The RehmannExperience

Volume 7 • 2014/2015A R E H M A N N P U B L I C A T I O N

Teamwork Strategies of the Detroit Red Wingspage 4

What Employers are Really Looking Forpage 6

Ace That Interviewpage 11

In this IssueVolume 7 • 2014/2015

“R” MAGAZINE EDITORIAL STAFF:Publisher: Katie StrehlerAssistant Publisher: Pam StrohmeyerManaging Editor: Steve TschirhartEditor: Miranda JungaCreative Director: Marcy MeinkeCover Photography: John Martin

CONTRIBUTORS:Kris Bottles Tyler JohnsonJim Carpp Chris SingBecky Guenther Pam StrohmeyerKacie Herter Ryan WichmannKimberly Houston SEND INQUIRIES TO:Pam StrohmeyerRehmann – “R” Magazine1500 W. Big Beaver Rd., 2nd FloorTroy MI 48084248.614.6455

Teamwork Strategies of the Detroit Red Wings

What Employers are Really Looking For

“A Big Score”

Carpp’s Book Corner

Tips from the Recruiting Director

Ace That Interview

Teamwork: Not as scary as you might think If you’re like most students, one of the worst things you can see on a course curriculum is the term “team project.” You’ve probably been conditioned to hate team projects because of previous project teammates who didn’t try as hard as everyone else, or the logistical difficulties required of getting everyone to work together.

Fortunately, things tend to change when the team is no longer in the same class but is instead working for the same company.

That’s how it is here at Rehmann: we cherish teamwork and the winning tradition that comes with it. I’m proud to share with you a small part of that tradition — our 2014 class of interns, pictured above.

With this edition of R Magazine, I want to share our insight about the value of teamwork and its essential role in your career. On page 4, “Teamwork Strategies of the Detroit Red Wings” talks about teamwork tips straight from one of pro sports’ most successful franchises. And page 6’s “What Employers Are REALLY Looking For” demonstrates how the ability to work effectively as a team is a key character trait today’s employers seek.

Finally, a word about those Red Wings. Rehmann is proud to be their partner. Those winning traditions I mentioned? I can’t think of another team that exemplifies such traditions more. (No offense if you’re a Blackhawks fan!) To learn more about our partnership, check out http://www.rehmann.com/winning-traditions.

Until next time, may you be blessed to work with the same kind of great teammates we have here at Rehmann.

Pam Strohmeyer, PHR Director of Campus Recruitment

© Copyright 2014 Rehmannrehmann.com

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TEAMWORK STRATEGIES OF THE DETROIT RED WINGS

The Detroit Red Wings have made the National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs for 23 consecutive seasons, the longest such streak among the four largest professional sports leagues in North America.

During that time, they’ve won four Stanley Cup championships, appeared in a total of six championship series and saw 18 former players inducted into the hockey hall of fame. The streak is so old, it’s eclipsed the entire history of several NHL teams.

That level of consistent excellence doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because of teamwork. And the Red Wings’ commitment to teamwork holds important lessons for young professionals today, regardless of their field.

Excellence doesn’t come easy for any team.

It requires no shortage of hard work and

dedication. But by following some of the

Detroit Red Wings’ teamwork strategies,

you can help your team put together some

amazing winning streaks of its own.

Though drafted toward the top of his class and considered a rising star, Steve Yzerman wasn’t always a legend. It was a status he worked tirelessly to earn even after leading the team in scoring for many seasons. When coach Scotty Bowman joined the team, though, he demanded even more of the team’s unrivaled star. And Yzerman — as committed to his team as any athlete ever — delivered, bolstering his defensive capabilities while maintaining his scoring prowess.

CONSIDER THIS: Congratulations: you’ve worked hard and successfully earned a prominent project, an accolade from a boss, maybe even a great promotion. But don’t let your early success prevent you from engaging in constant learning, whether that means listening to candid advice or being receptive to coaching from more experienced colleagues.

In 1995, the Red Wings made it to the finals for the first time in decades — only to be defeated without winning one game of the best-of-seven series. Even after winning two championships shortly thereafter, they would eventually suffer through three early-round exits in the playoffs and endure questions about their ability to maintain their contender status. They added several hall of fame players, but then found themselves struggling at times in the playoffs … before, yes, winning it all again. More recently, the team’s playoff-appearances streak was in danger before right-winger Daniel Alfredsson fought his way through a couple injuries and found a way to help keep his team competitive.

CONSIDER THIS: Perseverance during tough times is contagious. About Alfredsson’s determination and effort, teammate Niklas Kronwall said, “Things like that rub off on other guys.” Sometimes, team members have to help encourage one another to work through issues. Never give up … and never allow your teammates to give up. It’s a cliché, but an illustrative one: tough times don’t last; tough people do.

