McGladrey C3 Mentoring Program

It’s no secret that in order to retain and advance employees, organizations have to be successful at mentoring. It’s no coincidence, then, that McGladrey offers a unique mentoring program called C3.

C3: Careers, Coaching and Connections is designed to help participants develop career goals that align with their personal goals, give and receive coaching from firm leaders and their peers, and create lasting connections with their peers from across multiple locations.

The program is structured around ten skill-building sessions focused on topics like ‘managing for success,’ ‘influencing skills’ and ‘team effectiveness.’ Each session is delivered by a pair of Partners/Managing Directors and is designed to help participants better leverage their own individual strengths and receive coaching on how to overcome any of their weaknesses.

According to Meghan Donohue, Assurance Manager in Denver, who just completed the program this fall, “The C3 program was a great learning opportunity for me both personally and professionally. I learned skills that will help me become a better mentor and leader within the firm. I made some great connections with others that I will continue to develop going forward. I learned the importance of motivating others, leading by example and recognizing contributions to the common goal. I would recommend the C3 program for anyone who has the opportunity; I will use the skills I learned in the C3 program for the rest of my career.”

Mentoring and coaching is an integral part of McGladrey’s culture. To learn more about how you can experience this award winning culture first hand, visit the careers section of our website at www.mcgladrey.jobs

Joining McGladrey’s Consulting Practice

Written by, Jessica Lyons – Senior Associate, Risk Advisory Services
in Baltimore, MD.

In 2007, as a college senior with an accounting degree I found it difficult to choose between audit and tax, or either of them. After voicing this, I learned about McGladrey’s Consulting Services group and their effort to hire associates and teach them how to become effective consultants early in their careers. Immediately, I knew this was for me. As a member of Consulting, I have been able to gain valuable experience in a variety of service lines and have actively participated in all areas of an engagement. My clients and responsibilities have ranged from assisting in the valuation of a large regional dealership with our Business Valuations group to acting as a liaison between a $300 million global technology company and external big four auditor to improve operations of multiple audits with our Financial Advisory Services (FAS) team.

Approximately two years after joining McGladrey and having the opportunity to participate in and experience a handful of service lines, I was able to select a group to permanently work with and begin to hone my skills and expertise. I chose Risk Advisory Services (RAS) because the learning opportunities are endless. The services RAS provides range from Internal Audit engagements to SOX Compliance projects to Anti-Fraud Consulting. As a senior associate, I am constantly working with client personnel to become an expert in the inner operations of companies of differing sizes and in a variety of industries.

Your Transition to McGladrey

Written by, Jonathan Norman, Chicago Financial Services Tax Associate. Jonathan graduated from Indiana University and joined McGladrey in August 2010.


“Let’s go celebrate!”

These were the first words out of my mouth after receiving my offer from McGladrey. Getting a job with a prestigious firm such as McGladrey is quite an accomplishment. Celebrate the occasion! However, don’t forget to prepare for your career ahead.

There were several obstacles to overcome after accepting my offer to McGladrey. The easiest was to finish school. Don’t forget to keep your head above the water and finish strong. Finishing off your college career on a great foot is one of the best ways to leave and to begin the next step: the CPA exams.

Preparation for the exams takes a lot of time and research. Make sure to do your due diligence! I wish I knew that it can take up to eight weeks for your state board of examiners to evaluate your education credentials. You need to have this done before you can take your exams. Start researching now and ask questions to your friends or ask your recruiter to put you in touch with an associate or senior associate would will have current and up-to-date information on the CPA exam. Also, choose Becker. I signed up for the highly recommended Becker Fast Pass course this past summer. The course is designed to help you understand the materials and finish the exams within 3 months. This is a great idea! You do not want to study for the CPA while you are working! (It feels like busy season ALL the time.)

Last, McGladrey will eventually send you materials in preparation for you first days. Read the materials provided to you. Don’t forget to have fun! The firm makes it very easy to start working so take advantage and listen to your “buddy”. He or she will welcome and help you from the start. But for now, back to celebrating!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Time once again for turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, football, family, and time most of all to give thanks. I'm thankful for alot these days myself. I'm thankful that I'm not traveling anywhere this week, so no worries about being scanned or groped at an airport or being stuck in miles and miles of traffic. I'm thankful for having a happy, healthy family, including two boys who are smart, handsome and fun. I'm thankful that it's been a good football season for my two teams (the Washington Redskins and the Maryland Terrapins). Good in relative terms, both teams won only 6 games combined last year, both have won 12 already this Fall! And I'm thankful that McGladrey is hiring again in large numbers. Hiring had been on the decline the past couple of years, but it has rebounded quite nicely this year. This is keeping our recruiting team very busy this fall with a few hundred positions to fill, many of which will need to be filled by the time Busy Season starts.

So what are you thankful for? Please feel free to share what you are thankful for this year as a comment to this post.

My Journey Begins...

Today's post comes to us from Andrew Finger, an Associate who started in our Blue Bell, PA office on November 1st (along with a few hundred other new Associates). Andrew shares with us his experience of his first two weeks with McGladrey, including going through New Employee Orientation and New Associate Training.

