The Executive Insight Dec

Table Of Contents
Letter from the Editor
Ascend Testimonial
Sailing Through the Uncertainty
Don't Break the Habit
Big 4 vs Mid-Size: Act 2
Who Needs Sherlock
A Finance Fixing
So What Now?
Thank You
Why Join Ascend
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The Executive Insight - December '162

Letter From The Editor
Dear Ascend Members and Friends,
I think it's safe to say we're getting better at this whole magazine thing! This month we've
continued our traditions of growth and improvement by adopting new methods to make your
reading experience even better.
As the semester comes to a close we welcome the coming finals and the subsequent holidays
(mainly the holidays) with open arms. This holiday season your Ascend team gives you the
wonderful gifth of knowledge. In the coming pages you'll learn about new careers,
investments, resume tips, and even career lengthening advice.
Let us not forget why we are all in Queens College, to grow as individuals amongst peers who
aspire the same. As your Ascend team grows and improves, so too must you. So go ahead, flip
(scroll) through with open minds you inquisitive leaders of tomorrow!
Best Regards,
Ameen Sulaiman
2016-2017 Ascend QC Leadership
Ameen Sulaiman, President
Gurpreet Kaur, Vice-President
Emily Equite, Treasurer
Krista Benitez, Secretary
Jenny Xie, Head of Technology
Eric Tal, Head of Marketing
Nicholas Cheng, Head of Prof. Development
Emily Chan, Associate Editor
Karina Chen, Associate Editor
Executive Board
Board of Directors

Being actively involved in Ascend, as well as other business clubs, is the best decision that
I've made for my career. A great amount of my experience in the Executive Board of Ascend,
and the skills has helped me endure the challenges of the real world, as well as the skills that
I've learned, such as project management and soft skills. The events that the Business clubs
would host, in particular the mock interview event, have helped me obtain a job after college.
I've done mock interviews in the past; however, there was one mock interview event that
Ascend Queens College hosted humbled me and helped me realize that I was not a great
interviewee. And I wanted to be great.
I would advise students to really think about their short-term and long-term career goals. It's
good to have a general outlook of what your ultimate goals is, and how your short-term goals
will lead you to your ultimate goal. I initially joined Ascend to help me reach my short-term
goal after graduation: to get a job. Honestly, that's why I joined. However, I soon realized
after joining that I had to work...really work to achieve that goal. If I were to go back to my
time as a student, I would have been actively involved in the business clubs as a freshman. If
you're not active right now, then I would advise you to do so as soon as possible..
Testimonial
Arnold Situmeang
KPMG Audit Associate
Former Ascend QC Senior Advisor

AscendQCMonthlyNewsletter-September
We’ve all seen the headlines when the big
mergers are announced, and we’ve all seen
how they impact their markets. But what
really goes on behind the scenes when a
company is going through a massive merger?
After the immediate panic, and/or excitement,
how do the executives plan what’s next? What
do the lower level “line folk” do during this
time? Well we’re fortunate enough to have
Jeffrey Satenstein, former CFO of Chase
Investment Banking and current Accounting
Professor at Queens College, share his stories
and the insight he gained from his
experiences.
While Prof. Satenstein was with Chase they
went through 2 extremely pivotal mergers.
First in 1995 with Chemical Bank, third largest
in the country at the time, and then with J.P.
Morgan in 2000 to form what we now know as
J. P. Morgan Chase. Prof. Satenstein states that
“although these were called ‘Mergers of
Equals’,it was a bit of an oxymoron, because it
was clear that one side or the other
would dominate as you went
through each individual business
function of the companies”. In
the ‘95 merger’s case Chase dominated the
retail aspect and Chemical actually dominated
the Investment Banking side. Again, Prof.
Satenstein was the CFO of Chase’s IB group
going into the merger, so it should come as no
surprise that he initially had little hopes in
Sailing Through the Uncertainty
retaining his position. “But as it turned out the
process around which they decided who
would be responsible for each of the functions
was very fair.”
The Process
Usually when a merger is announced the
highest positions are announced with it, the
CEO, chairmen of the board, and the heads of
each of the businesses. The rest of the firm is
resolved in a cascading manner. When his
levels turn came, Prof. Satenstein was given
the opportunity to essentially interview for
the combined CFO of Investment Banking
position, against the CFO at Chemical’s IB.
Luckily Prof. Satenstein knew what they’d be
looking for.
“Frankly what they’re most interested in,
what we would call an ‘overlap merger’, is a
way to reduce cost.” You’d be expected to
bring costs down significantly within 18-24
months. How significantly? “The general rules
was to take 50% of the smaller group and
that’s the expense reduction you’re looking
for”. So, for example, if one group spent
$100,000 and the other group spent $80,000,
the expected reduction would be $40,000. This
was not only a challenge for the executives
Accounts From a Former CFO of Chase Investment Bank
“Frankly what they’re most interested in,
what we would call an ‘overlap merger’, is a
way to reduce cost.”

