Professional Development/Practice Management
GIVE YOUR SKILLS A CAT SCAN
James Feldman
Practitioners can use the AICPA Competency Self-Assessment Tool to evaluate which professional performance areas they need to strengthen. This article takes readers through an introductory exercise to show them how to use the tool as the first step to forming an action plan to better prepare for the many opportunities available to today’s CPAs.

Recruiting/Internships
ROAD TO THE FUTURE
Christine A. Lauber, Lorraine Ruh, Peter M. Theuri and Peter Woodlock
Internships benefit potential and established CPAs: Students get an assist in making the transition from school to workplace, and firms that nurture young talent get the benefit of a close look at potential hires. Here are guidelines for making internships a successful part of professional development for students and firms.

Careers
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Elizabeth Danziger
In today’s world where many professional people will have more than one career before they retire, CPAs have a hidden asset—a window into many client businesses. This plus their broad-based financial skills can help them seize an entrepreneurial opportunity. Here are guidelines for considering whether to follow a different drummer and profiles of some CPAs who’ve made a switch or added an enterprise line.

Compensation and Benefits
WHAT’S NEXT IN CORPORATE PAY PRACTICES?
Anita Dennis
Although the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 did not mandate any changes in compensation methods, its focus on corporate governance issues has been a catalyst for public companies to reexamine standard operating procedures—including how they pay corporate executives.

Business and Industry
THE LOWDOWN ON LEAN ACCOUNTING
Karen M. Kroll
As companies implement a lean approach to doing business, they are finding that some standard cost accounting practices no longer make sense. This is leading them to adopt accounting concepts that better reflect the entity’s business performance.

Technology Workshop
MAKE YOUR OWN PUSH-BUTTON DATABASE
TerryAnn Glandon
Microsoft’s Access is a powerful application, but it’s not for the fainthearted. However, with a little effort, you can make it easier to use so anyone in your organization can operate it.

NEWS

Professional Issues
TWO FIRMS LAUNCH NEW ETHICS PROGRAMS
Rick Telberg
BKD of Springfield, Missouri, and Moss Adams of Seattle are striking out for a new frontier in CPA firm management: Each of them has created an independent ethics oversight function. Their approaches may differ, but the aim is the same: to ensure the high ethical tone at the top is filtering through their firms to clients and the public.

Special Report
VIEW FROM THE TOP: INTERVIEW WITH JOHN J. CASTELLANI
The JofA recently sat down with John J. Castellani, Business Roundtable president, to discuss the group’s approach to the widespread changes in corporate governance following the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and how the accounting profession can work more closely with the organization to bring about improvements.