Happy Holidays from McGladrey!

2009 is about to come to a close, and what a year it's been. I don't know about you, but I'm certainly looking forward to a new year, hopefully one that will lead to a better economy and more jobs! Based upon our December poll, jobs are certainly what you want most this holiday season. 42% of our respondents said that they wanted a new job this holiday season, with Peace, Love and Happiness for All coming in second (21%).

Whether you are looking for a new job, wishing peace, love and happiness for everyone, hoping to get that new laptop, iPhone or anything else, from all of us at McGladrey, we wish you the best this holiday season, and a happy new year!

Podcast: McGladrey's Award-Winning Coach-on-Call

Back in June of this year, we introduced you to our award-winning Coach-on-Call program. Want to learn more about this outstanding benefit and how McGladrey employees are able to take advantage of it? Take a listen to the podcast linked below as Coach Karen describes in detail why we offer this benefit and what it could offer you as a McGladrey employee.

Click Here to listen to the Podcast

Giving Back In Iowa

They say that it's better to give than to receive. Very true, and two McGladrey offices in Iowa took that saying to heart this holiday season.

The Des Moines office recently held its annual “Adopt A Star” toy drive for the Polk County Family Enrichment Center. The office was able to help make the holidays more enjoyable for 52 children in the Des Moines area which is up from the 40 children they helped last year. The Family Enrichment Center was overwhelmed by the generosity of the McGladrey employees whose participation helped 10 percent of the 500 children that would have gone without gifts this year.

The Cedar Rapids office gave as well, and had a fun time doing it by participating in a Ugly Sweater Contest that raised funds and gathered gifts for local needy families. Ugly Sweater Contest winners included Mike T., Director-Wealth Management, who won the Celebrity Award from Nicole Agee, local news anchor at KCRG TV-9, who was brought in to judge the event. Aimee J., client service representative, won the People’s Choice award.

Check out the ugly sweaters for yourself below.

Business Week names McGladrey to it's Best Places To Intern List

One of the things that we love to talk about at Success starts here is our Internship program. Whether has to do with our Capstone Conference, community service events, or their actual experiences, we've had plenty of great stories to tell about what we think is a great Internship experience.

Business Week seems to think alot of our program as well as this year for the first time, McGladrey has been named to their Best Places to Intern list. As always, we are honored to make lists like these, and feel that it's a further affirmation as to a program that we and and our current/former interns) believe provides a great foundation for a future career at McGladrey and in Public Accounting.

Best Places to Intern - McGladrey Profile

The Value of an Internship

*** Today's post comes to us from another Rachel, Rachel Frederick, a recent graduate from Towson University, who completed two Internships with the McGladrey before starting with the firm last month. Read on as Rachel shares with us how her Internships prepared her for success as she begins her career with McGladrey.***

It has been one month. One month since I started my career and started going to work every day. I knew that it would be scary and different and exciting all at the same time. Honestly, I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to intern at McGladrey before becoming full-time because I feel like I would be in a completely different position than I am in now.

It has been interesting for me because I sit right across from another tax associate who did not intern at McGladrey before starting full-time. Our experiences have been completely different and I feel like I am on a completely different level. If I were in his shoes, I would be terrified. He has to meet everyone, learn how to use the software, learn the office procedures, and learn everything else in less than two months before tax season. It is intimidating. I am going to do everything that I can to help him because I feel like his transition to full-time is so much harder than mine.

Being an intern previously has helped and prepared me in the following ways.

1. Experience - I have had the opportunity to work two tax seasons before becoming full-time. Tax season is scary enough but I know now that I will be prepared. I know how to do a tax return and other basic tasks without having to ask for help. I now recognize the incredible benefit of being an intern first because I did not have to worry about billable hour goals before. When you are an intern, you can take as long as you want and ask as many questions as you want because that is your job as an intern. Once you become full-time, the expectations and the pressure is a lot higher. I am glad that I had the internship opportunity because I was able to learn at my own pace and I am much more knowledgeable.
2. Confidence - Being an intern has helped me to be more confident as a full-time associate. While working as an intern, I completed many different returns and learned so much. I know my value and what I am capable of accomplishing. When I walked into the office on the first day, I was not walking in blindly. I already had experience under my belt and the main difference is that I go to work every day during the week instead of every other day. I felt prepared becoming a full-time associate because of my amazing experience as an intern.
3. Network - Being an intern has also expanded my network in my department, in my office, in my company, and in my community. I know who to ask when I am lost or confused. I know who to go to when I need work. By being an intern first, the transition to full time was so much easier because I already know all the policies and procedures and who to go to for what before I even walked in the front door.

I cannot stress enough the incredible value of being an intern while in school. Not only did I learn the ropes of McGladrey but I also learned about the real work that I would be doing as an associate. Because of my internship experience, I am not only a better staff associate but also a better professional.

The Good News and The Bad News

The Good News - The recession is over. Unemployment dropped 2/10ths of a percent. Job losses are at their lowest point in 2 years.

The Bad News - We are in a 'jobless' recovery. In many industries and geographic regions, it is still very difficult for people to find a job. Accounting students are finding it more difficult than ever to get offers for internships and full-time jobs. Bottom line - there are still too few jobs and too many applicants in the public accounting industry.

I've been providing alot of advice lately to those who are struggling to find work in our industry. Like I have said before, in times like these, those who can separate themselves from the rest and provide themselves a competitive advantage will be the ones that will have the best chances of finding a new job in this difficult job market. Don't take my word for it though, here's a few links to other blogs and Twitter accounts you can follow that will provide you with the advice you need to learn to effectively brand yourself, network, and help you stick out from the crowd.

Blogs
Dan Schwable's personal branding blog
CareerSherpa
CollegeRecruiter.com blog links

Twitter
@keppiecareers
@JobHuntOrg
@CAREEREALISM

Job Angels is another great resource where people help others to find employment, and has a presence on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to help facilitate a large, grass-roots community.

