The Top 8 of '08

What a year it's been. The election, the economy, the Olympics, the weather are just a few of the things that have made 2008 one of most amazing years in recent memory. This year has brought numerous personal and professional challenges and victories for me as well.

One of the achievements that I'll most remember from this year was the launch of Success starts here. This corporate recruiting blog has been a few years in the making (in my mind), but five months, 50+ posts and 3800+ visitors (3K in the last three months) later, it's off to a good start in my estimation. There's alot more for us to do here at Success starts here however. In 2009, we'll have new contributors, more multimedia, and more opportunities for this to be an interactive forum as well. And if there is anything that you would like to see here, tell us!

Above all, I'd like to thank Ken, BJ, LoriAnn, Jay, Todd and Dave (and many many more) for their contributions and support of Success starts here. The success of this blog wouldn't be possible without everyone's enthusiastic participation.

This will be the final post for 2008 as most of us will be taking time off between now and the new year. To wrap up 2008, I'd like adapt the tradition of end-of-year 'Best Of' list making, and offer up to you my Top 8 of '08. My selections (in chronological order) are purely subjective in nature, based solely on my opinion. So, without further adieu...

• What Does Public Accounting Look Like - The Interns in our Phoenix, AZ office developed this incredibly creative video as part of a summer project.


• The Big Give - One of many great examples of the numerous local community service activities McGladrey is involved with.


• Iowa is for Winners - Ira would of been very proud this year of Iowa's own Shawn and Zach Johnson.


• Importance of Networking - Never has networking been so important for professional survival.


• The Power of Influence - The McGladrey launches a website directly geared to those who are a significant resource to young professionals as they make their career decisions.


• Women RISE and SHINE - An inspirational story about one of our great female Partners in Southern California.


• Podcast: What Not To Do In An Interview - Tiffany, Todd and I had alot of fun putting this together.


• Best Accounting Firms? McGladrey is One - McGladrey makes Accounting Today's first ever Best Accounting Firms to Work For list.

Ask BJ - The difference between applying to a job and the on-line employment application

We’ve recently received several questions from candidates asking:

“What is the difference between applying for a job on the McGladrey Career Center and completing an on-line employment application? Why am I asked to do both?”

When you create a Career Center Profile and you apply to a specific job, that is indicating that you want to be considered for that open position. Once you are engaged in the interview stage, you will be asked to complete our firm’s employment application, which is done through our on-line process.

Surveying our way to Success

30 to 60 days after you have been hired by McGladrey, you get an email from me to complete a survey. This survey essentially measures your experience in our hiring process from the time we invite you in for an interview up to your first day of employment. The survey also provides us with valuable information regarding what resources our new hires used while looking for a new job, and why they accepted our offer of employment.

Overall, the results have been very positive, but we do get negative feedback as well. By allowing our new hires to leave comments, we have been able to learn more details regarding what may of not gone well in their experience, therefore providing us insight into what process improvements may be necessary if those issues were discovered to be systemic.

I was reviewing the most recent survey results just last week when I came across a comment that was not just very positive in nature, but glowing to the extent that I felt it should be shared with you. Susan C., a recently hired Tax Supervisor in our Greensboro, NC office had this to say about her experience in our hiring process:

“It was a wonderful experience. After getting a few offers from other public accounting firms and industry firms - McGladrey was just perfect! I immediately loved the people during the interview process and was ecstatic about the additional responsibility with this role. I feel McGladrey, above any other public firm that I know, really puts an emphasis on the people. We don't just feel like an assembly line …we feel like a team here. Even with the other offers, accepting with McGladrey was easy with the great opportunity they presented working with these wonderful people. Managers even took the time to eat lunch with me after the offer, to better get a feel of what I would be doing. Everyone did a great job making me feel welcome - including beautiful flowers sent to my house - which made me feel SO much better after I gave my resignation (to my previous employer). This was a wonderful experience and you guys are doing a great job with recruiting.”

Kudos to the Carolinas Economic Unit and their Talent Acquisition Manager, Caroline Cash, for delivering such a spectacular experience for Susan. And thank you Susan for sharing with us such glowing words of appreciation.

Have you interviewed with McGladrey? Do you have any comments to share? If so, please share them with us here. We are always seeking ways to ensure that our hiring process is a gratifying, engaging and productive experience.

Social Media Props for McGladrey

So I'm on LinkedIn earlier this week, and in the company-related news section (which I love BTW) was a blog post about McGladrey's relationship with Natalie Gulbis and the "Who's Behind Your Success" promotion. We posted information about this promotion earlier this year, so I was very familiar with what it was all about.

What I didn't know however was the extent our Marketing department went to reach out to online social media. The blog post goes on to praise McGladrey as being

"...ahead of the curve not only in the accounting/finance world, but in the general business world with respect to their marketing strategies. They have incorporated social media marketing and succeeded with it while some companies are still trying to hone in on what the difference between and blog and a discussion board actually is. This is a big step forward for the blogosphere, RSM McGladrey and Natalie Gulbis"

Very nice compliments indeed. I like to think that we are being progressive with Success starts here, as we are one of only a few companies that actually have active corporate recruiting blogs (along with Microsoft (and here), Sodexo, and HCA West Florida). Corporate blogging, whether marketing or recruiting-related however is still in it's infancy.

Our marketing department has been very supportive of our efforts to date, so it's great to see them recognized in the blogosphere for their open willingness to embrace social media.

McGladrey is a 2008 Best Place to Work in Charlotte

The awards and recognition keep rolling in this year. Our Charlotte, NC office was just recently named by Charlotte Business Journal as a Best Place To Work in the midsized business category. The office moved to it's new location in the SouthPark neighborhood just this past year. The office houses not only our Audit, Tax and Business Consulting staff, but also our National Marketing organization. Team McGladrey members Zach Johnson, Chris DiMarco and Natalie Gulbis have stopped by on occasion for a visit.

Results were gathered via an employee survey completed by more than 80 percent of Charlotte office employees. The survey posed questions about employees overall experience working for the firm as well as specifics related to leadership and effectiveness. This is the first year that the firm has participated in this survey and the local leadership has been enthusiastic about the feedback received indicating employees are engaged and excited to work for the firm. The top three areas that we scored the highest in were Individual Contribution, Trust with Coworkers and Trust in Senior Leaders.

National 'best place to work' awards are great, and we do get those. But I like local recognition just as much. Congrats to our Queen City teammates on this great achievement!

Running and Walking To Raise Lung Cancer Awareness

The following post was contributed by Monica Luke, Campus Recruiter in our Philadelphia Economic Unit.

