In spite of vast resources committed to orientation programs, many promising recruits never fully assimilate into public accounting firms. The resulting impact on commitment and early turnover can be devastating for individuals and firms. This study uses in-depth personal accounts of current and former employees to derive a model that may assist firms and their employees. Participants asserted that diverse measures, including careful job choice by recruits, daily supervision and team building, partners' involvement with new hires, and predictable periods of normalcy, can assist in new hires' adaptation to large public accounting firms.