What about jobs at McGladrey? Well, we still have 170 positions posted on the Career Search page of our Career Website. Be aware however that we are well into our campus recruiting process, and those positions that are classified as 'Entry-Level' are likely soon to be filled. For the most part, interviews are complete and offers have been extended for those opportunities.

For our experienced-level audit and tax positions, we hope to fill most of those before busy season begins, so submit your resume ASAP to make sure you are considered. But I do ask you to please take my advice and the advice of the others who you see listed above. If you are limiting your job search to applying online, you are greatly limiting your opportunities to find a job. Separate yourself from the pack by networking, gaining referrals, and staying positive and persistent in your job search efforts. Hopefully , the good news will soon overpower the bad news as the economy continues to recover. In the meantime, take the advice of those who know best about what job search strategies work best.

December Poll - What do you want most this holiday season?

After taking November off, we are back today with a new poll. Since we are now in the holiday season, we'd like to know, what do you want most? Electronics? Clothes? A new job? Nothing? The month just began and I already have my big holiday gifts purchased for me (guitar lessons and hockey tickets).

We all know that it's better to give, but in this case, go ahead, and be a little greedy. Participate in our fun December poll and let us know what you want or need.

The Great Employment Challenge of 2009

This past year has been like few others in recent memory for firms in our industry, professional accountants and accounting students alike. The recession has had a considerable effect on our industry, which has ultimately resulted in many more job seekers than jobs, both at the experienced and college levels.

One of the responsibilities that I have is to monitor and respond to inquiries that we get by phone, by email, and our social media channels (our Facebook page primarily). On an almost daily basis, we have been hearing from people asking about what they need to do or who they need to speak to in order to be considered for any of our current openings. Those that are inquiring in many cases include students at universities we don't recruit at (we are recruiting at 130+ campuses nationwide this year), as well as those who graduated in the last year or two but are still looking for an entry-level opportunity. Up until last year, there were plenty of opportunities for everyone to go around. Oh how quickly and dramatically times have changed.

I feel tremendous empathy for all those who are having so much difficulty with their job search these days. I have several friends who have been out of work for most of this year. I remember when I came out of college in the early '90s just how many of my fellow Liberal Arts graduates were unable to find full-time jobs and either went on to continue their education or went into jobs entirely unrelated to their major.

But looking back, I also see what made a difference for me in helping me get my career off the ground. I wasn't that much smarter or had better grades than my classmates. I was a Psychology major, and there aren't too many entry-level career opportunities for those with a BS in Psychology, let me tell you! The difference for me was a great connection that I had. In my senior year, I was an undergrad research assistant, and the professor I was working for hooked me up with a part-time job with a small start up which I started at just before I graduated. The job & company didn't have alot to do with my major, but it was work! What it led to though was my meeting a executive recruiter who we shared office space with. It was through him that I found my calling in recruiting, and I have been there ever since.

As I try to help those who are writing us, looking for advice on how to get their foot in the door with our firm, it keeps coming back to one thing, networking. Networking will ALWAYS be the best way to find a new job, when times are good, but especially when times are tough. In times like these, it's also important to consider all options available to you. Ultimately, you need to find those things that will set you apart from the candidates you are competing against, and you need to find a relevant job. Here's a few thoughts on what to do to help you with your job search in these challenging times:

• Stay close to your professors, your family, family friends, friends who may of graduated prior to you. Let all of them know that you are still looking for that first job after you graduate. Ask them to help you make connections with decision makers at companies you are interested in working at. If they know of anyone who works here at McGladrey, even better, ask them to introduce you.
• If we don't have an opportunity for you right now here at McGladrey, you may need to consider going to a smaller firm, or to a corporate accounting/finance role. Large firms like us will recover and will be hiring in greater numbers again hopefully in the near future. If we don't have anything for you now, maybe we will in another year or two.
• If you are in your Freshman-to-Junior years, do anything and everything you can to secure an internship position, preferably in public accounting, but any relevant internship will do. Also get active and pursue leadership roles in accounting-related student groups like Beta Alpha Psi, NABA, ALPFA, Ascend, etc.
• Use online networking tools like LinkedIn to identify leaders in public accounting firms and other companies that you might want to work for. Join relevant LinkedIn Groups to enhance your ability to network with others who have similar backgrounds and interests as you. Many of these Groups have job listings as well.
• Stay positive and focused. Others will sense any frustration or negativity that you may be projecting, purposely or not. When you network, it's more than just about you, look to help others as much as you can as well.

In summary, if you rely solely on submitting your resume for jobs you find on the website, or sending your resume by email to recruiters, you won't get very far. If you do submit your resume follow the process as far as you can, but realize that there are probably many others who have applied for the same job(s) you have. Networking may not always feel like you are looking for a job, but the point is to build relationships and connections that will be mutually beneficial, that will help to set you apart from the rest, and that will ultimately result in you finding a relevant and meaningful career.

Podcasts: Hear from 3 McGladrey New Associate Hires

Every fall, hundreds of recent college graduates join McGladrey as new Associates. What factors made them decide to join McGladrey? What are their expectations as they start their new roles? Here is your opportunity to hear directly from three of our new associates as they describe their experience joining the firm. Click the links below to listen!

Nathan B - Audit Associate from Elkhart, Ind.

Kelly G. - Tax Associate from Boston, Mass.

Zach C. - Consulting Associate from Des Moines, Iowa

My Shawshank Redemption - A Screenplay: Part 2

Last week, I kicked off a series of posts (in screenplay form) on my experiences preparing for and taking the CPA Exam. What I thought was going to be a slam-dunk has turned into something much more challenging and unexpected. Could things get worse? Lets' find out as we continue with...

My Shawshank Redemption - A Screenplay

Scene Three

Setting: Library, end of October; late evening; dim light from reading lamp; quiet and empty.
Music: Faint, indistinguishable, dark classical – think Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata.
Opening Scene: Rachel (pale, hair tucked under cap, vacant stare, head resting on table).