The Philadelphia Economic Unit participated in the Free to Breathe Lung Cancer 5K Run/Walk on Sunday, November 2nd which took the runners/walkers along the Schuylkill River down Kelly Drive alongside Philadelphia’s famous Boat House Row. We had a great turnout of employees, clients, family and friends and raised over $1,200 for the National Lung Cancer Partnership.

To up the ante, we added a friendly competition between two McGladrey teams to see which team could round up more participants. After tallying up the final results, the winning team won by just two points with great representation from both sides!!

Congratulations to Katie B., the daughter of Jim B., Audit Director, who finished second among females and 13th overall with a time of 20:09. Chris I., Audit Associate and our highest finishing employee, completed the race in 21:42 finishing 26th overall. Not too shabby!

The National Lung Cancer Partnership is a group of leading doctors and researchers, patient advocates, and lung cancer survivors who are working together to improve treatments for lung cancer patients. They are dedicated to raising public awareness of the disease and generating funding for lung cancer research.

This Free to Breathe® event raised public awareness of lung cancer. The proceeds from the Free to Breathe® event will help fund the National Lung Cancer Partnership’s research program.

Boomerang: What Brought Brittney Back

***The following post was contributed by one of our Audit Supervisors in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota office, Brittney***

I’ve worked in the banking industry since high school. I started out part-time on the teller line (hand-written and hand-stamped receipts – ugh!) and worked in many different areas until, most recently, I was Controller of a $750+ million publicly held financial institution. A few years ago (it seems to me, although my kindergartener wasn’t even born at the time, so you do the math), I was the Controller of a small community bank. I was afraid that I was going to “pigeon hole” myself in that role and limit my growth potential. Small community banks were steadily beginning to disappear. I was worried about future career opportunities. I decided that I needed some additional experience to take my career to the next level and I chose to gain that experience in public accounting.

I started with McGladrey & Pullen in November 2003. It was an easy choice. My office has a pretty extensive Financial Instutions (FI) practice and it seemed like a perfect way to use the knowledge I had already gained. More importantly (in my mind), I really liked the people I interviewed with and thought that the culture was a good fit. I was right - it was a great fit for me! I thoroughly enjoyed my job.

In 2006, I heard about a position that sounded like my dream job (a term I will never use so flippantly again.) I was not looking for the proverbial “greener grass”, but I was haunted by my original plan. The reason I chose to get some experience in public accounting was for opportunities like this. It was a chance to make a difference, to be a change agent, to use the wealth of knowledge I had acquired.

I took the job as a Controller for a bank.

My mom was right when she said, “Be careful what you wish for!” As the quarters ticked by after my return to accounting in a bank, my list of things to do kept growing, the hours needed to accomplish those tasks kept stretching out before me, and my energy level started to deteriorate. What’s the point of working so hard if you never actually achieve your goal? Or the goal keeps changing? Eventually, operating in constant crisis mode caught up with me. Not only was I dissatisfied and physically drained, my work/life balance was completely off kilter.

One fine day, the winds of change started blowing me back to McGladrey & Pullen. I had conversations with a wonderful recruiter (who now owes me $5 for mentioning how fabulous he is) and discussions with senior management at the McGladrey office. The interview process was like none I’ve ever experienced. I was able to ask the really good questions – the ones that no one usually dares to ask – which was really eye-opening. I didn’t need to worry about the work environment, or whether the services provided were of high quality; I already knew the answers to those questions. Instead, I was able to gain insight and understanding regarding my career. Before I knew it, I was offered a chance to return.

I took the job and started back with McGladrey on October 20th.

On my first day back, I had work on my desk by 9:30 in the morning. There was no opportunity to play the “newbie” card and slowly work up to full speed. (On the other hand, I wasn’t forced to sit thru hours of orientation, so that may be a blessing.) The most challenging part has been the change in software and the change in auditing standards. These aren’t minor changes - I’m still trying to wrap my mind around both. I have come to terms with my shrunk paycheck and loss of several bank holidays. I try not to miss my 150 square foot office or my underground parking spot. After all, the pros far outweigh the cons.

I like the variety of working with different clients – meeting new people, visiting new places. I like the satisfaction of finishing a project and having something tangible (a report) to show for it. I like being able to offer unique perspective having been in both public and private accounting.

The most rewarding thing about returning to McGladrey has been my work/life balance. I won’t bore you with tales of quality time spent with those I love, and stories of the fun I’ve had doing those things I enjoy. I will, however, tell you how people tend to give me strange looks when I tell them that I’ve returned to public accounting for more balance. They tend to openly gape when I tell them that I have better hours and more flexibility, but it’s true. You may cringe when you think about all the hours clocked over busy season, but I operated under four busy seasons each year – one every quarter. There were no breaks and the end was never in sight!

The easiest thing about returning to McGladrey was the people, of course. (By now, you knew I’d say that.) I like seeing all of my old friends on a regular basis again. I like working on a team instead of working where people are throwing elbows on their way up the corporate ladder. It’s great to work with professionals who do what it takes to get the job done and take pride in their work. There’s no need to ask people to come in early, stay late or work on the weekend. We are a team and we have deadlines; everyone understands that.

Overall, I couldn’t be happier with my decision to return to McGladrey & Pullen. And that’s a good thing. Because my former-now-current co-workers took turns calling me, reminding me of how much I loved McGladrey, telling me how much they wanted me to come back, asking me out to lunch, and just appealing to my vanity in general. I couldn’t have said “no” if I wanted to!

***Note from Jay***

Brittney is a great example of someone who truly experienced one of my favorite sayings:

"The grass may look greener on the other side, but eventually you're going to have to mow that grass as well."

The Upper Midwest Economic Unit has a number of "boomerangs" every year. A boomerang is someone who works for McGladrey, leaves McGladrey, and then returns to McGladrey.

McGladrey is lucky to have people like Brittney who bring both public and private accounting experience to the table, but ultimately decide that public accounting is where they want to be.

Now, can anyone loan me $5 so I can send it to Brittney for her kind words?

Pasadena Goes Semi, Semi Pro

This past Tuesday evening, several members of the Pasadena office gathered at the Arroyo Seco Golf Course for a golf team building. Several of our folks had been taking golf lessons and were eager to showcase their newly found skill sets. The event was also intended to provide some much needed time out of the office, in a friendly, relaxed setting in an effort to continue fostering strong working and personal relationships.

Personally, it had been a while since I had last golfed and I figured there’d be nothing to it. After all, I considered myself to be an old pro. Wrong! I humbly realized I was just old and not too pro. Given it had been years since I last played golf I was kindly assigned to the miniature golf team; a team that also consisted of my 12 year-old son, which shows you the level of expertise we were competing with. Offspring or not, I was determined to take everyone on my miniature golf team down; and I would have if it weren’t for that darned windmill with the fake daffodils and smiling, dancing squirrels. All kidding aside, we had a wonderful time talking about our families, projects, holiday plans and how horribly bad most of us were at golf.

