ACCOUNTANT: Job Applicant

ACCOUNTANT: ROLE-PLAYING SCRIPT FOR JOB APPLICANT,
MS. Argo, Central Connecticut State College SPRING 2008

It is Spring 2008. You will soon graduate from Central Connecticut State College with a BS in Business with a concentration in Accounting. You have a 3.5 GPA reflecting your outstanding commitment to your studies.

Your parents started a small retail stationary business 20 years ago in Avon, CT and it has grown successfully over the years. You worked in their business all through high school and on college breaks, learning many aspects of running a small business. As you became more experienced you were drawn to the financial side of the business, helping with the preparation of balance sheets, profit and loss statements and other financial reports. You realized that these statements were vital in keeping the business on track and predicting future revenues and expenses. While you did not work in all areas of the business, you gained a great overview of what it takes to run a profitable operation.

When you came to CCSC, you majored in Business and Accounting, because you felt that would build your understanding of business management should you decide to go into your parents business or start one of your own some day. Your advisor at CCSC suggested you broadened your career options further by minoring in Management Information Systems. While in school, you had internships at two accounting firms, one a large public accounting firm, the other a 4 person office. You also volunteered as finance manager for the Women’s Center and the Women's Studies Program for 3 years.

You have been offered a position with the accounting firm your parents use upon graduation, but want to try your skills working in a larger firm in Hartford first while you decide if you want to return home and help run my parents business in Avon .

You would like to get a job as an entry-level accountant in one of the large accounting firms in Hartford. Your advisor told you that Ernst and Young is expanding services in the Hartford area, focusing on small business and business start ups. The need for specialized services in this area is growing, as manufacturing job are drying up and many former employees are starting operations of their own. Owners and managers of these start ups use accounting information to help them with planning, expense control and decision-making in marketing and operations.

Every year, Ernst and Young hires dozens of graduating seniors into accounting positions nationwide These new positions are perfect for you, and you have been offered the job as Accountant 1 at the new downtown Hartford office.

You've done your homework. Www.wageproject.org tells you that the entry level accounting position that you've been offered has a salary range of $41,000 to $50,000 with a median salary of $45,000. The benefits package for this position is worth another $19,000. You've determined that your target salary is $45,000 which you firmly believe, given your accounting and small business experience with your parents and your internships with accounting firms and volunteer activity with the Women's Center and the Women's Studies Program is certainly justified. Also you have a 3.5 GPA.

You know that living in the Hartford area will be expensive. You have hefty student loans to pay off. You want to buy a car so that you can travel and finally enjoy some social life. The minimum salary you can possibly accept is $43,000 and that would mean living VERY modestly.

You were thrilled yesterday when Mrs. Dennis told you that she was very impressed with you and offered you a job. She asked you to come back today for a second interview just to settle a couple details like salary and starting date, and then sign a contract.

You have the last appointment of the day. Mrs. Dennis must leave in 15 minutes give a speech in Hartford. Can you and Mrs. Dennis come to an agreement about a starting salary which you accept? Can you get her to agree to your target salary figure? Make notes on what you consider your persuasive points. Decide the sequence in which you will present these points. Make notes about the language you will use. Make notes about her likely objections to raising her offer and what you will say.

Use every minute of that time to get her to your target salary. It's your last chance to start out with the best salary you can get. Remember, $45,000 is what you believe you're worth in that job.

Go for it!