Boyfriend (cheerful): Babe, you look exhausted. You ready to go…want to grab some dinner? Rachel (dejected): I can’t. I’ve got to study.
Boyfriend (kindly): Well, are you hungry? Can I bring you something or do you want to eat later with friends?
Rachel (disheartened): Friends – that would be a no. I think they’ve given up on me. I’m sure they’re tired of the same response to every invitation - “Sorry, I’ve got to study.” Besides, I’m too tired to eat. I’ll just grab some cereal later. You go ahead – I’ll be here a few more hours. Boyfriend: Love you!
Voice over, Rachel to self (derisive): Of course…how could you resist such a lovable, fun, amusing, witty and interesting girlfriend? ... (fade to black)…

Scene Four

Setting: Library, mid-November; early evening; dark, only faint light from lamps. Desolate & lonely atmosphere.
Music: No music; dull, monotonous humming – think monks faintly chanting.
Opening Scene: Rachel (dazed, frowning, haggard, stressed, coughing) walking slowly, methodically, haltingly to study area – think “Dead Man Walking”).

As Rachel sits down, she realizes with horror that she is humming Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb.” She jumps up, grabs her laptop and bolts for the door. She knows she’s in serious trouble. She needs help…and she knows what she needs to do.
Cue music: theme from ”Gone with the Wind”
Voice over, Rachel to self: And I know what I’ll do – like Scarlett returning to Tara, I’ll go home where I can find comfort & sanity and shore up my strength. Thank God for Thanksgiving break … (fade to black)…


Is Rachel’s furlough a success? Is home a restorative tonic for her battered spirit? Or does her eccentric Southern family, a menagerie of unconventional characters, send her over the edge?

McGladrey Offices Across the US Win Sloan Flexibility Awards

It's always an honor to win even just one award for our workforce flexibility programs. It's even better when you win more than 30! That's right, 33 McGladrey Office Locations recently were honored with the Alfred B. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility. In addition, McGladrey was also honored with the “Working Family Support Award” for our monthly WorkLife webinars. Individual McGladrey offices had the option of applying for the Sloan Award, and the winners included:

Bloomington,MN; Cedar Rapids, IA; Champaign, IL; Chicago, IL (both locations); Cleveland, OH; Dallas, TX, Davenport, IA; Deerfield, IL; Denver, CO; Des Moines, IA; Dubuque, IA; Elkhart, IN; Galesburg, IL; Iowa City, IA; Janesville, WI; Kansas City, MO; Madison, WI; Mason City, IA; Melbourne, FL; Milwaukee, WI; Minneapolis, MN; New York, NY; Omaha, NE; Peoria, IL; Phoenix, AZ; Rockford, IL; Schaumburg, IL; Springfield, IL; St. Louis, MO; Waterloo, IA

Quite a list, huh? The Sloan Awards are part of the “When Work Works” project, an ongoing initiative of Families and Work Institute, the Institute for a Competitive Workforce (an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce) and the Twiga Foundation. These organizations provide research, resources and recognition to employers, thus creating effective and flexible workplaces that meet the needs of today’s workers.

Interested in working in one of these great offices? Many of them have jobs available right now. Visit http://www.rsmmcgladrey.jobs/ and click on Careers Search to search and apply for jobs in these locations and others today!

My Shawshank Redemption - A Screenplay: Part 1

Hello, it’s Rachel again. Since the last time I was here I received my bachelor’s degree and am now working on my master’s and studying for the CPA Exam. It’s been an adventure juggling my studies and my life, and over the course of the next few weeks I’ll be sharing my experiences with you…in screenplay form….”My Shawshank Redemption”…whether by design or by fate, my Shawshank is grad school… (fade to black)….

”My Shawshank Redemption”

Scene One

Setting: bright, sunny day on ASU (Appalachian State Univ.) campus in late summer glory (green grass, beautiful flowers & trees blooming); birds chirping; lots of happy students. Lively & vibrant atmosphere.
Music: upbeat, fun, sexy – think Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way”
Opening scene (slow motion until phone rings): Rachel (happy & carefree; glowing from a healthy summer tan with sun-lightened hair blowing gently around & across smiling face – think Cover Girl commercial) walking across campus waving & chatting, answering cell phone as it rings incessantly:
1st call: “Hi Erin, that sounds fun, count me in.”
2nd call: “Hey Austin. Tonight, sure – how about 7:00.”
3rd call: “Hi Babe. Well, I need to study but I can be done in 2 hours.”
4th call: “Amanda! Lunch tomorrow works for me. See ya then.”
5th call: “Hi Megan. Sure but instead of the track, why don’t we hit a trail. Cool, I need a good workout today.”
6th call: “Seriously, Babe, a coed football team? Well, okay, I can do it – I need some fun.”

Good friend stops Rachel; they hug:
Friend: Hi Rach, how’s it going?
Rachel: Great. How about you?
Friend: Good, glad to be back here with my friends but dreading this semester – a ton of work.
Rachel: Yeah, I know what you mean.
Friend: That’s right - you’re in grad school. And don’t you have that big accounting exam…what’s it called - CPA? Wow, I hear that it is really grueling – maybe harder than the bar exam.
Rachel: Yeah, it’s pretty hard but I think I can handle it. After all, there are almost half-a-million CPAs in this country so, how hard can it be? … (fade to black)...

Scene Two

Setting: Library, mid-September; early afternoon, soft light filtering through windows. Peaceful & quiet atmosphere.
Music: Somber, subdued – think Gary Jules’ “Mad World.”
Opening Scene: Rachel (not-so-happy or carefree; tan long-faded; hair in ponytail; only a ghost of a smile when someone speaks – think Bella from “Twilight”) hunched over laptop, sighing, rubbing forehead, trying to subdue a headache; books & papers strewn in a 3-foot radius.

