A New Associate’s First Busy Season at McGladrey

Written by Emmy Gjurgjiali

Assurance Associate

Chicago, IL

Starting as a new hire in Audit at the beginning of busy season was a little intimidating since not only were the hours lengthy but there was so much to learn. Would I be able to learn and understand things quickly? Were the clients nice? Would my team have the time or patience to sit down and teach me about the Financial Services industry? Those were the questions running through my mind during the first few days of orientation.

As I progressed through busy season, the hours got longer and the work load became heavier. I noticed the more work I was assigned the more questions I would ask. Thankfully, my team was very easy to work with since they were more than happy to take time out of their busy schedules to sit down and walk me through certain audit procedures. Knowing that I was free to ask any of my superiors questions made my first busy season experience that much easier.

Despite all the hard work, we always managed to find some time for fun. Take March for example. This month is one of the busiest months of busy season in Financial Services as we try to wrap up each engagement by the March 31^st deadline. Due to the unpredictability of last minute issues that may arise, stress can be at an all time high. So in order to relieve a little bit of stress, the girls from the Private Equity Group spontaneously decided to take 20 minutes out of the day to get cupcakes and eat them outside, allowing us to enjoy the rare warm weather and each other’s company.  Sitting outside and eating a simple cupcake made a world of a difference for the rest of the day. We were able to work just as hard as we did any other day but with something funny to talk about to spice up the day.

As busy season came to an end, not only had I learned so many new skills but I also kept thinking to myself “It wasn’t that bad.” Even though the hours are long and the work can be a little tougher in the beginning, working with a great team can make a world of a difference. It reminds me that I’ve made a great choice by choosing to work at McGladrey.