Public Accounting Connection: Scheduling

“Public Accounting Connection” is a series of articles that gives a glimpse about what life is like working for an accounting firm. The articles are written by PASA members currently working at accounting firms all over the country. In conjunction with each article, our members will also write a follow up article that provide tips for new hires and entry-level public accountants.

At most accounting firms there is a designated scheduling person or department. Seniors, Managers and Partners will make scheduling requests and “pick up some time” from any available staff. The staff schedules are usually kept in scheduling software and/or on Excel spreadsheets. This schedule gives visibility to the staff and their supervisors about what clients they will be working on for the upcoming week, month, and year. The schedule is constantly changing, so it is important to check it often. Clients can be added or dropped from a staff’s schedule for a variety of reasons.

An in-charge chooses a staff for their client based on the following criteria:

1. I have worked with the staff before when they were an intern or on another client. The staff did a good job.


2. I talked with other seniors and managers and they said that the staff is great. The staff has a good office reputation.


3. I noticed that the staff is picked up on some of the biggest and best clients in the office. That is usually indicative of their abilities.


4. I have no idea who this staff is. They have availability on the schedule and I desperately need some help. I will roll the dice and pick them up.

A staff can use this knowledge to help manage their schedule. Please continue to visit the PASA website for helpful tips on how to get picked up on better clients.