Prof. Satenstein gave his pitch and was touted to
retain his position pretty early on. This meant that
he had the unique opportunity to sit on the
interviews of the various
other positions, and share
his objective opinion on
the pitches. They’d, of
course, take the time to
hear each side “but in the
end, it became pretty
evident who would take
charge”. What did this
mean for the loser? Well sometimes they were
made “deputy” to the head, but this was only
meant as a short-term place holder until another
place in the company is found for them. On very
rare occasions co-heads would be appointed, but
this was especially unusual “because you’re
running the risk of nothing ever getting decided
upon”. But these efforts were made to retain as
much of the desired talent as possible, rather than
lose them outright.
After Prof. Satenstein’s role was announced, he
then had to appoint his team of 20-25 controllers.
This is where Prof. Satenstein adopted an
incredibly bold approach: “When I was announced
as the CFO of the Investment Banking business,
everyone from my former staff was surely
thinking ‘That’s wonderful, I’m safe, I’m protected’
and whoever was on the Chemical side would be
eliminated. It turned out that I did just the
opposite”. He elaborated on this choice by stating
he made this decision because, although he had a
very good understanding of the Chase side of
things, his team of Chemical controllers would
provide him with vital insight into the opposing
side. This approach may have cost him a few
friends, but it certainly was the best move to
effectively run the combined finance functions.
Although everyone’s experiences during a
will be different, there’s no denying the unease
that comes along with the uncertainty in the air.
Prof. Satenstein stresses the importance of
flexibility, in all areas, when traversing these
bumpy waters. “Don’t resist change. You’ve got to
realize that the way things were done in the past
are not the way things will be done going
forward”. Mergers are exciting times; you must
think of them as such. As long as you’re flexible, in
meeting new people and adopting new processes,
you’re more than likely to survive.
By: Ameen Sulaiman
"When I was announced as the CFO of the Investment
Banking business, everyone from my former staff was
surely thinking ‘That’s wonderful, I’m safe, I’m
protected’ and whoever was on the Chemical side
would be eliminated. It turned out that I did just the
opposite”
but for the line folk as well. The reality of the
situation is that 100% of the revenue is expected to
be kept, but far from 100% of the staff will.
The cost reduction is part of the long-term goal,
but in the short term the banks placed hundreds of
millions in reserves for the immediate expenses
they expected to incur due to the merger. The
reserves were used for such things as severance
packages, stay bonuses, and of course the
extensive re-structuring costs.
Settling In