After a punishing round of miniature golf, several of us headed to the driving range. One of our partners took about a half hour working with my son to help improve his swing; simply because they wanted to do something nice. Meanwhile, over on the “Pro” golf course, our tax partner, Dean Joaquin, displayed his exemplary golfing skills hitting balls over trees and ponds with the simplest of ease, all the while encouraging his team members that they could do the same with a little more practice. That’s the McGladrey way. Nothing is impossible if you try hard enough! Of course, I also believe that it takes some real skill to actually hit the tree with your golf ball. This thinking is probably another reason for my being strategically placed on the miniature golf team.

At the end of our event, our tax practice lead partner, Karen Jong, provided snacks and handed out PGA Tee Shirts (because McGladrey is the official accounting, tax and business consulting firm of The PGA of America) and prizes to the team with the best score. Oddly enough, the miniature golf team came in last place. I guess we’ll be canceling our US tour. I’m having the score sheets audited by our new associates, because I’m pretty convinced someone on the tax side was allocating unallowable deductions.

While we were sitting around sharing stories, I was struck with how much I not only enjoy working for this firm, but how much I truly enjoy the people I work with. Through our conversations we realized that some of our kids attend the same schools and as a result, have friends in common. One partner shared stories of a recent camping trip he’d gone on in Yosemite. An ITAX director who is transitioning to Pasadena while his family sells their home up north really appreciated getting out and spending the evening doing something other than heating up a Lean Cuisine and watching Dancing With the Stars. All in all, everyone had a great time and as a result, we’re planning to develop a softball and tennis team next. Again, that’s the McGladrey way. Continuing to build on great ideas!!!

If you’d like to join in on the fun feel free to check out several of our job postings below. If you’re a public accounting professional and can either golf, play softball or tennis, we’d love to talk with you.

Tax Director - Financial Institution - Pasadena
Tax Manager - Financial Institution - Pasadena
Tax Director - R&D/Tax Credits - Pasadena

McGladrey's New Presence in Downtown Philly

The McGladrey family grew a little larger at the end of October with the acquisition of a firm based in downtown Philadelphia, Simonson, Lipschultz & Fogel. McGladrey added 35 employees, including 5 partners, and a new downtown location with this acquisition. The addition makes McGladrey now the 6th largest firm in the Philadelphia region (according to the 2008 Book of Lists).

On behalf of those of us at Success starts here, we welcome our new teammates in the City of Brotherly Love.

Take a look below to explore some of the opportunities we currently have available in the Philadelphia area.

Audit Manager

Business Development Manager

Senior Tax Associate

Tax Manager

Forensic and Litigation Consulting Manager

Southern, CA Team McGladrey Goes to the Zoo

On Saturday, September 20th, over 20 Southern, CA McGladrey employees, family members and friends made their way to the Santa Ana Zoo to take part in Easter Seals Walk With Me. Easter Seals is an organization that provides services to individuals with disabilities and special needs. These services include physical rehabilitation and job training to help people with disabilities participate as a productive member of the community.

The walk took place at the Santa Ana Zoo, and started off in the village area set up by Easter Seals. There were refreshments, music, cheerleaders, and even some hula hoop action! You don't really know your co-workers until you've seen them working a hula hoop. The walked took us all around the zoo and we were completely entertained by the monkeys, who seemed to be having some kind of party of their own! There was also a farm area with goats, pigs and ducks; which entertained several of the young children who came out to walk for this great cause.

One of the highlights of the day came at the end of our walk, when our team was introduced to several of the Ambassadors, who are individuals with disabilities who have benefited from Easter Seals services. It was heart-warming to get a chance to talk to them and hear about what a large impact the Easter Seals has made in their lives. Debbie Ball, the Easter Seals Event Manager, sought out the McGladrey team during the event to find us, as we had one of the largest teams at the event!

Overall, Team McGladrey was able to raise $625 for Easter Seals. Go Team!!

If you'd like the opportunity to work alongside people who not only make a difference at McGladrey, but also our local communities, then feel free to check out some of our job openings here in Southern, CA.

Tax Director - Irvine, CA
Tax Manager - Irvine, CA
Tax Supervisor - Irvine, CA
R&D Director - Irvine or Pasadena, CA

Ghosts and Ghouls Come Out To Play in Boston

Today's post comes to us from Karin Gilmartin, Recruiter in the Boston Economic Unit (EU).

On Wednesday, October 29th, the Boston EU held their annual Children’s Halloween Party. The Boston EU employees were invited to bring their children to the offices in Burlington and Quincy on that afternoon for fun Halloween activities including crafts, trick or treating, and a Pizza party. This is one of the favorite events of the year because everyone loves seeing the kids in their costumes, the kids really enjoy going to Mom or Dad’s (or a Grandparent’s) office, and our employees have fun and really go wild with decorating the offices. Prizes are awarded to the Employees for Best Costume and Best Office/Cubicle decorating.

Thanks for sharing Karin. I know how much parents and kids love these events as I've had the opportunity to participate myself with my kids at McGladrey and at my previous employer. I'm willing to bet that the kids and their parents can't wait until next year's Halloween party!

Stamford Office Named NYSCEEA Employer of the Year

On Monday, October 27, the Stamford, CT McGladrey office was named the New York State Cooperative and Experiential Education Association (NYSCEEA) 2008 Employer of the Year. Jerry Landau (Partner), Maren Mercado (Campus Recruiter), and Mary Maguire (HR Director) were specifically recognized at the awards ceremony in Corning, NY for their partnership with Pace University.

Since 2006, McGladrey has hired 14 students into intern and full-time positions. The ongoing feedback from Pace students was that their internship was "fantastic" and "very worthwhile". Interns are assigned mentors and buddys, and are assigned engaging and meaningful work, working alongside top management and experience associates. Interns are also able to rotate through the Audit, Tax and Small Business practices to ultimately create a very broad experience.

Maren, Mary and Jerry have also been active on-campus at Pace, participating in practice interview sessions, and sponsoring the annual Etiquette dinner. According to Sue Zankel, Manager of Employee Relations at Pace, McGladrey...

"...is a worthy recipient of this award as they exemplify the ideals of experiential education by demonstrating outstanding supervision and mentoring of students in the workplace. In addition they continually strive to create programs and environments for students were they can gain substantive practical pre-professional experiences while attending college. "

Congratulations to Maren, Mary and Jerry for this outstanding achievement!

Visit the links below to learn more about the 2009 Summer Internship opportunities at the Stamford location.