Bounced out of the playoffs earlier than they’d grown accustomed to, the Red Wings before the 2001-2002 season added future hall-of-famers Dominik Hasek, Luc Robitaille and Brett Hull. Together with Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan the team became something of a traveling all-star show. The “show” paid off with another championship.

CONSIDER THIS: Just because you don’t think you’re playing on an all-star team right now doesn’t mean you can’t pull together one of your own. There’s nothing preventing you from approaching peers, potential mentors and other people whose insight you respect and asking them to serve on the “You” team. No, you won’t all have to don skates or check people into the boards. In fact, your “team” never actually has to be in the same room together. Their only mission: helping you become the best you, professional and/or personally, that you want to become.

STRATEGY #1: Check your ego

at the door

STRATEGY #2: Never give up

STRATEGY #3: Create an

all-star team

Winning teammates (left to right): Jay Muchortow, Shannon Jett, Ron Simmons and Jared Atabuatsi are part of Rehmann’s winning tradition … and Red Wings fans, to boot.

[ 5 ]R Magazine 2014/2015

By Chris Sing, CPA, CGMA, MBA

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris is a Principal in our Ann Arbor office where she leads the Accounting, Tax and Consulting (ACT) practice. Chris also leads the Emerging Technology niche for the firm.

Contact her today at chris.sing@rehmann.com

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SOLVE PROBLEMSOne of the great things about bringing new talent on board — new talent such as you! — is that they often see things with a fresh perspective. They ask questions like, “Why are we doing things that way?” and “What about trying things this way?” That perspective can translate to better processes or greater revenue (or both), and helps power the critical thinking skills vital to any successful enterprise. The problem? It can be difficult to maintain that fresh take on things as one becomes more “settled in” at work. Avoid such complacency if you can, though: employers need fresh ideas and problem solvers now more than ever. Just remember: no one likes a smart aleck!

BE PASSIONATENo one goes to school to learn how to become a robot. No one wants to drag themselves out of bed every day to go to a job they don’t like. And employers don’t want their employees doing that, either. A key differentiator of companies is the passion of their team members. Passionate people work harder, they’re more proactive, they can be more entrepreneurial. Going to work should be something that engages and energizes you.

BE A LEADERLeadership is important because employers generally like to play the “long game” — they’re not interested in simply bringing someone in for a couple months, or a couple years. They want employees who can conceivably assume a leadership role somewhere down the line. How do you demonstrate leadership capabilities? This is where those previous points about initiative and experience come into play. You can’t simply tell someone you’re a leader: you must be able to illustrate, to talk about practical experiences you’ve had that have built your leadership capabilities.

KNOW YOUR TOOLSYou wouldn’t hire a painter who didn’t know how to use a paintbrush, or a plumber who didn’t know how to use a plunger. Knowing the tools of the trade is important. If you know PeachTree, picking up QuickBooks isn’t going to be that difficult. Don’t be concerned that you have to know everything, many software programs are similar enough that knowing one of them provides enough transferable skills necessary to help pick up others. The bottom line is that today’s employer expects you to walk through their door knowing the tools of the trade. You wouldn’t hire a carpenter who doesn’t know how to use a hammer — and neither will they.

HAVE INTEGRITYIntegrity is about being honest, being of strong moral fiber. We each have the opportunity to demonstrate our integrity every day. Many of you will be applying for internships or even jobs soon: integrity means making sure that there isn’t an item on your resume that isn’t true or accurate. Do not embellish. At Rehmann, we’ve had the unfortunate experience of withdrawing offers from candidates because we discovered something they claimed wasn’t true. And that happens at every company — if you misrepresent yourself or your skill set, dealing with the ramifications isn’t a matter of if, but of when. Fortunately, “integrity” is easy to come by: you simply have to start making the right decisions right now.

By Kris Bottles

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kris is a tax Principal at Rehmann. She focuses her tax work on Not-for-Profit entities along with closely-held businesses and individual taxation.

Contact her today at kris.bottles@rehmann.com.

WHAT EMPLOYERS ARE REALLY LOOKING FOR

“Getting ‘coached up’” | Kacie Herter

Give us an example of how a supervisor, mentor or colleague helped your professional development.

TheinternshipprogramatRehmannisanamazingexperiencebecauseyouareabletoworkwithassociatesatall levelswhoarededicatedtoyoursuccessandyourcareer.Thepersonwhomadethegreatestdifferencetomewasthe“buddy” — that’s what they call them — that was assigned to me on my first day. She was a second-year associate and madeherselfavailableforanyquestionIhad.Here’sanexample:IwasstrugglingwithaconceptonacorporatetaxreturnandshetookthetimeoutofherbusyscheduletositwithmeandmakesurethatIthoroughlyunderstoodtheconcept.Becauseofthetimeshetooktohelpme,thenexttimeIcameacrosstheissueIwasabletogetthroughitbymyself.Thattypeofcoachingwasgreatandreallyhelpedmetothriveandlearnalotduringmyinternship.

