something you just do. 

The main job of a partner is to bring in new clients.  Each partner is over an industry.  They are basically experts in the industry and oversee all the audits while trying to bring in new business.  It is a very demanding job.  As a partner, you have to review all the work papers from audits and approved them.  There are tough decisions that have to be made. 

Starting out at Grant Thornton I will be an associate one, after a year or so I will move up to  associate 2 and after about 4 years I will move up to senior.  At senior I will be in charge of the client at the client site.  After being senior for a few years I will be promoted to manager.  As manager I will be over a few jobs and will communicate to the partner about the audit and items of concern.  Being manager is hard work.   I will spend many hours reviewing work papers done by the senior, associates, and interns.  At senior and manger positions many companies will contact you and try to persuade you to join their company.  I hope at this time I will be set up to make partner.

Making partner will require bringing new clients, hard work, and timing.  I will spend many hours and weekends working.  Becoming partner also requires networking.  The others partners in the firm have to ask you to join the firm as a partner.  If you are not well liked by the partners they will not ask you to become a partner.   When asked to become partner I will have to pay into the company and will be able to make executive decisions within the company.