The end of the Fall semester is coming to a
close and the highly anticipated Winter
Break is undoubtedly on everyone’s mind.
Many have opted to take Winter classes,
either to stay ahead of the game or to catch
up on any missing credits for graduation. All
in all, despite the upcoming vacation,
Queens College students are definitely
thinking about the future.
The big question
is: What are you
doing this Winter
break? If you’re
taking Winter
classes or
preoccupying
yourself with work
or internships, then
props to you.
However, if you
don’t see yourself
hustling in the
cold days ahead,
keep reading because this article is for you!
Make it your mission this winter to master
something that’s becoming extremely
important in the work force, master your
soft skills. In other words, enjoy your break,
but don’t break the habit of thinking
professionally and working towards self
improvement.
Don't Break the Habit
The Soft Skills
members who work in service industries,
especially restaurants…” Well, isn’t that a fun
fact! Next time, don’t discount the small part
time jobs you’ve had when crafting your
professional story.
Other skills that employers seek out are
“teamwork...critical thinking, social skills,
creativity, interpersonal communication,
adaptability and having a friendly
personality.” Apparently, these soft skills are a
big hit with employers, an analysis of “2.3
million LinkedIn profiles” shows that “nearly
58% of employees who touted stellar
communication skills were hired over the
course of a year.” Since communication is
unmistakably important, adding
communication skills to your resume and
cover letter is just as vital.
According to an article published in the Wall
Street Journal, “The ‘Soft Skills’ Employers
Are Looking for,” by Kate Davidson,
employers are seeking out individuals with
communication skills, organization skills
and punctuality. According to Davidson,
these skills are “most prevalent among
To emphasize your communication skills,
try to include experiences that provided you
with a leadership role or team role. As a
leader, it is essential to have strong
communication skills in order to
successfully relay information and guide
others. As a team member, the way you

For example: As Vice President of the
Resident Student Association on campus, I
effectively bridge the gap in communication
I do this by preparing 5 budget proposals a
month, and summarizing input from board
members during weekly meetings. As a
result, strong communication helped the
committee to double the number of
successfully planned events from the
previous year.
The preceding example would be a strong
fit for a cover letter and with a bit of
tweaking, it could also be written in resume
format. Can you think of anything that helps
you highlight your communication skills?
This can include positions in clubs or
positions from jobs that you have held. Make
sure to highlight your value by providing
quantifiable results demonstrating the
effectiveness of your ability to communicate.
In the demonstration above, we were able
to discuss an experience in a way that
exemplified the soft skill of communication.
This process can be applied to the rest of the
skills mentioned by Davidson in a similar
manner. The first step is to identify a
relevant experience that exemplifies the
characteristic that employers are looking
for. After identifying, you can start by giving
a brief description of your role, but more
importantly, how you added value and
subsequently developed as a professional
from this experience. To highlight your
value, show the results of your contributions
using quantifiable measurements.
The takeaway from this article is to understand
how to advertise your unapparent strengths.
This is a great way to separate yourself from a
pack of candidates. Hard skills are important,
but at the end of the day, when an employer
hires you, they want to believe that you can be
a part of the team and contribute in
meaningful ways. This is when soft skill, “traits
that don’t show up in a job posting but are
essential for succeeding in the workplace,”
come in.
This break, don’t break the habit of
professional and individual improvement that
you have developed. Practice including soft
skills into your resume and cover letter by
following the procedure detailed in the article.
It will definitely make all the difference!
By: Karina Chen
Tips to Help Develop
Your Soft SkillsMaking the Skills
Easy to Find
communicate with others can largely impact
whether or not your team achieves its goal.