Audit Summer Internship

Tax Summer Internship

Meet a Recruiter - Dave Swinehart

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm” -- Winston Churchill

I really like this quote from one of the 20th century’s greatest leaders. I think it speaks to a big part of who I am. Let me be clear; I have lived a very happy life with very few true tragedies or failures. However; I think what Churchill was trying to say was that we will all have failures in our lives. Some big, some small, but it is how we react to them that speaks to the essence of who we are. Maintaining enthusiasm in the face of failure, I think leads to success.

Well, before I get too theoretical, let me introduce myself. I am first a husband, a father and a son. Next, I work on McGladrey’s National Recruiting Team, helping to set strategy and optimizing our campus recruiting efforts, nationwide. My work career has spanned 5 presidential terms (Bush Sr., Clinton twice and “W” twice) which seems an appropriate reference here during election season. I have worked for large CPA firms (Arthur Andersen, Ernst & Young), a staffing agency (Robert Half) and for the last 3 years, RSM McGladrey. I am both a CPA and an SPHR. I am married and have 2 great children, Michael (9) and Natalie (6) who keeps my wife, Kathy, and I very busy. I was born, raised and currently live in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Now, let me get back to success and enthusiasm. Below is a link to a podcast of me talking about my career progression. Clearly, a large fork in the road was when Arthur Andersen ceased to be. My career started there and so, as you might imagine, I had strong emotional ties to that organization. I was shocked to see how many of my peers reacted negatively to that “failure”. So many of my former colleagues seemed to think the world was ending. While that situation was very stressful to those people who were losing their jobs, I embraced that change with enthusiasm. My podcast does not go into all these details, but my first career move after Arthur Andersen to the staffing agency was very challenging and sometime unpleasant for me. But, I looked at it as an opportunity, a stepping stone, that positioned me for my time with Ernst & Young and ultimately, McGladrey. Too many of peers lacked enthusiasm as they saw Arthur Andersen disappear. I hope this podcast sheds a little light on my background as well and shows how a little enthusiasm, in the face of failure, can result in some wonderful outcomes. Take a listen.

Why I Came To McGladrey.mp3

San Diego McGladrey Women Create Habitat for Change

There’s more to summer than accumulating melanomas and frequent-flyer miles. Philanthropy is on the rise and a few of our employees in the San Diego office have enough brownie points to make a baker’s dozen. After being on the waiting list to volunteer for the San Diego Chapter of Habitat for Humanity for over a year, Callie U., Stephanie R., and Valerie G. received word they would soon be trading in their calculators for tool belts and skill saws.

As a firm, McGladrey firm prides itself on its high level of commitment to the financial welfare of our clients, but many of our people are also passionate about extending a hand to those in the community who are not as fortunate. It is this same zeal and dedication which Habitat for Humanity and McGladrey share that seemed so well matched and ultimately led to a few days work in El Cajon this August.

Thanks to a generous donation by NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson and his foundation, Habitat broke ground last August on the first of four homes to be built on Avocado Street. The McDaniel’s, for whom the house we worked on was being built, were there working along side the skilled, and not-so-skilled, as part of the criteria necessary to receive this subsidized home. The McGladrey women were among the-not-so-skilled; however, you can imagine the follies, and there were many, which took place over the course of that hot Saturday.

The two most agile of the three were Stephanie and Callie, who were perched up on the roof, tarring, laying roofing tiles and hammering on siding. As for Valerie, since it was her second weekend working on that particular house, and evidently armed with the immense expertise that short stint provided, she was put in charge of tiling the bathroom. Her assigned assistant, a woman she had never met and who shall remain nameless, said to her upon starting the job, “Oh boy, there’s a lot of measuring for this, huh? I hope you know how to sew.” After that nonsensical remark, Valerie tuned her and all other similar commentary to her peripheral and used only her brawn for assistance. Most of the volunteers did not have the qualifications to be doing some of the things they were doing, but their hearts were in the right place. That’s their stance in the event the new homeowner wants to know why there are seventy-nine nails at the bottom of the upstairs toilet.

Stephanie summed it up for everyone when she said, "It feels so good to work so hard that your old body is sore, blistered, burned (her backside) and sunburned (her back) but to know that work was for someone else and all these unrelated lives came together for a few hours to build something for someone you will never see again."

But when did lending your hand to your fellow man become so very popular? In fact, it's so popular that it sometimes means waiting and waiting in order to find a cause with capacity. The Corporation for National and Community Service estimates that 61 million Americans volunteered in 2007, contributing 8.1 billion hours of service. That many helping hands has had a gridlock effect on the volunteer circuit. Statistically, those of us not able to forfeit our tax deductible dollars to the local tug-at-your-heart-strings society seem to have resolved themselves to driving a Bobcat while sweating through their tank tops in order to satisfy that inner call to serve. These days, whether you donate to the Red Cross or help build a refuge for starving Nicaraguan orphans, wanting to get involved will put you in a line not so different from that at your local Costco gas pump.

Right now, times are tough. Our regularly scheduled programming is being interrupted by little more than an infomercial for our “economic security”. Helping to build a home for someone will not keep us from the doldrums of financial uncertainty. But there are people out there whose very livelihood is being threatened today and they are asking questions about tomorrow. Like they say, actions speak louder than words, and if swinging a hammer in 98 degree weather doesn’t seem like an answer to some of these boggling questions about our nation’s ability to come out of a crisis, I don’t know what will.

It’s clear our McGladrey women felt lucky that summer day in August, and, well, at the risk of sounding trite and sentimental, warm and fuzzy inside. For more information on how you too can perspire for a cause, visit your local habitat agency.

If you’d like to opportunity to work alongside hero’s like Valerie, Stephanie and Callie, then be sure to check out our open needs at http://www.rsmmcgladrey.jobs/

McGladrey's Big Week at Pinehurst

This week marked the National Championship round of the 2nd annual PGA McGladrey Team Championship, held again at the historic Pinehurst Resort. Among the regional qualifiers in this year's event, the Nebraska team, which included two McGladrey employees, were among this year's competitors. Ultimately, the exciting three round event culminated on Wednesday with a 3-stroke victory by the Northern Texas section team who finished at an impressive 36-under par. Congratulations to the Northern Texas team on their victory!

The week also marked two other major announcements:

1) McGladrey announced earlier this week a new partnership with the Special Olympics, and ultimately raised over $27,000 for the organization:

The new partnership will support Special Olympics athletes by providing financial support and opportunities for them to enhance their golf game by participating in certain PGA McGladrey Team Championship events throughout the country. The partnership also provides a national charitable organization for RSM McGladrey and creates opportunities for employees and clients to get more involved with the Championship through volunteerism.