Friend: Hi, Rach, so this is where you hang out. I never see you anymore.
Rachel (apologetic): Yeah, I know. This is pretty much my home away from home…or maybe, my home is my home away from home. Well, anyway, if I’m not in class, I’m here.
Friend: Well, call me sometime when you’re free and we’ll get together.
Rachel (wistful): Sure.
Voice over, Rachel to self (mocking): Right. That won’t happen any time soon. I’ve got 2 research memos, 2 tests, 3 quizzes and project due in the next 5 days. Not to mention a job. Oh, yeah, and don’t forget studying for the hardest test on the face of this earth. To stay on track, I’ve got to cover 25 pages in 2 days – and I’ve just spend an hour on one page and I still don’t get it. What was I thinking – can’t be that hard with so many CPAs. Idiot! How did you manage to forget about an exam fail rate of 50+%? ... (fade to black)…

Is Rachel losing it? Is this the beginning of a downward spiral? Or has she simply studied too long without a break? Can she pull it together? Find out next week in Part 2 of "My Shawshank Redemption"

October Poll Result Recap

The results of the October Poll are in and thanks again to all of you who responded. Once again, you provided some interesting and revealing responses. Here's our take, and some follow-up questions for you:

• The #1 resource or factor that influences you to pursue employment with a particular company by a large margin is Company Reputation (81%). Not a surprise, but is there something in particular that you look for when you investigate a company's reputation?
• The #2 response was Company Size (50%). Do larger or smaller companies appeal to you, and why?
• On-campus company presentations (35%). At least we know that our time (and your time) is well spent at these events! What kinds of presentations have you found to be particularly effective? What did the company do? Who presented? Was there a social element to the event? Let us know what really knocked your socks off.
• After the first 3 resources or factors above, the drop off was quite significant. Next we can group together company-produced information, such as the company website (28%), company collateral (10%), and the company's social media sites (5%). We were disappointed of course in how the social media sites fared in this survey, but what are you really looking for when a company provides you resources to learn about them?
• Finally, the influencers (Friends (21%), Professional Societies (12%), Teachers/Professors (11%), and Family (10%)) appeared to have the least influence. These results surprised me the most. Conventional wisdom and the current trends seem to suggest that the recommendations of influencers should be the greatest resource/factor in helping you decide on what company(s) to consider, certainly more influential than the information that a company provides about itself. What are your thoughts on why influencers might not be as influential as we may of thought.

There's a lot questions posed above, please don't think that you need to respond to them all. We would like your insight however as the results of this poll challenge some of the ideas around how we and many other companies look to market ourselves to you. Thanks again for voting in our poll and thanks in advance for any comments you leave to answer some of the questions posed above.

Are you a Fan?

Are you a fan of McGladrey on Facebook yet? Our fan base has more than doubled over the past two months, and we are closing in on 1000 fans! Why become a fan?

• It's a great place to ask questions. We have had a steady stream of questions from our fans over the past several weeks. We answer every question presented to us on our Wall either with a comment or with a direct message back to you.


• Access to Success starts here posts. We carry a feed of posts over to our Facebook page. Become a fan and you will be notified whenever we publish a new post.


• Videos! Watch some of our videos on the video tab.


• Photos! Curious what our offices look like? We have pictures from a number of our offices around the country in our 'Office Views' photo album.


• ... and more coming soon!

Will you be our 1000th fan? Become a fan today by visiting:

http://www.facebook.com/mcgladreycareers

Another Great Week for Golf and McGladrey at Pinehurst

The 3rd annual McGladrey Team Championship ended today with the Southern California PGA Section winning by 7 strokes. Once again this year, thousands of amateur golfers from around the country competed for the opportunity to play in the Championship event held this week at the beautiful Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. Many McGladrey employees participated at various stages of this tournament, which started with local qualifiers earlier this year, including two employees from our New York office who competed this week as part of the Metropolitan PGA Section team.

This year's event had a number of additional highlights, including:

• A VIP Invitational which included a Skills Challenge with Team McGladrey Members Chris DiMarco, Natalie Gulbis and Zach Johnson
• An auction which raised nearly $35,000 for the Special Olympics, which was in addition to the $140,000 already raised by related McGladrey and Championship events
• The unveiling of our new advertising campaign, "The Power of Being Understood"

The McGladrey Team Championship gets bigger and more exciting every year. This unique tournament offers amateurs an opportunity to compete in a team format with the opportunity of playing for the national title at one of the most storied golf courses in the world. Our partnership with the Special Olympics and with the Team McGladrey members make this an annual event that we at McGladrey are all very proud of.

How McGladrey Helps You Prepare for the CPA Exam...FAST!

OK, so you graduate from college with your Accounting degree, and a few months later you start with at a CPA Firm where you are expected to complete your CPA Exam Preparation and the Exam itself on your time (and maybe on your own dime) while also getting started in your new job (and during busy season no less!). Sounds tough huh? It’s no wonder that it takes many new Associates months, if not a couple of years, into their new career to finally pass the CPA exam and gain their certification. This can have the harmful effect of potentially delaying their career growth opportunities.

McGladrey made a conscious decision however earlier this year that this doesn’t have to be the case, that the firm could make it easier for its new Associate hires to complete their exam preparation and the exam itself much earlier in their career (or before they even start work), and at very little out-of-pocket cost. How you may ask? First, we partnered with the Becker CPA Review to be the exclusive provider of CPA review programs for McGladrey employees. Review course costs are billed directly to McGladrey, and program participants are incentivized to pass the exam within a certain time period. The only cost that a participant incurs is the cost of sitting for the exam, which the participant is reimbursed for after they have become an employee. The other component here is that our new Associates are starting slightly later this year (early November) than in previous years. When the new CPA program was introduced in the Spring, we strongly encouraged all of our new Associate hires to take advantage of this extra time and complete as much of the review and exam as possible prior to when they start their employment. And if they don’t complete the review and exam by the time they start, we still offer additional time off to study and sit for each section of the exam.