AscendQCMonthlyNewsletter-September
If someone were to ask you Big Four or
Mid-Size, which one would you choose? Have
you done enough research to make this
important decision? Have you done any
research at all? These are the types of
questions we need to ask ourselves as we
approach graduation. As time is narrowing in,
and as the decision of where to start our
careers becomes more tangible than ever
before, being able to answer these questions
with confidence and surety help us develop
the clear vision of where we ultimately want
to be.
In my first article I shared an inside
perspective of the culture and work-life
within a mid-size firm. This time I was
fortunate enough to gain a deeper
understanding of someone who works for the
opposite side of the spectrum, the big four. I
was given the opportunity to interview with
Muaz Paracha, Auditor at Deloitte. Muaz, a
recent Queens College graduate, thoroughly
enjoys sharing his story with as many
students as possible. He was sitting in the
same Powdermaker Hall seats less than a year
ago, and was kind enough to offer his advice
and experienced insight on how he made it to
Deloitte.
Big 4 vs Mid-Size: Act 2
This is the primary and most practical step in
the decision making process. Researching
every company, knowing their mission
and understanding who they are and what
they do is unexplainably important. Once an
Research! Research! Research!
and understanding who they are and what
they do is unexplainably important. Once an
understanding is made, envisioning yourself
there will make the selection easier. “You
have to see through it all, and see what’s the
real reason I want to work here.” In order to
do research you need to understand what
you’re looking for, what are your
preferences? In Muaz’s case “It was a natural
choice to go Big Four.” Knowing his
preferences significantly narrowed down his
choice firms and channeled his personal
vision.
While work within the Big Four and the Mid-
size are the closely related, there are some
noticeable differences. One distinguishing
factor is that the Big Four clients are much
larger. “They handle the biggest clients
because they’re the biggest firms and have the
resources to do so.” Mid-size on the other
hand are not as capable to handle these well-
known clients because of their limited
resources. Their clients are smaller scale
when placed in comparison to those of the Big
Four.
Another benefit of working at a Big Four is
the size of the teams, typically these teams are
larger than those within a Mid-size. The
numbers can run anywhere from around 15
people to so large that they take up an entire
floor of a building within a client site.
However, sometimes teams are as small as a
team of 2. “At a Big Four you can be put on a
Know the Differences

it was his networking skills that got him those
contacts, allowing him to sit where he is today.
Talking to Muaz it was clear that he was
passionate about both his job and Deloitte. When
asked what he enjoys most about his job he
responded, “The satisfaction of getting your work
done. Accounting is like a puzzle, it’s the law
applied to numbers. We’re the eyes and ears of the
investor. It’s society trying to be good.” Some
advice he gives to students entering into the
accounting profession is to communicate with
others, be accountable of your time, ask questions,
and always welcome challenges.
One critical part to Muaz’s career was his
relationship to ALPFA. ALPFA opened all the right
doors for Muaz, and led him to where he is today.
During his stay at Queens College he was the
President of the ALPFA QC Chapter. He likens his
experience to “a stomping ground to becoming a
professional.” Through the leadership position that
he served through, he gained the soft skills that are
needed in accounting and learned to trust himself.
Muaz encourages students to
get involved and to join one
of the many business clubs
on campus. He also
encourages students to go for a leadership
position. The return on taking a leadership
position is enormous and highly beneficial. One
thing that really struck to me that he mentioned
was to “never sell yourself short.” Taking on
leadership roles is key, it opens all doors.
“Involved means fully involved if you want to
make the most benefit.” Choosing between Big
Four or Mid-Size revolves around personal
preference. The key lessons to take out of this
article is to do your research, network, and get
involved. Deloitte might not recruit at our school
but that shouldn’t be an excuse to not aim high. As
Muaz said, “never sell yourself short.” If you do
your research, network, and get involved, the
possibilities are capped by no one except yourself.
By: Emily Equite
“Networking is a huge part of the process and it’s
always good to have a head start on that, having
people you can call upon, that’s what Deloitte had for
me.”
mid-size firm. You get exposure to both...you’re
not really trading off that much in the sense that
some clients you work on will be the same size as
mid-size firms.”
Even though there are tremendous benefits
when working at a Big Four, there are also some
negatives. One being, “In Big Four you have to be a
little too specialized. Whereas in Mid-size some
people can do both audit and tax.” Being able to do
both allows diversity in thought, and aids your
development as a versatile professional. “At the
end of the day these companies don’t do anything
that’s much different from one another. The
names are different, the software and everything
else is similar.”
The Path In is the Same
Once the advantages and the disadvantages are
established, the second step is to network.
Everyone stresses the importance of networking,
but for good reason, networking can be a deciding
factor just like it was for Muaz. “Networking is a
huge part of the process and it’s always good
to have a head start on that, having people you can
call upon, that’s what Deloitte had for me.” The
professionals you network with could potentially
stay with you and help you in your future career.
The professionals Muaz new before starting at
Deloitte still help him today.
Throughout his journey in Deloitte, Muaz has
absolutely enjoyed his time. Prior to working full
time he interned there as well, which heavily
influenced his decision to stay within the firm. His
internship helped him get his foot in the door,
connect with professionals, and opened significant
opportunities. “The ultimate reason why I chose
Deloitte was number wise, I had more contacts at
Deloitte through ALPFA than any other firm.” And