2) The grand prize winner of the "Who's Behind Your Success?" contest was announced today. Congratulations to Taylor Anderson, a junior at The George Washington University, who submitted the inspiring, and ultimately the winning essay. Taylor, we hope you enjoy your day with Natalie Gulbis, and thanks again to you and the thousands of others for your essay submittals.

In addition to the external contest, we held an internal contest for our employees, offering them an opportunity to submit their own essay. The grand prize for the internal contest was a free trip to this week's National Championship at Pinehurst. Congratulations also go to Kris H. from our Des Moines, IA office as this year's big winner. In addition to the trip, Kris also got to meet Team McGladrey PGA pros Chris DiMarco and Zach Johnson.

The PGA McGladrey Team Championship was a huge success once again this year, offering thousands of amateur golfers to compete across the country in a truly unique event. This year's event was made even better by the addition of our internal essay winner Kris, our two employees on the Nebraska team, and our new affiliation with the Special Olympics. If you are a golfer yourself, have not participated in this event yet, and think that you might be up to the challenge, be sure to register for next year's tournament to be a part of the action!

Best Accounting Firms? McGladrey is one

On the heels of the recognition McGladrey recently received from Business Week as a "Best Place to Launch a Career" comes another kudos. This week, Accounting Today, the premier news vehicle for the tax and accounting professions, and Best Companies Group, announced their first ever list of "Best Accounting Firms to Work For."

McGladrey was 3rd largest firm listed out of 15 firms recognized in the large company category (greater than 250 employees), There are a total of 60 firms recognized. This recognition is extra special as the application consisted of two parts, one of which included our own employees completing a survey about the employee experience at McGladrey. The second part consisted of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. McGladrey has been quite focused this past year on employee engagement, so the Accounting Today recognition is further proof that those efforts are paying dividends. An actual ranking of the Best Accounting Firms list is expected to be released in early January, 2009.

Podcast - What NOT To Do In An Interview

There's alot of advice out there on what to do to prepare for an interview. We thought it might be both informative and entertaining to offer interview preparation advice from the another angle, what NOT to do in an interview. Along with some light-hearted examples of how not to behave and respond to questions in an interview setting, we offer you some good alternatives for what you SHOULD do in the same situation.

The podcast 'cast' includes Todd as the 'Narrator', myself as the 'Interviewee', and Tiffany, a HR Manager in our Minneapolis location, as the 'Interviewer'. Enjoy!

Example Interview Podcast.mp3

What's Your Dream?

I am not an avid reader. Being a pretty self-aware person, I know this about myself. I also know that this trait (or flaw, depending on how you see it) isn’t likely to change. So, it’s always a challenge when a friend or colleague plunks down the latest bestseller and insists that it will change my life. It’s not that I don’t want to continually be a better person and professional, it’s just that, all excuses aside, I’m not passionate about reading.

So, when one of my best friends brought me “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch, I admit that I wasn’t completely overjoyed. However, I had watched the now famed Last Lecture, (given by Randy Pausch) online. Having remembered how powerful it is and the profound nature of Randy’s message, I was compelled to give this book a chance. Also, the fact that it was a short, seemingly quick-read helped!

I was able to finish the book on a long flight I recently took and found that I was riveted to the pages, not stopping for the entire flight. Few books have been able to hold my attention for hours on end and solidify a very important principle of life, to have dreams. I know, “how cliché” you might say. And, perhaps you’re right. But, I’ve always found that the most successful people, in business and life, seem to share one common element. It isn’t “tenacity” or “assertiveness” or any other personality “power trait” I could throw in here. It’s that successful people dare to dream, despite the obstacles, and they create a future for themselves sometimes without any semblance for how that dream will become reality. But, they start with a dream…

What’s your dream?

Congrats to Zach on Another Victory

Congratulations once again to Team McGladrey PGA professional, Zach Johnson, on winning the Valero Texas Open yesterday. Zach had a phenomenal weekend, shooting 62 on Saturday and a 64 yesterday for the 2-stroke win.

We are always proud of our Team McGladrey golfers, and we love nothing more than to celebrate our teammates' success at Success starts here.

Where in the World is McGladrey?

Where in the world is McGladrey? In almost 100 locations in 20+ states actually. In some cases, we are located in the middle of major business districts of cities like New York, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis and San Francisco. In some cases we are in the suburbs, such as Blue Bell, PA; Gaithersburg, MD; Schaumburg, IL; and Irvine, CA. And in some cases, we are located within a short walk of great restaurants and shopping, including Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Vienna, VA; Dallas, TX and Kansas City, MO.

To help you 'visualize' where our locations are, we created the Custom Google Map that you see below. Zoom into each of the locations in 'Satellite' view to get a closer look at where we are located. Use the 'street view' to get a sense of the surrounding area. Click on 'Get Directions' to see how far you live (or would like to live) from our offices. Click 'View in Google Earth' to get a hyper-dynamic view of where we are and what surrounds us (I love in Google Earth how you can 'jump' from the front door of our New York office the front door of the Pasadena office in a matter of seconds!)

Where you work is an increasingly important aspect of anyone's job today. Location has an impact on your lifestyle, your day-to-day schedule, and your gas tank. Check out our locations in the map below for where McGladrey is in relation to YOU!


View Larger Map

From one firm to another...my experience moving to McGladrey

***This post was contributed by one of the Upper Midwest Economic Unit's (UMEU) newest Senior Associates on the Health Care Not for Profit (HCNP) team in Minneapolis, Ryan.***



I came from a small accounting firm to the HCNP audit group on July 21.

I have been here two months and these are my experiences so far:

It was challenging the first few weeks, trying to become familiar with software that I hadn’t used before, audit procedures that are a little different than what I’m used to, commuting downtown, and just trying to stay busy.

Everything has gone pretty well since then though. I’m looking forward to upcoming educational opportunities that will help with the software and procedures and everyone has been very helpful demonstrating these things and explaining how many other things are done here. I hop on a park and ride bus whenever possible to ease the stress of the commute. Also, I’ve been able to stay busier at work with many people needing help on audit projects and my calendar is filling up with projects as well.

The people here are great. Everybody has been very kind and welcoming, everyone is always willing to help, and I like that people don’t gossip behind each other’s backs which is a problem I’ve witnessed in most other work places.

I’ve already had opportunities to take part in many fun activities. I watched the annual eating contest, went to the overnight cabin outing, and the summer picnic outing.

The schedule flexibility has been great too. Half day Fridays for the summer were very convenient. Also, I was scheduled to be on an audit that didn’t work well with my personal schedule. There was no problem getting switched to another audit that worked better and everybody was very understanding of the switch.

Overall, the job change has been great and I look forward to my career growing with McGladrey.