Even though we have made it easier to complete the review course and the exam, that doesn’t mean that the review course and the exam itself are any easier. Rachel, a guest blogger and former McGladrey winter intern from early 2009 who will be starting as a new Associate with us in the Fall 2010, will be sharing her CPA preparation and exam experiences with you in the coming weeks and months via Success Starts Here. Rachel tells it like it is, so please check back for what we're sure will be a revealing look at the various challenges that one faces in obtaining this all-too-important certification.

Are you following us on Twitter yet?

So are you? If you are looking for a job in accounting, FINS thinks you should. FINS, which is a part of the Wall Street Journal Digital Network, released today a list of the Top Five Twitter Feeds for Job Hunters in Accounting. Along with @AccountingMA, @Big4Alum, @KuninAssociates, and @CPA_Trendlines, @lifeatmcgladrey was recognized on this list for being one of the "five worth following".

@lifeatmcgladrey has been around for close to a year now, and in that time has gained (as of today) 824 followers. @lifeatmcgladrey is a great place to stay current with everything about McGladrey, plus it's a great way to be informed every time there is a new post here on Success starts here.

Follow @lifeatmcgladrey today by visiting http://twitter.com/lifeatmcgladrey.

Career Options Abound in McGladrey Tax Practice

When I started my professional accounting career in the tax practice many years ago, I found I was not well informed about all the different disciplines available within this line of business. My knowledge at the time was limited to the one individual tax class offered during my undergraduate degree. Only after joining a Big 8 firm after graduating from the University of Illinois, did I find there was a lot I didn’t know which might have affected some of the early career choices I made. With hindsight being 20-20, I wish I was afforded the opportunities in college that most students today now have. These days, most accounting programs offer masters degrees, many with tax tracks, that do an excellent job at educating soon-to-be college graduates about issues with pass-thru-entities, State and Local Taxes, International Tax issues and High Net Worth planning. These courses help open the eyes of future accounting graduates to the exciting and rewarding tax career options that are available within most large firms.

Today, McGladrey employs over 1,700 professionals within our fast growing, multi-faceted tax practice. We are continuously looking for ways to support colleges and universities by helping raise the awareness level that there are other options available than beginning an accounting career in audit/assurance. To this end, we have posted tax specific service line profiles to our career site to allow you to explore these areas further.

On each of these pages, you will also find podcasts by the leaders of these respective areas, where you can listen to how they describe their practices. Click the links below to explore and learn more, it may change the way you view your future.

• Federal Specialty Services
• Tax Advisory and Compliance
• International Tax Services
• State and Local Tax Services
• Retirement Resources
• Private Wealth Tax and Advisory Services

McGladrey Sponsors NABA Central Region Student Conference

McGladrey is proud to have participated as a corporate sponsor for the past three years in the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) 2009 Central Region Student Conference. This year the conference was held October 1-3, 2009 in Indianapolis, IN. The NABA conference brings together approximately 250+ minority students from colleges and universities in the Midwest to assist employers with their strategic staffing needs for internships and permanent employment.

At the conference, McGladrey provided a scholarship award to a NABA student. This year our recipient was selected by NABA to be the master of ceremony at the Scholarship Luncheon. In addition, one of the guest speakers at the luncheon was Judge Mathis of the "Judge Mathis Show."

Akelo C. (Audit Supervisor), Jamie K. (Sr. Tax Associate), and Murielle B. (Human Resources Manager) represented McGladrey at this year's conference.

New October Poll and September Poll Recap

Time for a new monthly poll. We are in the heart of our busy recruiting season right now, and we would like to hear from you, what are the Top 3 resources and factors that influence you the most in deciding to apply for employment with a company?

As for our September poll, interesting results once again. First of all, another great response with over 95 of you participating in our poll. Thanks to all of you who did. What did the results tell us? A majority of you (44%) said that you don't access Facebook at work, only after hours. Even more surprising, 26% of you said that you don't even use Facebook. Really? I thought that a vast majority of our readers would be Facebook users. Guess not. I was also a bit surprised that only 7% of you access Facebook via a mobile device. You hear a lot today about how popular Facebook 'apps' are on mobile devices, the IPhone especially. Finally, 17% of you said that access to Facebook at work was important, but not critical, and only 4% of you said that if a company didn't offer Facebook access, then you aren't working there.

Facebook has become a critical component to how many people interact with each other and stay connected virtually. I myself have made many great connections with friends new and old there, including a friend who I haven't seen in almost 20 years who is coming into town to run a marathon this weekend. The bottom line according to this survey though seems to be that as important as Facebook is to some, most of you who responded to this poll either deal with it out of the office or not at all.

Back to the new October poll, we'll leave this one up until the end of the month. I look forward to more great participation and more interesting results!

Podcast: Phil Li Wraps Up His Summer Internship Experience

Phil Li just recently finished his summer internship with McGladrey, and was good enough to share his expectations, his initial experiences, and now his overall internship experience. I met Phil at the Capstone Summer Intern Conference, and was immediately drawn in by his energy and his enthusiasm. He had a smile on his face the entire time and wanted to take in everything that the internship had to offer.

McGladrey is fortunate to have interns like Phil as they represent a pipeline for our future. Phil will be continuing with the MAcc program at USC, and is considering a full-time position to start with us in the Fall of 2011. Take a listen here to Phil as he wraps up his summer experience with McGladrey. If you are considering doing an internship with McGladrey, listen to what Phil has to say to get a good view of what an internship experience with McGladrey is like.

Click here to listen to the Podcast

McGladrey receives More Recognition in the O.C. as Best Place To Work

For the past several days, we have been celebrating a number of awards that McGladrey has received recently for being a great place to work. Sometimes the awards we receive are national in nature, sometime they are local. Today, we celebrate our being named as a Best Place to Work in Orange County, CA by the Orange County Business Journal (OCBJ).