You probably didn’t catch their names in
the paper after solving the Enron scandal,
and they most likely escaped your attention
in the media regarding Wells Fargo, but
behind the publicity, and the all-
encompassing headlines, are the people who
followed the paper trail and spotted the
truth, they’re the forensic accountants.
Forensic Accounting is a growing field that’s
calling for individuals with an inquisitive
combination of accounting knowledge and
investigative skills. What do they do? They
take large sets of financial and business data
and analyze them, looking for fraud, maybe
a number that doesn’t quite fit the
description. The job requires a unique
proficiency to interpret Financial
transactions, with the ability to present
those findings in a way that’s
understandable to the public.
A study done in 2012 by the Association of
Certified Fraud Examiners estimated that
almost 5% of annual revenue around the
world was lost to fraud. This is equivalent to
a 3.5 trillion dollar loss! That’s why Forensic
accounting has become increasingly
important, and today can be found in almost
every industry. Interested in criminal
investigation? The police force needs
forensic accountants. Maybe law is your
forte? Lawyers need forensic accountants.
Forensic accountants are the mediators in
shareholder and partner disputes, they
tackle the business/employee fraud
investigations, they trace the missing assets
in relational disputes, and are on the hunt
for those who breach their professional
Who Needs Sherlock When You've
Got a Forensic Accountant
standard of care within the financials. These
are the individuals who serve the public as
expert witnesses, and provide evidence in
court against those who plague society with
fraud and monetary deceit.
What does an average day for a forensic
accountant look like? Well, it depends on what
category you fall into. Like in audit, the
rankings start from associate, move to senior
associate, then manager, and lastly partner. As
an associate (beginners, basically us) the job
consists of intense research, specifically
regarding SEC filings, and legal regulations.
You also might find yourself reviewing
extensive amounts of Emails searching for
anything fraudulent, and then making detailed
binders with all your findings for the senior
level employees. Once you move to senior
associate, you start to do less of the technical
and more of the controlling. Such as assigning
jobs to the associates, controlling the group

develop relationships with the client and by
the time you hit partner you get to be the
expert witness on trial, the guy who does the
final presentation representing the firm and
its findings.
Unlike most fields of accounting, forensic
accountants do not have a busy season,
rather one account described it as "busy
bursts" whenever a report is due or
immediate information is requested. This
field of accounting also requires extensive
traveling. For almost one third of the year a
forensic accountant will not be spending the
night at home, but rather in a hotel room
across the county, or across the globe. It
provides the type of employment that
constantly presents you with new
opportunities. You never work with the
same client twice, you travel all over the
world meeting with different corporations,
and you get to work with people from
varying past experiences. You might be
working with a historian, or a physiologist,
or maybe someone who use to work for the
military, this type of employment places
tremendous emphasis on team work, so
working with others is a mandatory skill.
Lastly, unlike most accountants who will
work with on one project at a time forensic
accounts work on about 5-10 different
projects at once, providing some diversity in
everyday tasks.
Risk Assurance?
The Executive Insight - November '167
are the individuals who serve the public as
expert witnesses, and provide evidence in
court against those who plague society with
fraud and monetary deceit.
What does an average day for a forensic
accountant look like? Well, it depends on what
category you fall into. Like in audit, the
rankings start from associate, move to senior
associate, then manager, and lastly partner. As
an associate (beginners, basically us) the job
consists of intense research, specifically
regarding SEC filings, and legal regulations.
You also might find yourself reviewing
extensive amounts of Emails searching for
anything fraudulent, and then making detailed
binders with all your findings for the senior
level employees.