***Note from Jay***


Ryan's team is growing rapidly and they are always on the lookout for new high performers to join them. If you're interested, check out some of the open positions below:


HCNP Senior Associate

HCNP Manager

Women RISE and SHINE in Southern, CA

In 2001, when Karen Jong first considered joining RSM McGladrey, she was resolute about not wanting to move from being a partner with PwC's tax practice, into a another partner role with McGladrey. This was primarily due to her unwavering commitment to her family and wanting to stay balanced on all fronts. During Karen's recruitment process, RSM McGladrey knew Karen was an exceptionally talented tax professional who would bring a tremendous amount of growth and success to our tax practice. We listened carefully to Karen’s objectives and our solution was simple. RSM McGladrey has a highly recognized Work/Life Balance Program that allows for talented professionals, like Karen, to excel in their careers, all the while maintaining that ever so delicate balance of work and family. RSM McGladrey has been honored as one of Working Mother's '100 Best Companies'. We proposed that Karen join our practice as a Director and talked with her about our Work/Life Balance Program. It was a deal. Karen joined the firm in 2001 and has not looked back. After experiencing tremendous success as a Director with our Southern, CA tax practice, Karen was approached in 2006 about becoming a Partner. A role she was sure she didn’t want to take on, but, again, due to the success of our Work/Life Balance Program, RSM McGladrey made it possible for Karen to rise to a partner role while still fulfilling her family responsibilities. As a result of our Work/Life Balance Program, superstars like Karen can truly have it all.

Of course, Karen didn’t just stop at making partner. In January of 2008, Karen was promoted to the SALT Tax Practice Lead. Karen was clearly on the road to optimal success because in May of 2008, Karen was promoted to the Tax Practice Lead Partner for the Southern, CA economic unit. Not bad for someone who didn’t want to even think about being a partner. But it get’s even better.

On September 19, 2008, Karen Jong was chosen as an Honoree for the Ninth Annual Women in Business Awards as Corporate Woman of the Year. Mind you this is not the only award where Karen has received for her outstanding leadership skills. In early 2008 Karen received an the Partner/Managing Director of the Year Runner-Up Award. I'm sure if we check the mantle at her home we'll probably find that Queen Elizabeth II made Karen an MBE (Member of the British Empire) too. Karen seems to be piling these awards up like jellybeans in a jar.

The award was presented by Senator Jack Scott, Assemblymember Paul Krekorian and Assemblymember Anthony Portantino at the annual awards luncheon, where Carla Christofferson and Kathy Goodman, owners of the Los Angeles Sparks WNBA basketball team, gave the keynote address. Each year, the three area legislators honor businesswomen who have contributed to the economic growth and well-being of Southern California. How exciting that our own Tax Practice Lead Partner is among those being honored. Clearly this is a well-deserved award, which was given in honor of her “significant accomplishments in business as well as her outstanding commitment to our community.”

Speaking of commitment to community; in addition to her tireless efforts at work, Karen is also on the Executive Committee for the Tournament of Roses. In her spare time, Karen is also a Girl Scout Leader. Clearly the young ladies in Karen's troop have a great mentor to look up to.

Karen Jong is highly regarded and sought after both within the RSM McGladrey environment as well as externally. Our clients have high praise for the work Karen has done. Karen has not only reached heights even she didn’t think were possible, but she shines as a formidable leader and example within our practice. I personally, consider myself fortunate to have the opportunity to work together with Karen on our tax recruitment needs.

If you or someone you know would like to work alongside the talents of Karen and others like her at RSM McGladrey then please review our current open tax needs and apply online. Mention this blog post and we’ll be sure you get to meet Karen as well.

Tax Director - Irvine, CA
Tax Manager - Irvine, CA
Tax Supervisor - Irvine, CA
PCS Tax Director - Irvine, CA
R&D Director - Irvine or Pasadena, CA

Golf plus Success equals Inspiration

As a follow up to the post Who's Behind Your Success, the finalists were announced recently for the nationwide essay contest with the grand prize of a day with Natalie Gulbis in her hometown of Las Vegas. You can view and vote for your favorite story by visiting the Natalie Contest site. These stories are truly inspirational, so I encourage you to check them out and vote today!

Ask BJ - Making Job Agents Work for You!

A frequent question that we see from candidates while searching our career site for jobs is:

"What happens if I don't see a job that matches what I am
looking for? How do I go about submitting a resume?"

To help ensure that candidates do not get 'lost' in the resume database and that they are directed on to the appropriate recruiter for a response, we need to have a resume submitted to a specific job. If you are not able to find a specific job to apply to, a 'job agent' can be created. With the job agent function, our Career Site will email you once a job match is found.

• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

When creating your job agent, complete the fields shown above and then Confirm your entries.

• Job Category
• State
• City
• Position Level

You can always modify or delete an existing job agent or create a new one. You can create up to 3 separate job agents on the Career Site.

The Power of Influence

We all grew up with people that influenced our lives. Be it a teacher, mentor, parent, grand parent, or perhaps someone from whom we learned what NOT to do, it is undeniable that our interactions with other people play a significant role in our up-bringing. In many cases, the people in our lives were most important to us when we had a decision to make and we looked to them (or to our interactions with them) to help us make that decision. Was it “right” or “wrong”? What else could/should I do?

Eventually, we became more and more confident in our own ability to make decisions and, viola! We became adults. Ok, it sounds simple … I may have skipped over years of pre-teen and teenage angst, turmoil and plenty of regrettable decisions related to clothes, hairstyles and dates for which my “decision influencers” were apparently on hiatus!

So, what does all this have to do with your success? Volumes of research and our own experiences tell us that decision influencers (parents, mentors, etc.) have become an increasingly significant resource for today’s young professionals as they navigate their careers. It’s refreshing to see the shift back to embracing the experiences of our predecessors and inviting their input. That’s why we created a special site just for career influencers. McGladrey Career Influencers is chock full of information that career influencers will find relevant and informative when a loved-one of theirs is considering beginning or continuing a career with McGladrey.

I invite you to visit our McGladrey Career Influencers site and share it with your own network of career influencers. We’d love to hear what you think so, please comment to this post with your thoughts and feedback about the site.

Get LinkedIn to Supercharge Your Job Search

In my last post, I mentioned that I was a huge advocate of LinkedIn and it's use by both recruiter and job seekers. More specifically I said that I would write a future post about how to use LinkedIn "to supercharge your job search. It just happened that the day after I wrote that post, a great post went up on EmploymentDigest.net that described how job seekers can get the most out of LinkedIn, which was as good if not better than anything I would of ever written. If you have any interest in learning more about using LinkedIn to enhance your career, I strongly encourage you to check it out.