“A winning culture” | Kimberly Houston

How does Rehmann’s culture support associates?

RehmannemployeespridethemselvesontheFirm’scorevalues:PutPeopleFirst,BeObsessedwithClientSuccess,CultivateBusinessWisdom,EmbraceanEntrepreneurialSpiritandExhibitUnwaveringIntegrity.Youcansendsomethingcalleda“valuescertificate”tosomeonewhenyounoticetheyhaveexemplifiedoneofthesevalues.IrememberhowexcitedIwaswhenIgotmyfirstone;Ihungitupinmycubiclerightaway!Thesevaluesnotonlyinspireus,buttheygiveusanopportunitytoshowappreciationforourcolleagues.

“Great plays” | Ryan Wichmann

No team starts great right out of the gate. What hurdles did your team face, and how did they handle it?

ColleaguescametogetheroftentodiscussbetterwaystohelpserveRehmann’sclients.IbelievedtheweeklyinternmeetingswerethebestwaytocometogetherandscoreabigwinforRehmannandtheclients.Eachweek,oursupervisorwouldcallalloftheinternstogethertodiscusstheweek.Theysatusdownandtolduswhatweneededtoimproveuponandwhatweweredoingwell.Taxseasonstartedoffverybusyandwefellbehindfast,butIbelievethosemeetingshelpedusinternsfigureoutwhatweweredoingwrongandcorrectourmistakes.Webecamemoreefficientandeffectiveaftereachmeeting.ItwasabigscoreforRehmannandtheclientsweserved.

“MVP” | Tyler Johnson

How does Rehmann make you feel like an MVP?

I was going into Rehmann with no prior experience in public accounting. I had heard stories about public accounting firms that stuck interns with making copies and running out to pick up lunch. So it was safe to say that I was concerned about not getting a lot out of my summer internship. Thankfully, it turned out to be quite the opposite of what I feared. After going through training and walking through some more technical exercises, I was surprised to be assigned genuine work related to clients. At one point during my internship, I was responsible for my own section of the audit that would keep me busy for the entire week while at the client. Being given responsibility, with no prior experience, made me feel significant during my internship.

Great teams don’t happen by accident. They’re developed through careful planning, attention to detail and, most importantly, bringing the right people together and giving them the support they need. R Magazine spoke with four Rehmann interns about their experiences and how the Firm’s culture helped them excel.

“A Big Score”How Rehmann’s culture helps its great teams make great plays

So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport Caldebunksthecareernotionofpursuingyourpassionandreplacesitwiththoughtfuladvicetobecomeacraftsmanbycreatingcareercapital,leveragingdeliberatepractice,placingsmallbets,doingsomething remarkable and finding opportunities in the adjacentpossible.Then,by“beingsogoodtheycan’tignoreyou”onecangaincontrolandbefulfilled.Thisoneisthought-provokingtothepointitchallengesconventionalwisdom.

Business Model You by Tim Clark, Alexander Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur

Theauthorshaveharvestedtheiryearsofexperienceinplanninganddevelopedamethodologygearedtobuildapersonalbusinessmodel.Thebasicbuildingblocksofbusinessarefirstexploredandthenpersonalizedtoassistthereaderinexploring,definingandfine-tuningasolidlifeplan.Ifyouarelookingtoviewtheworldanew, start here.

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

Ericmapsoutastreamlinedprocessforinnovationwithanemphasisonrapiddevelopmentandexperimentation.Thestraightforwardstrategyincludesidentifyingaminimumviableproduct,developingit,rapidly deploying it, soliciting feedback on it and then reiterating the process into the future to build out the product.Thefocusisonbeingagileandwillingtopivotfromanoriginalstrategytoonethatsolvescustomerproblems.Ifyouarelookingtoupdateinternalprocessesordevelopnewproducts,I’dpickupacopyof this first.

Experts claim that our collective body of knowledge

is growing by 85 percent annually. That represents an

absolute explosion of ideas and concepts that, when

leveraged, can catapult your performance. In this edition,

we have a great selection of books that include standing

out from the crowd, defining a personal business model

and developing innovative products and processes.

What is important here is that the ideas and concepts are

available and all we have to do is tap into the information

stream, leverage the concepts and take action.

As always, good reading!

Jim Carpp, CISA/CIRM, CRISCDirector of Rehmann Consulting

Carpp’s BOOK CORNER

Recruiting

Edition

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A well-written resume is the first step in the process of obtaining an internship or full time position. Although a resume may not get you the perfect job, the right one can help you get through to the interview process. Writing your resume takes thought and preparation, so start now. This is your opportunity to introduce yourself – your first impression.