projects, and working through the more
complex tasks. Then as a manager you begin
to develop relationships with the client and
by the time you hit partner you get to be the
expert witness on trial, the guy who does the
final presentation representing the firm and
its findings.
Unlike most fields of accounting, forensic
accountants do not have a busy season,
rather one account described it as "busy
bursts" whenever a report is due or
immediate information is requested. This
field of accounting also requires extensive
traveling. For almost one third of the year a
forensic accountant will not be spending the
night at home, but rather in a hotel room
across the county, or across the globe. It
provides the type of employment that
constantly presents you with new
opportunities. You never work with the
same client twice, you travel all over the
world meeting with different corporations,
and you get to work with people from
varying past experiences. You might be
working with a historian, or a physiologist,
or maybe someone who use to work for the
military, this type of employment places
tremendous emphasis on team work, so
working with others is a mandatory skill.
Lastly, unlike most accountants who will work
with on one project at a time forensic accounts
work on about 5-10 different projects at once,
providing some diversity in everyday tasks.
Forensic Accounting is a growing field, The
Bureau of Labor Statistics has predicted a 13%
boost within the industry by 2022. The
unfortunate truth is that fraud, litigation, and
elaborate financial schemes have plagued our
economy, but it’s the accountants who have
been following the numbers and bringing this
corruption to light. So if you ever think that
being an accountant simply means fidgeting
around with meaningless numbers and doing
work with no real value, then think again,
cause the next big bust is probably going to be
the result of a forensic accountant who
grabbed his magnifying glass, went to work,
and followed the numbers.
By: Krista Benitez
http://www.acfe.com/career-path-forensic-accountant.aspx
https://www.aicpa.org/InterestAreas/ForensicAndValuation/Resources/PractAidsGuid
ance/DownloadableDocuments/ForensicAccountingResearchWhitePaper.pdf
http://abfa.us/

We've all at least heard the term "mutual
fund" or "index fund" get tossed around in a
finance class, but most of us have never
been introduced to the neglected step sister,
the lovely Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF).
Unknown to most, the ETF has been around
since 1993, but her moment of glory didn't
come until almost ten years later. Today, of
the $14.72 trillion dollars worth of assets
invested by companies, $1.34 trillion are
held within an ETF. So we've got to ask
ourselves, what type of investment is this?
And should I get involved?
In comprehensive terms the ETF is an
investment fund that tracks commodities,
futures, currencies, indexes, and other types
of financial products. What forces this
investment to stand out, is that it comes with
a series of benefits that the similarly styled
mutual fund and the index fund cannot
offer. First, unlike a mutual fund where
costly professional advisors are actively
trading and trying to beat the market, the
ETF provides a passive form of
management. Rather than beat the market,
it's trying to follow the market trends and
use them to its advantage. Although index
funds primarily do the same thing, they are
costly to trade while an ETF is almost
commission free. That's because an ETF
trades like common stock. Throughout the
day, like any normal stock would, it's traded
and priced continuously on public stock
exchanges. Not only that, but an ETF can be
sold short, held on to for the long term, or
bought on the margin, exactly like common
stock. This gives investors higher liquidity
rates, allowing them to get out with minimal
risk and expense if necessary.
A Finance Fixing
ETFs are not only less maintenance, and less
expensive, but they are less risky because they
allow investors to diversify. For example,
instead of investing in one type of stock, ETFs
provide investors with a benchmark return on
a range of different stocks within an index
being tracked. Not to mention, they come with
a tax benefit too. When dividends are
distributed and capital gains are made, the
value of the stock within the ETF increases, and
the company stock holders as well as those
individual corporations, are taxed on whatever
gains or dividends are realized. However, the
investors of the ETF are indirectly benefiting
from this increase in value, however because
the relationship is indirect the ETF investors
escape the tax.
These tactful investments are created by a
few specialized investors that are known as
APs or authorized participants. It's is only
through an AP that an ETF can be created and
purchased back. Some of the more notable
ETFs currently trading on the market are the
QQQ which tracks the Nasdaq, the DIA which
tracks the Dow Jones, the SPDR which tracks
the S&P 500, or the OIH which tracks the oil
industry. Almost every prominent sector has
an ETF that's tracking the index, there's even
one for the foreign markets.
Although not as common and a bit unfamiliar,
ETFs have shown themselves to be stable
profitable investments overtime, just requires
a little knowledge, a little patience, and a lot of
research.
ETFs are..
By: Krista Benitez
http://www.nasdaq.com/etfs/what-are-ETFs.aspx
http://www.forbes.com/sites/mitchelltuchman/2013/06/28/what-
is-an-etf-three-simple-answers/#62706195d8b3
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/etf.asp?lgl=no-infinite

