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Writer's pictureCSUF Accounting Society

RKE Speaker Meeting

Updated: Aug 5, 2020

Post Published: Oct 12

Firm Name: RKE LLP

Date: October 9, 2018


Professionals:

Andrew Stah – Tax senior

- 8 years with the company

- Started in DC area

- First setback: Finance Degree 2009

Juan – Tax associate

- CSUF alumni


Background:

- Founded 2006

- Torrance, CA

- Full service (60% tax)

- Nine Partners

- 50 Professional


Clients:

- Apparel

- MFG & Distribution

- Food and beverage

- Service Providers

- Revenues up to $300 million

- Privately held middle-market companies

o Some international


Winning formula:

- Service model

o Big firm technical knowledge

o Small firm service

- Training and retention

o Rotation

o Rotation for staff: start off in Tax and move over to Consulting and Assurance

o In-house CPE

o Low employee turnover

- Most trusted advisor


Overcoming setbacks:

- Recruiting

o Low GPA

- Have a story

o Lack of job/accounting experience

- “Accounting is a service industry.”

- It comes to customer service

- Soft skills – can you be personable and make complex situations easy to

understand.

o Not getting the interview

o Bad first impression

o Graduating soon with no job prospects

- On the job

o Bad Review

- Take something away from it and work on those areas

o Unchallenging work

- Get a deeper understanding

o Differing management styles

- Adapt your own work style with the managers style

o Varying personalities

- Keep an open mind

o Feeling unprepared


Skills:

- Communication

o Be able to say NO

o Letting everybody know what is going on in an effective manner

- Time management

- Learning to learn

o You’re not done once you graduate

o Know how you learn

o Embrace the continuous learning the better off you’ll be (learning curve)


Personal

- Loss of motivation

- Curve balls

- Missed Opportunities

o Luck = Opportunity + Preparedness


Closing Remarks

- Be proactive

- Learn and adjust

- Seek Opportunities


Requirements:

CPA eligible:

GPA Requirements: 3.0 GPA

Recruit Year Round

Reimbursement plans for graduate school – if it will help you grow within RKE

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