Assurance Intern
Minneapolis, MN
 |
| Dorothy Schwartzkopf |
One question I was asked frequently over the past six
months when explaining my internship to my friends and family was, “How did you
get your internship?” Luckily for me my answer was simple. Last summer I was selected
to attend the McGladrey Pathways program in the Minneapolis office. Pathways is
a three day program aimed at introducing junior and senior level college
students to everything McGladrey: the culture, client base, history and most
importantly the people. Throughout the program I was able to connect with many
of the staff level employees at McGladrey and get a taste of what it would be
like to work at McGladrey.
One of my favorite experiences during Pathways was a
facility tour of one of McGladrey’s clients followed by a presentation given by
the CEO of the company. During the presentation the CEO explained how grateful
he was for all of the accounting work McGladrey has provided for his company
over the years. This experience helped me realize that working in public
accounting significantly influences and helps businesses everywhere. That’s
what I love about McGladrey’s client base: We focus on small to middle sized
businesses, run by people who truly care what is going on in their company.
Another Pathways experience that sticks out in my mind
was the Casino Night, which was hosted at one of Minneapolis’ finest rooftop venues.
Walking into the venue we were each provided with a bag of chips to play with.
There were poker tables throughout the room and we were given the option of
playing Texas Hold ‘Em or Blackjack. The room was packed with McGladrey
employees of all levels, some acting as dealers. As I made my way up to a
Blackjack table towards the back of the room, I was a little nervous. However
my feelings of uneasiness were quickly washed away as I was introduced to
everyone at the table. Soon enough I began to really enjoy myself. Throughout
the night I moved from table to table getting to meet so many wonderful people
at the firm, while doing quite well at Texas Hold ‘Em I might add. This was the
night that I realized how special the people at McGladrey are. It was easy for
me to interact with everyone and I found myself joking around and having a good
time all night.
The final day of the Pathways program was an interview. I
had two interviews with managers. Both interviews went really well. In fact, I
didn’t feel as if I was being interviewed at all, it was more like a
conversation and just getting to know the person. The next day I got the call
from McGladrey saying I had gotten an internship. I can’t even explain how
excited I was. This was my first “big girl” job offer and it was at a place
where I felt I truly fit in.
I spent most of the fall making countless shopping trips
with my mom and friends to stock up on heels, business suits and accessories. I
also made arrangements to find a place to live in Minneapolis. This was a big move for me as I had lived in
the same small city in southern Minnesota for my entire life. As my internship
approached, the more excited I became. Moving up to Minneapolis in late
December I couldn’t believe it was already time to start. Although I was pretty
nervous before my first day, I knew I would be comfortable with my job in no
time based on the Pathways experience over the summer.
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