So What Now?
Congratulations! You were able to secure a job upon graduation. But now what?
You’re anxious about your first day of work, and unsure how to navigate the
workplace. Peilei Peng, once a Queens College student, now an Experienced
Assurance Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers, offers some advice and insight
to the questions you may have:
dependability, and working in a team environment. For Peilei, taking the Financial
Statement Analysis course with Professor Satenstein enabled her to build these skills.
Because the course required her to work on a team project, she learned how to be
both a team leader and a team player. So while the classes you take do train you and
provide you with the necessary accounting knowledge, she strongly suggest that you
enroll in course(s) that require you to work in a team.
When working in a big firm, or any other firm for that matter, you may find it difficult to
stand out. To grasp the attention of upper leadership, Peilei “recommends to communicate
the expectations with your seniors and managers in the beginning – ask them what their
expectations are of you.” Many jump into a job without knowledge of the expectations that
upper management have for them; something she believes you should avoid. When their
expectations are communicated to you, you can start working towards meeting that goal and
eventually going beyond it.
How applicable are the skills you learn as a student?
This is something that I question constantly. After speaking to Peilei, I learned
that much of the accounting knowledge obtained from class will serve as a guide
throughout your first year in public accounting. However, when it comes to
application, “it really depends on the area of your focus,” which will be picked up
on the job. When working in a public accounting firm where team structure is
crucial, it is important that you build on the soft skills, such as, communication,
What are some tips to stand out from your coworkers and
get good annual reviews?
How to survive your first busy season?
For Peilei, her first busy season was of course tough, but also a unique experience. When she
first started, she was placed in a team with one recurring member, everyone else was new. She
was able to get through her first busy season successfully by getting her seniors, managers and
experienced associates on board, and by developing an understanding of what her “to do’s”
were. In reality, she had to do more than what was initially assigned. However, it was because
she kept an open and accepting mindset that she was able to move forward and successfully