The Importance of Networking in Challenging Times

Let's face it, the economy is in rough shape today. Wall Street is in a tail spin, the financial services industry (and related industries) are laying-off employees in increasing numbers, energy costs are higher than ever, the housing market is struggling to recover, it's enough to give you a migraine.

The good news is that even though unemployment continues to rise, it's still relatively low by historical standards. There are still good jobs out there, more in some industries than others, but regardless, great talent is still in heavy demand. If you find yourself currently in a situation where you have to find a new job now, or are concerned about what the future might bring, there is nothing more important for your future career prospects than to reach out to, and connect with your network.

Networking is proven to be the number one way for people to connect with great opportunities. I'm a bit of a network-aholic myself, and I can tell you that I wouldn't be where I am today without the network that I have grown and cultivated over time. Having a good resume is important, job boards are tools to connect you with job openings. But your best chances of finding that next great career opportunity is to reach out to your network and let them know that you are (or might be) looking to make a career move.

Making a career move for some people can be a very personal subject. In some cases, it's important to keep your job search out of the public domain. In situations where you need to make that career move however, your network offers you your best chance to connect with a new, great career.

Why? First of all most companies (McGladrey included) offer their employees financial incentives to help bring talent into the organization. At McGladrey, I consider ALL of our employees to be recruiters for our organization, and we compensate them nicely for their efforts. Secondly, referrals are often seen as carrying more value than candidates who come in through other channels. You would only refer talent into your organization that you would vouch for as being good, wouldn't you? Both you and your referrer have 'skin-in-the-game' in terms of your success in the new role as well. Finally, your network may be aware of job opportunities that have not been posted yet. It's a great way to get your foot-in-the-door early for that perfect fit job that could open up tomorrow, next week, next month, etc.

Who is in your network? Family, friends, neighbors, current and former co-workers, current and former classmates, former employers, etc. Connecting with them in-person is ideal, but now more than ever, virtual networking has become a very powerful way to connect with and grow your network exponentially.

If you are not on LinkedIn currently, stop reading this now and join. LinkedIn is the predominant online business social network, with over 25 million users from all walks of life. I'm a big fan on LinkedIn and I'll write a future post on how you can and should use LinkedIn to supercharge your job search. In the meantime, I've posted a link to my LinkedIn profile below if you would like to connect (make sure to reference 'Success starts here.')

I'm also a fan of Facebook. Facebook is much more of a true social network, but for your job search, that's OK. Over 70 million users are now active on Facebook, and the fastest growing demographic is 25-35 year-olds. My 20 year high-school reunion is coming up, and my class has a group page. I've reconnected already with over 50 old friends, with new connections happening almost every day. These connections are primarily social in nature, but who knows, maybe they will pay off some other way someday, either for myself or for those I've re-connected with. (BTW, if you are on Facebook, be sure to visit the RSM McGladrey page and become a Fan!)

The bottom line is that you never know who in your network might lead you to that next great career opportunity. Don't wait for great jobs to come to you and don't rely on job boards alone to lead you to a new job. Take your job search into your own hands and let the people you know and trust help you connect with that next great career opportunity.

Greg Jones: Making a difference locally and around the globe

Perhaps you’ve always thought about doing some volunteer work, but just never got around to it. Or, maybe you already participate in volunteer activities, but wonder if one person can really make a difference. The following story should provide plenty of inspiration and confirmation that YES, you CAN make a difference.

In February 2008, Greg Jones, a Tax Director in our Pasadena office and an Assistant Governor in the local Rotary District, spent two weeks in India with 50+ other Rotarians from around the world. While the trip involved a little sightseeing, the main focus was on something else entirely. “Our main purpose was to participate in India’s National Immunization Day for Polio,” Greg explains. In a joint effort with the World Health Organization, UNICEF and several other agencies, the Rotary Club is working to eradicate polio throughout the world.

On National Immunization Day, Greg and his group went to several small, rural villages southwest of Delhi. “We helped immunize small children by giving them two drops of an oral polio vaccine. We were the first non-Indians to visit most of these places,” he says. “I helped with about 275 immunizations. 1.2 million kids were immunized across India that day. Believe me it was a real experience.”

Since the international polio eradication efforts began 10 years ago, annual cases worldwide have dropped from 350,000 to 1,300.

After administering vaccines, Greg and his fellow Rotarians traveled to Chahalka, a village with a population of about 7,000 and no running water, no bathrooms of any kind and very little electricity. Greg says, “It is very much like a medieval village in most respects.” Here the volunteer group built a job training center and a day care center, and worked on some sanitation projects. He says, “We also did some work at a school in town. Only about 6% of the students are girls (but they seem to be the top students).”

Now back in Pasadena, Greg is helping to raise funds to build the first toilets in Chahalka, and may return in February 2009 to assist with that and participate in more immunizations. He has been traveling throughout the local area to give talks on the trip to build awareness of the Polio Eradication effort and to raise money for the Chahalka Project.

Greg believes and practices the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self.” As part of his Rotary Club duties, Greg oversees five clubs in the Pasadena area and participates in several other Rotary activities, including feeding the homeless at Pasadena's Union Station and adopting Field Elementary School. He traveled with people from the District to build five houses in Tecate, Mexico in May of this year. He’s the Vice Chairman of the Post Parade Committee for the Tournament of Roses, serves on the Board of Directors of the Rose Bowl and is on a few other community boards around town, including a support group for the Hastings Branch Library, which he created a few years ago.

To learn more about National Immunization Day, the Chahalka project and other Rotary activities, visit the Pasadena Club website, which Greg created and maintains.

If you'd like to a make a difference alongside of people like Greg Jones, here are some of the openings in our Tax Practice of Southern, CA:

Tax Director - Irvine, CA

Tax Manager - Irvine, CA

Tax Supervisor - Irvine, CA

R&D Director - Irvine or Pasadena, CA

Going for the Gold

Normally I'll provide content regarding the awesome team and events in the Southern California Economic Unit, but with the Summer Olympics still resonating (how about those opening and closing ceremonies); it seems fitting to raise the subject about what it takes to be a champion in our business.

A gold medal is the Olympic hallmark that announces to the world that you’re the best. Whether you receive one gold medal or eight, like our modern day Aqua Man, Michael Phelps. A gold medal means you’re an outstanding athletic professional. You have garnered the respect and admiration of your peers. People aspire and desire to be like you.

To be champion requires several key attributes. Here are just a few.

Aspiration
All great athletes have a desire to be the best in their field. When an athlete first gets the bug to perform they are consumed with perfecting their skill. They eat, sleep and drink their sport. In interviews you often hear athletes talk about who their athletic mentors and heroes are; the seasoned athletes whom they model themselves after and want to become. A well rounded athlete also knows that it’s a privilege to have the physical and mental capability to compete. As such, they are committed to go the distance for the honor of being titled “The Best”.