Earlier this year, the Orange County Register listed McGladrey on their Top Workplace List. It's great to see our Irvine, CA office receive such great recognition once again. Having been to the office personally on a couple occasions, I can vouch for the pleasant office atmosphere and the close proximity to the airport, great restaurants, and the Pacific Ocean (less than 5 miles away!) The palm trees outside the office windows are a good thing in my book too!

Approximately 100 companies participated in OCBJ's selection process this year. Based on the ratings compiled from the employee surveys, 40 companies were then selected for providing a high quality work environment.

Interested in working at one of the best employers in the O.C.? You're in luck, as we have a few jobs currently open at our Irvine office, including the ones listed below!

Tax Manager, Private Wealth & Advisory

Wealth Management Advisor - Director

Business Week names McGladrey to it's Best Places To Launch a Career List

Everyone knows that public accounting is a great place to start a career. When one joins a public accounting firm, their career growth opportunities can range from being on a Partnership-track if they stay in the industry, or they can lead to success and growth in a range of financial positions in almost any type of organization. It's no surprise when you see so many corporate leaders who started their career in public accounting.

Each year, Business Week releases it's Best Places to Launch a Career List. The magazine collects information from employers, college career service directors and from college students themselves to compile this list. Our industry typically does quite well on this list, and last year, McGladrey made the list for the very first time. This year, we are very proud to see that we have moved up almost 40 places on this list. To me, this serves as a reflection of not only the fact that we are continuing to invest in hiring new graduates , but also that we that we are a part of a great industry to launch a career.

Our profile on this list provides a great amount of detail and insight into our hiring demographics, our salary and benefit information, and our career growth initiatives. We feel that those numbers provide only part of the story however. McGladrey offers opportunities to our new Associates that are unique in our industry, including the ability to:

• work closely with top management at our clients
• work with a wide variety of clients
• achieve fast growth in an environment that promotes flexibility
• take charge of one’s own career development

Over 400 new associates will launch their career with McGladrey this Fall. If you are interested in launching your career with McGladrey in 2010, be sure to see us at a campus near you, or visit our career website to learn more about our recruitment process.

CollegeGrad.com Names McGladrey at Top 25 Intern Employer

McGladrey is receiving a lot of great recognition these days as a great place to work. Being an intern at McGladrey is certainly no exception. Recently, CollegeGrad.com named McGladrey to it's Top 25 Intern Employer list. Making this list is primarily based upon the number of interns that each company hires in a year, so at the very least we are being recognized for having a large Internship program. This does provide us however the opportunity to tell you a little more about what makes our Internship program the success that it is.

Over the past year, we have had numerous posts here about our Internship program, including a weekly series from Rachel (a Winter Intern in our Charlotte, NC office), a podcast series from Phil (a Summer Intern in Southern California) and recaps from our Winter and Summer Capstone Intern Conferences. If you are interested in what it's like to be a McGladrey Intern, I encourage you to read through all of our Intern-related posts. Here's some additional reasons why a McGladrey Internship is such a great experience:

• An internship at McGladrey is one of the best ways to be considered for a full-time, New Associate position after you graduate as a majority of our interns receive offers as a result of their internship experience.
• McGladrey Interns get hands-on experience doing client work.
• McGladrey Interns also have the opportunity to get involved with local community service events.
• Firm-wide webinars, local social events, and The Capstone Intern Conference provide excellent opportunities for our interns to get to know their peers not only in their offices but at our offices across the United States and Canada.

To learn more about how to become a Winter or Summer McGladrey Intern, please visit the Internship page on our Career Website. We also are visiting over 135 campuses across the country this year, so if we are visiting your campus, be sure to stop by and see us to ask for more information about the specific internship opportunities that will available in 2010.

McGladrey Named to Working Mother's 100 Best Companies List

For the third time, RSM McGladrey has been named to Working Mother Magazine's 100 Best Companies List, and in particular was recognized as a Best-In-Class company for our flexibility initiatives.

Despite the economy, our approach to WorkLife, performance management, career development and family-friendly benefits is focused on the key concepts of respect for the individual and a flexible work environment. Our ability to maintain these benefits, along with leadership’s commitment to flexibility, helped place McGladrey on this prestigious list. Some of our differentiating benefits and services include:

• Coach-on-Call
• New Parent Coach
• Wellness program (EAP, StayWell, GlobalFit, Intranet Wellness Pages)
• Extended Care Cash
• Adoption Benefit
• Concierge program
• Paternity leave
• WorkLife programs, tools, resources, podcasts, etc.

We believe that our commitment to WorkLife strategies is what truly distinguishes our firm from our peers. McGladrey was one of the first accounting firms to develop a WorkLife goal program, which enables employees to sit down with their managers and establish actionable life goals that they can incorporate into their performance-management process. This could include anything from coaching little league to volunteering or taking the summer off to spend on family activities.

Our Flexible Work Environment also offers a wide variety of programs, services and opportunities to support the many demands of an employee’s busy life, including the following: compressed work week, telecommuting, job sharing, flextime, reduced work schedules, and summer hours. New programs that were launched that have proven popular with employees include FlexCareer and FlexYear.

• FlexCareer enables employees to take up to a five-year leave for personal reasons and provides resources to keep participants connected with the organization and industry to help them return to employment at McGladrey.
• FlexYear is similar to a teacher’s contract and permits employees to take time off (summers, holidays, particular months) for a portion of the year.

Ultimately, this is another in a long line of awards and recognition related to our WorkLife Initiatives. Other recent awards include the Innovative Excellence Award for our Coach-on-Call program and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption Top 100 Companies List. In fact, we have received several other awards recently, and will share (and celebrate) those with you over the next couple of weeks.