Managing your time can be tough, especially during busy season. So how do you make
sure you’re not swamped in work 24/7? It is extremely important to communicate your
personal plans to your team members. Once they become aware of these plans, they can
try accommodate them. From Peilei’s experience, “team members embrace flexibility and
respect the personal things you need to do.” But at the same time, you as a team member,
have to ensure that you complete your assignments on time so you don’t hold your team
back. Additionally, having a detailed plan for the year helps tremendously as you get a
better understanding of when the downtime and peak-time is. This way, you know when you
can book more personal activities in your schedule. For Peilei, it was easier to manage her
work-life balance in her second year at PwC because she “knew what was coming and when
the downtimes and peak-times were.”
complete her assignments. A big tip she has is to always ask questions – and to not be afraid to do
so. This was something she struggled with during her first year tackling the busy season. Opting
for the longer, more time-consuming route, she decided to figure things out herself when
confronting obstacles. She wants you to remember that “no one is perfect when they start, you
just have to be humble and willing to take in feedback.” From her experience, she gathered
that to survive your first busy season, it is helpful to be a team player, be open to taking on
more tasks, and leverage the help extended from your seniors and managers by asking
questions.
By: Emily Chan
How to manage your work-life balance?
How do you stay motivated?
Everyone stays motivated and finds motivation differently; it really depends on your values.
Setting up a detailed daily plan with her team is motivating for Peilei. Accomplishing the goals
for the day translates to not having to deal with crazy hours for the upcoming days, which is also
a motivating factor. What really motivates her, however, is constantly being challenged and
getting exposed to new areas. Her team respects one another’s interests, which allows her to
switch from one area to another. For example, moving from revenue testing to administrative
expenses can be a refreshing change. Also, knowing that “if the team does a good job, it looks
good as a whole” helps her stay motivated.
Transitioning from a college student to a professional in the workforce can be tough. How you
manage your time and expectations play a big role in your performance within your position. So
keep your mind open, soak in the constructive feedback, and take the advice seniors have to
offer, it will be helpful down the road.

Thank You
To all those who dedicate their time to help Ascend in
making Queens College a better place.
Ahmed, Galib
Andrejack, John
Ang, Rob
Barker, Nigel
Barreneche, Laura
Bello, Michelle
Brecak, Josip
Cai, Wendy
Cameron, Keesha
Carlson, John
Freedman, AJ
Fruchter, Max
Hitzig, Neal
Joseph, Alan
Khan, Iftakar
Khan, Marium
Krinitz, Judith
Lakenauth, Susanna
Lapsys, Adolfas
Lee, Kevin
Lee, Tim
Mathai, Basil
Mei, Diane
Milich, Marvin
Miller, Denise
Navi, Joseph
O'Connel, Liz
Osdoby, Jaci
Paracha, Muaz
Peng, Peilei
Rahman, Abdul
Rivera, Eric
Rodriguez, Felix
Roowala, Sabah
Rozenberg, Jonathan
Satenstein, Jeffrey
Shamash, Matthew
Shen, Diana
Shults, Diane
Sin, Marco
Singh, Japneet
Singh, Vanessa
Situmeang, Arnold
Spitz, Lara
Student Association
Tariq, Zohaib
Tumulty, Scott
Tyranski, Glenn
Uddin, Tai
Valencia, Christian
Vasquez, Bryan
Vivar, Aaron
Wazeed, Akila
Zheng, Kelly

What makes Ascend unique is our dedication to our members. We
are committed to offering our members strategic professional
development programs and unparalleled access to key decision
makers and senior executives across a wide cross-section of
industries. Our goal is to help each member reach their career
aspirations and maximize their leadership potential while bringing
increased value to their organizations.
Ascend offers robust professional development and career
enhancement programs designed to cultivate QC's talent. As an
Ascend member, you have access to world-class leadership and
professional development programs, unique leadership networks,
and opportunities to develop your leadership skills and influence in
the community. Membership in Ascend also provides exclusive
access to members-only benefits and discounts.
Opportunity to connect and engage with mentors and senior
executives across industries
Access to invaluable career advancement advice and opportunities
Job search assistance (resume writing, interview tips)
Connect and engage with recruiters from across industries
Participate in career development and career coaching workshops
Why Join Ascend
The Value of the Student Membership
Join our Editorial or Marketing Teams Today!
The Editorial Team and the Marketing Committee are our newest
iniatives to continue the culture of success here at Ascend QC.
Contact us at AscendQC@gmail.com if you're interested in getting
part of the action!

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