Being the best is an integral part of human nature. As business professionals we all have a desire to be the best at what we do. We strive to be at the top of our game; not from an ego standpoint but from a quality standpoint. We train, educate ourselves, and strive to be the very best in our field. We look to internal and external leaders in our industry and learn what makes them highly successful and so darn good at what they do. We study and apply their techniques. We look to the day when we can become masters of our craft. To be considered one of “The Best”.

Dedication
If an athlete is anything it’s dedicated. You hear story after story of athletes who got up at the crack of dawn every day and worked through bone crushing, grueling training sessions. Despite the tired muscles, exhaustion, blisters, failures etc, they remained committed to their sport with a laser like focus on the ultimate prize. A dedicated athlete is always in “The Zone”.

A champion professional is without fail dedicated to their trade. They are committed to the process, their colleagues, industry, clients, and vision. They are ready, willing and able to go the distance. Whether it’s working long hours, undergoing years of training, using outside of the box strategies, or overcoming countless obstacles, they remain steadfast in their dedication to seeing the job through to the end. A champion professional stays focused on his/her goal, shows up each day with their game face on and is always in “The Zone”.

Motivation
Athletes are motivated by many factors. I’ve often heard that it’s the drive to meet the challenge and know you have the capability of accomplishing something great that motivates an athlete to go beyond their comfort zone and reach for what others would deem impossible. Athletes are often quoted saying “It’s only difficult after it’s done”. How true this is.

As such, a champion professional is motivated by the drive and challenge to go beyond meeting their clients’ and superiors' expectations. To reach beyond what they thought was impossible. It could be taking on a role in un-chartered waters only to realize (or maybe even be shocked to know) you truly did have what it takes to accomplish great things. Being properly motivated allows you maintain your composure during difficult situations, having a good attitude during the repetition of the job, and not letting your failures overcome you but rather stretch you beyond your limits. It’s having a healthy, competitive drive and the desire to win; and getting your clients and superiors to say “Well done”.

Jubilation
Experiencing “That Moment”. A dedicated athlete dreams night and day about making it to the Olympics, and more importantly, standing on the coveted middle box to accept their well deserved gold medal. The struggles, pains, and frustrations all fade to the background as the crowd’s cheer, the anthem plays and they bask the sweet taste of victory.

I’ve had the opportunity to experience professional victories and the joy of taking in that “that moment” is priceless and well worth the journey to get there. No matter what the obstacle, a difficult client, a weak market, hard to find talent, or going weeks without seeing a placement, it’s vitally important to use your champion attributes, stay the course and apply your years of training. Use your mentors for guidance and most importantly, don’t deny yourself the win. There’s nothing like having “That Moment” when you’re standing in the winners circle. Now… on your mark… get set… go!

Best Place to Launch a Career? McGladrey receives honor

There are numerous annual "best of" lists or company rankings published each year, and it is easy for many non-Fortune 500 firms to get lost among the who's who of top companies. Generally, if a company has a well-known brand and strong name recognition, they zoom to the top of the list. This past week, Business Week magazine published their "Best Places to Launch A Career" list, and for the first time, McGladrey was included in the annual ranking, coming in at #104. It would be easy to discount that ranking based on the number alone, but it is a great accomplishment for McGladrey, as it shows we are becoming a recognized name in the public eye. The Business Week list uses three components to determine the final ranking:

• Firm provided information as requested by Business Week


• A poll of Career Services directors of U.S colleges


• A survey of 40,000 U.S. colleges students (conducted by Universum USA).

McGladrey is honored to receive this recognition based upon these criteria, and for the nearly 1100 college (entry-level and intern) students who have made the decision to launch their career at McGladrey, we thank you for placing your trust in us. Public accounting may not always sound glamorous to non-accountants, but with many firms making the Business Week list, there is something to be said for the challenging and interesting opportunities that await. McGladrey could just be one of the best kept secrets within the profession.

Team Building...and eating. A lot of eating.

This post was contributed by one of the Supervisors on the Health Care / Not for Profit team, Rick.

"Every year our team goes up to one of our team members cabin’s during the week for a fun night away from work. We usually end up boating, playing yard games, and enjoying a few adult beverages. We have been lucky every year so far with the weather, and have enjoyed ourselves a lot. It is a good way to talk to your co-workers, of all levels (partner through staff), and get to know them on a more personal level. Our team has a lot of fun together, and we typically grow some really good bonds through events like this, as well as other events we have annually (i.e. Saint Patties day party, Annual Eating Competition, and random other events. I think it shows a lot of who we are that our partner’s not only allow us, but strongly encourage us, to all to take two days of a normal work week to go up to a cabin and just have fun. We look forward to this event all year long, we usually start planning this event in “prime-time” to give us something to look forward to and to insure that all of us have no excuse to go."

***Note from Jay***

While Rick does an excellent job of describing how the team does a great job of enjoying time together outside of the office with the cabin event, you might have noticed a little mention in his post about an eating competition.

For the past couple of years one of the Directors on the Health Care / Not for Profit team sponsors an eating competition at Chipotle. McGladrey auditors come from miles around to witness the competition which takes place during busy season.

The Challenge: Who can eat the most burritos in 15 or 30 minutes.

While he might be to modest to brag, Rick has won the past two years. And to prove it, here's a picture of him in the heat of the competition!

Rick, your eating ability is an inspiration to us all! Good luck in 2009!

Interested in joining Rick's team? Check out the open positions below for the Health Care / Not for Profit Audit team:

Audit Manager - Health Care / Not for Profit

Audit Senior Associate or Supervisor - Health Care / Not for Profit

Meet our National Director of Recruiting & Talent Management: Ken Bansemer

"The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start!"

One of my favorite quotes, and while it applies to the sport of running it could also be applicable to many other endeavors in life such as starting a new hobby, planning a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, or starting on a new degree. But in my professional world, I must ask you the questions: Are you ready to start a career with McGladrey? Are you ready to change organizations to seek greater personal and professional fulfillment? Have you wondered if the grass is greener elsewhere? If the answer is yes to any of these, consider McGladrey.

As the national director of Recruiting & Talent Management for the firm, I have seen firsthand many changes this organization has gone through in the 4 ½ years I have been here. McGladrey continues to grow in every aspect: clients, revenue, people, and career development opportunities. I encourage you to learn more about the McGladrey organization by book-marking the Success Starts Here blog, or setting up an RSS feed to receive updates regularly. And when the time is right – reach out and contact us to explore our opportunities further. Until then, I invite you to learn more about me through my video introduction.