Making the Most of a Job Fair

College recruiting season is well under way, and that means that job fairs are happening across the country as we speak, including at the over 135 colleges that we will be recruiting at this year. I've been to a lot of job fairs in my career. A lot. I've spoken to thousands of students and have collected thousands of resumes over the years, and as a result I've seen many great candidates, and I've seen many that have made me shake my head.

If you are preparing to attend a job fair (on-campus or even experienced-level job fairs), here's a few tips that should help you, and in my experience, help to separate the best from the rest:

1. Do Your Homework - As soon as you can identify which employers will be attending the job fair, learn as much as you can about them. Job fair guides usually have brief descriptions of the attending companies, but go the extra mile and visit the company's website to learn even more. The last thing that recruiters want to hear when you visit their booth is 'I don't know anything about you'. They will be impressed if show that you have taken some time to learn something about them.
   
2. Keep an Open Mind - Don't just limit yourself to visiting the name brand companies that you are familiar with. Find a few additional companies that you are not so familiar with and visit them as well. The best jobs are not always with the companies with the most recognizable names. Also, be open to what the recruiters tell you in regards to where they see you possibly fitting within their organization. You may have a specific career in mind already, but your skills and education may fit well in other careers you haven't considered yet too.
   
3. Always Be Prepared - Do you have an elevator speech? If not, you need one. Have it prepared, memorized, and ready to share with anyone at a moment's notice. Also keep your resumes within easy access. If you are planning on visiting a booth, you should even have it ready to hand to the recruiter as soon as you meet them. I've seen too many job seekers arrive at a booth not ready to say anything about themselves, or fumble through their bag for a copy of their resume, wasting the time of the recruiter and everyone else in line. If you have multi-page resumes, have them be one-sided, and have some stapled and some not stapled. Different companies have different preferences (if they prefer that you submit a resume online as many do today, understand that is the company's process for a good reason, and be willing to follow that process).


4. Don't be a 'swag' collector - Never visit a company's booth just to collect the shiny giveaway that they have to offer. It's tacky for one, and second, companies bring their branded pens, stress balls, water bottles, etc. to share with you after they have spoken with you and collected a resume. You are at the job fair to make a great impression, not to collect branded trinkets.


5. Good hygiene is a must - Dress professionally and comfortably. You will be on your feet for a long time and you will probably be nervous, so make sure that your attire looks sharp, but won't make you perspire excessively. Avoid heavy perfume/cologne as some people are overly sensitive to those scents. Take along some breath mints as well, bad breath does not make a good first impression.

The more prepared you are, the more professional you will appear, and the more you will separate yourself from the rest. Remember that a job fair is just the first of many steps at most organizations. Hopefully these tips will give you the edge that you need to succeed and be considered by the companies that have the best opportunities for you.

Podcast: Flexibility and Working a Compressed Work Week

On a monthly basis, we will be posting new podcasts highlighting work-life success stories from McGladrey employees, as well as podcasts from work-life experts. In this months, podcast, Kristi, a mother of twins, and a Senior Associate in our Chicago office, describes how she has made a compressed work week work for her. Take a listen as Kristi explains how she was able to set work-life goals and ultimately develop a plan with her career advisor and her family that has provided her the flexibility that has resulted in her being equally successful at work and at home.

Click here to listen to the Podcast

McGladrey's Charlotte Office A 9 Who Care Finalist

In the past year, over 40 employees from McGladrey's Charlotte office have volunteered their time with The Relatives, a transitional youth shelter based in Charlotte, NC. Efforts have included monthly dinner and entertainment with shelter residents and staff, as well as supporting a variety of fundraising activities. For the support that McGladrey has provided, The Relatives has nominated McGladrey for the Nine Who Care program, sponsored by local ABC Affiliate WSOC, which recognizes individuals, groups and business for outstanding volunteer service.

Nine finalists overall have been selected, and anyone can vote for their favorite finalist by visiting the Nine Who Care website. The Grand Prize winner will be $2000 awarded to the non-profit organization where the Grand Prize winner provides volunteer support (the 8 other finalists will have $900 donated to the non-profit organization they support).

If you would like to help McGladrey and The Relatives win the Grand Prize donation, you can vote once a day up until next Tuesday, September 15 (and un-check the box that you do not agree to receive marketing email from the station unless you wish to do so.) Support a great cause and vote today!

New McGladrey Locations in Atlanta and San Jose

This week, McGladrey saw two new offices open in two major metropolitan areas, Atlanta, GA and San Jose, CA. The Atlanta office doesn't currently have any job openings available, but if you are interested in career opportunities there, be sure to check back at http://www.rsmmcgladrey.jobs/ often as positions will become available at some point in the future.

The San Jose office however does have two openings in it's Tax Practice. Click on the job titles below to learn more about the new opportunities at this new location!

Tax Senior Associate - San Jose, CA
Tax Manager - Private Client Services - San Jose, CA

September Poll: Accessing Facebook at Work

Facebook is clearly the most popular online social networking site, but it is also clear that more and more companies are restricting access to Facebook. Although companies are finding more business uses for Facebook, such as groups and Fan Pages (like McGladrey's for example), Facebook is still primarily used for social purposes. It's because of this and other factors that companies are increasing their scrutiny of whether Facebook and sites like it should be available to their employees through their networks.

Our September poll asks you, how would you feel if your employer did not provide you access to Facebook through the company network? Would you not even work for a company like that? Would you be disappointed, but not devastated? Do you access Facebook on your personal devices only anyway? Do you not even use Facebook at all? Take the poll and if you have any specific thoughts or comments on the subject, please comment here as well.

Podcast: Summer Intern Describes His Experience at McGladrey

Earlier this summer, we introduced you to Phil Li, a Summer Intern in our California Economic Unit (EU). In the second of a series of podcasts, Phil tells us a little more about the work he was involved with at McGladrey this summer, plus he shares with us his experience at McGladrey's Capstone Summer Internship Conference.