Top Five Resume Tips:

1. Honesty – This is critical. If you are untruthful, you will be caught!

2. Succinctness – Limit yourself to one page. With hundreds of resumes to review, recruiters don’t have time for more than that. If it’s too long, they’ll pass you by!

3. Presentation – Professionalism gets noticed. Avoid white space and keep your margins between 1 and 1.5 inches; your font size: 10 to 12.

4. Contact information – Be sure your contact information is correct. Remember, recruiters can’t interview you if they can’t track you down!

5. Specific objective – Entry level resumes need an objective that focuses on the job type, industry and preferred geographic location. State a clear career mission statement: “To gain experience in public accounting and earn my CPA designation.”

Congratulations!!! Your resume was noticed and now you’ve been invited to an interview. Help! I mean Hoorah!! Interviews can be stressful. After all, this is your one chance to make the right impression … the one that will separate you from the other candidates and land you the job. And although it can be a bit scary, there are three things you can do to ease the stress and help you land that job:

Prepare, Participate and Follow Up.

1. Prepare a. Research the companyb. Practice interview questionsc. Dress to impressd. Practice good conversation skillse. Prepare questions for your interviewer

2. Participatea. Be confident, not arrogantb. Mention classes by name, not numberc. Eliminate nervous habitsd. Exhibit good body languagee. Communicate realistic expectations

3. Follow upa. Write a thank you noteb. Proofread the thank you notec. MAIL the thank you note

Adequate preparation and research will get you through the interview process with ease and confidence. A little work up front can help get the results you’re looking for.

The Key to a Successful Interview: PPF

Your “Professional Story”

Bonus ContentFor more tips, visit us on Facebook at Facebook.com/RehmannTeam

By Pam Strohmeyer, PHR, Director of Campus Recruitment

Pam is often asked to speak with students and faculty, conduct

presentations and participate in accounting club activities. Why?

Because she knows what it takes for a student to get an internship or

an initial offer. Pam shares her tips on writing a resume, getting ready

for an interview and preparing for the CPA exam.

that interviewPreparation can make a world of difference on the job hunt

“Job interview:” words that strike fear into the heart

of even the most experienced professionals. After

all, unless you’re an actor, politician or professional

public speaker, you’re likely unaccustomed to being

in as bright a spotlight with stakes so high.

Despite the attention that job interviews command,

then, it’s remarkable that so many people still

stumble over some of the most basic requirements

of a good job interview. From preparation to

performance and follow-up, I come across well-

meaning job-seekers who nonetheless seem in dire

need of a job search primer.

This could be good news for you, though: if you

can nail the following tips, you might just move to

the head of the class of whatever position you seek.

Bonus ContentCheck out additional tips for nailing your job interview at rehmann.com/RMagazine.

It’s very important to keep in mind that the job interview begins as soon as it’s scheduled: you’re on the clock and must spend your time wisely to ensure as successful an interview as possible. How do you do that? By researching the organization you are interviewing with as comprehensively as possible. This is an area where both student and experienced hire candidates fall short. Don’t just recite what is on the website — have examples of why the information really “spoke” to you. Could you relate to their corporate values? How? What stood out that really impressed you?

As you put in Internet time researching the organization, make sure to conduct some research on the person with whom you’re interviewing. This doesn’t require Sherlock Holmes-like skills: most professionals have a LinkedIn profile or a bio on their company website that you can review. When appropriate, during the course of your interview, you can interject a piece of information you found out about them. For example, maybe they went to the same school as you or are involved in an organization that you have an interest in.

In the days leading up to the interview, review the job description of the position for which you applied. There have been many occasions where I’ve interviewed someone who clearly can’t remember the job they are even interviewing for. As you can imagine, this makes them come across as very unprepared. It also sends the message that they are not truly interested in the opportunity – rather, they just applied because it was an available job.

Also in the days leading up to your interview, practice answering behavioral interview questions. Examples of such questions include: How do you handle a challenge? and Have you ever made a mistake? How did you handle it? Employers like asking behavioral questions because it’s widely thought that previous behavior is an indicator of future behavior.

By Becky Guenther, PHR, CSP

Becky is an HR generalist with Rehmann.

Tips from the Director of Campus Recruitment

rehmann.com 866.799.9580

And I found it at Rehmann.

Many firms could offer me the kind of

work I learned about in textbooks and

lectures. But only Rehmann opened

up exciting opportunities across a

wide range of services. Accounting,

consulting, wealth management,

investigative services — more than I

ever imagined.

I knew coming out of college that I had

to find the right situation to launch my

career. I just didn’t know I would find

so much right here at Rehmann.