Click here to listen to the Podcast

Podcast: WorkLife Culture and Programs

Over the past year, we've had numerous posts regarding McGladrey's commitment to work-life flexibility. Teresa Hopke, McGladrey's Director of Talent Management and resident work-life expert, explains in a recently recorded Podcast what the components of our work-life culture are, the programs that support these initiatives, the recognition we have received, and the effect that these programs are having on our workforce.

Our work-life culture and programs are a core component to the employee experience here at McGladrey. To learn more, please click on the link below.

Click here to listen to the Podcast

Pathways Extern Event - Davenport, IA

In our continuing effort to illustrate for you the Pathways Externship experience at McGladrey, today we have a first hand account of an event recently held in our Davenport, IA office. Steve K., an Accounting Major at the University of Iowa tells us more:

"The Pathways event was an excellent experience. The entire day allowed me to enhance my skills and gain knowledge I will need to achieve my career aspirations. Some highlights of the day included the CPA exam and Resume breakouts. During the CPA exam breakout, I learned many new things. I found out the incentives McGladrey will provide for employees who complete the CPA exam with in 8, 12, and 18 months. I also found out that a person can take parts of the CPA exam after they have 120 credit hours, they just can’t get their certificate until they have completed 150 hours. The resume breakout was very helpful in giving me information I can use to make my resume stronger. I was able to review good and bad resumes with a group and hear others’ thoughts on strengths and weaknesses. During the resume breakout I was able to note a few things that will help me make my resume stand out. One of the Directors talked about things he looks for in a resume, along with information he feels should be included in a resume and what information should be left out.

The Q & A session with some of the Partners of the firm was extremely beneficial. This gave a great insight into McGladrey, and allowed all participants to get a feel for what keeps people working at the firm. It was also helpful to hear tips for success from people who have spent their entire careers in public accounting. They responded differently than the standard booklet answers that are available in recruiting centers. I also appreciated that they were very up front with the demands of the job. It really seemed as though they were being honest with the group, not avoiding the question to try to sell everyone on the company.

Another part of the day which stood out was the breakout session tables that were set up for different focus areas. Here, different employees talked about and answered questions about what they do at the firm. For instance, there was an audit table, tax table, internship table, etc. This was a good way to get people’s opinions about their jobs, and hear what they like and dislike. It also was great that there were people from different levels in the company at these tables; from people who have started recently to people who have been at the firm for 15 years. This was nice because it allowed everyone to hear not only what things would be like directly out of school, but also as their careers progressed.

A final great thing about the event is the itinerary for the day. The way the event was scheduled was very beneficial. We would have information breakouts and then an activity, or activities during information breakouts. The schedule allowed me to digest information and really take in some of the key points instead of being an information overload. The group activities were beneficial because they allowed me to network and strengthen my teamwork skills. "
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The pictures below are from the event in Davenport, and from similar events that happened in other offices in the Great Plains EU, including Denver, CO, Omaha, NE, and Kansas City, MO.



To learn more about our Pathways program, be sure to see us on Campus this fall.

McGladrey Interns Raise Over $5K for MDA

This summer, McGladrey interns across the country were involved in a variety of community service activities. One of the more creative and successful activities happened in McGladrey's MidAtlantic Economic Unit (EU). The interns in the MidAtlantic had a goal to raise more than $4000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), and had a fun way to do it. The EU's Executive Managing Director, Mitch Gorochow, was 'locked-up' (hypothetically, not for real of course), and the interns had to 'raise bail money' to get him out. This theme certainly got the attention of the entire EU, which helped engage more than just the interns in this effort.

Interns for several EU offices got into the act:

• The interns from the Timonium, MD office hosted a Happy Hour night at a local restaurant. The purchase of a wristband got attendees drink specials all night long and the chance to win various door prizes ranging from gift cards to bottles of wine. Ten percent of all sales went towards the MDA along with the money raised from the sale of wristbands.
• The Vienna, VA interns hosted a raffle with an array of prizes. The grand prize was four tickets to a Nationals game while other prizes included Starbucks gift cards and gift cards to local restaurants.
• The interns in the Frederick, MD office created their very own vending machine, which included candy bars and homemade snacks.
• The Gaithersburg, MD interns hosted a “restaurant night” at a nearby location with a portion of a night’s profits donated, and they hosted a bake sale as well.
• Finally, a Jeans Day occurred in the EU on July 30, with all $5 donations going to the MDA.

All in all, the efforts of these interns went above and beyond expectations. The interns raised $5006 for the MDA, and could potentially present a check to the MDA during the National Jerry's Kids Telethon on September 7th. Congrats to our interns for their wonderful work supporting a great organization.

If you would like to donate yourself to the MDA, donations are also being collected through the following website, https://www.joinmda.org/tysonsva09/jenpoklemba. Feel free to contribute - any donation is greatly appreciated!

*** Special thanks to Jen Poklemba, Campus Recruiter and Kim G., Tax Intern for contributing to this post.***

McGladrey is a Best Employer in North Carolina!

Kudos to our North Carolina Economic Unit (EU), which was just recently recognized by NC Magazine as #2 on their list of Best Employers in 2009. According to the publication:

NC Magazine strives to recognize greatness, innovation and success in North Carolina’s business community. That’s why, this year, NC Magazine and the North Carolina Chamber chose to work with the Best Companies Group, a nationally recognized organization dedicated to singling out companies who create workplace excellence, to create NC Magazine’s Best Employers 2009.

To choose from among the outstanding entries from a variety of industries, Best Companies Group used a two-part process — a questionnaire filled out by the employers about benefits and policies, and an engagement and satisfaction survey completed by the employees.

We have several locations throughout the state, including offices in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Greenville, Morehead City, New Bern, Rocky Mount, Shelby and Wilmington. In fact, we have an opening available currently in North Carolina, check it out below and maybe you might have an opportunity to work for the 2nd Best Employer in North Carolina yourself!


Audit Manager - Charlotte or Raleigh, NC