I started with McGladrey just two weeks ago but I can already say that I have met so many nice people and learned so much more than I thought was possible. I started in the Blue Bell, PA office on November 1st, and I will admit I was nervous. The day started off with a meet and greet breakfast and everyone that came in was so friendly and full of good advice, it definitely started off on the right foot.

The first couple days in the office were geared toward learning about the McGladrey brand, getting familiar with tools such as Caseware and Idea, as well as networking with co-workers. It was definitely nice to get to know some people and get acclimated with the surroundings I will be seeing a lot in the near future.

Next, we headed down to Baltimore, MD for regional orientation. I must say that office is beautiful, located on the inner harbor. The first day of orientation we learned all about McGladrey. People used to always ask me, “who are you working for” and I will be honest I didn’t always know how to answer that question. After that first day of training I no longer am at a loss for words to describe McGladrey. We engaged in some team building activities with new associates from other offices along the east coast like Vienna, VA, Charlotte, NC, Wilmington, NC, and of course Baltimore, MD. It was great to meet and network with all of the new associates. That night we had an exciting event, bowling at Mustang Alley’s in Baltimore. It was a great opportunity to network and bond with both experienced staff as well as fellow new hires in a casual setting. We all had a ton of fun. The second day in Baltimore we had some tremendous guest speakers that really shared some important insight into our careers at McGladrey. To end the two day event there was a raffle, and the grand prize was a new IPad. I happened to have the winning raffle ticket, how lucky!

Our second week on the job consisted of new hire training at The Q Center in St. Charles, Ill, just outside of Chicago. The center was beautiful and was an ideal place to hold a conference of such magnitude. Throughout the week we went through training that will help us in our specific area of business with McGladrey. It was great to be able to meet people from all over the country and great to hear their stories. On Thursday night we all took part in a charity event for two children’s hospitals in the greater Chicago area. The event was based on The McGladrey Classic, so groups were pitted against one another in events at 18 different “holes.” It was a lot of fun and the camaraderie between everyone was great. At the end of the competition each team was given a bear from Build a Bear. Based on the points your team had accumulated the more you could outfit and accessorize your bear, which will be given to a patient at one of the children’s hospitals. It was a great night and for a great cause.

All in all my first two weeks at McGladrey have been hectic, but very enjoyable. I have been able to meet so many nice people and learn so many important things. It has been a great experience so far and I look forward to the many great experiences that lay ahead.

So I Have An Offer, Now What?

Hiring in the public accounting industry has definitely picked up steam, and firms across the country are in the process right now of hiring hundreds if not thousands of new college grads, interns and experienced professionals. It's happening here at McGladrey for sure, and my peers at our competitors are confirming this as well.

Last year, on college campuses across the country many students were left out, not receiving offers when the would of in year's past. Even the best students at the best schools were not getting same the number of offers that they were getting in the past. This year it's a very different story although we still have a way to go to catch up to the hiring volume of 3-4 years ago. Its surely a move in the right direction however.

So whether you are a college student or an experienced professional, what are some of the things that you should be considering when evaluating new offers of employment? Let's break it down by college and experienced:

College Students

• Training and development - How will you be developed in your first year? What training will you receive prior to your first busy season? How much structured training is available compared to on-the-job training? Does the firm have career paths mapped out that are easy for you to understand? How easy will it be for you to complete your CPA Exam studies and take all four sections of the Exam within your first several months of employment?
• People, teams and responsibilities - Who will you get to work with? What type of access will you have to Partners? What type of access will you have to key decision makers at your clients? Will you have a single primary responsibility on engagements, or will you have a variety of responsibilities? Will you work on one client, or multiple clients?
• Hours, travel, and flexibility - Everyone works long hours during busy season, but how long on average? What are hours like when it's not busy season? What percentage of travel can you expect? What flexibility options are available and when are they available?
• Total compensation - In addition to salary, sign-on bonus and incentive bonuses, what is the value of the benefits package? How much do health and welfare benefits cost per pay period? What does the hourly rate look like (base salary divided by average number of hours that you will be expected to work)

Experienced Professionals

• Is the grass greener? Every public accounting firm has had their share of challenges over the past couple years, is working at another firm going to be any different? If yes, what are the specific differences, and are those important to your short and long-term career goals? If you left public, what is it about coming back to public accounting that appeals to you?
• People, teams and responsibilities - Who will you work with? What is the size and scope of the team you will join? What types of clients will you serve? Are you expected to bring in new business? If yes, how soon and how much? Is this a step up in scope of responsibility, or is a lateral move OK? Will you work on a single client or will you have multiple clients?
• Opportunities for growth and development - How quickly to people move up the ranks? Are career paths mapped out? What does the path to Partner look like and how long might it take to get there? Will you be expected to specialize in a particular function or industry? If yes,what are the benefits of specializing and what development opportunities are available for you to gain expertise in that speciality?
• Flexibility - What flexible options are available? What resources are available during challenging or stressful times? Can one advance while using flexible schedule options? What options are those after hours or for those who may have an interest in community service?

What it really boils down to is the following, what are your short-term and long-term goals? If you are a college student, how do offers from different firms match up to those goals? If you are an experienced professional, how do these goals match your current job and a new job you may be considering? Make lists of your goals and the pluses and minuses of offers (and your current job if you have one), and compare.

Evaluating a job offer is a complex activity. Think about what is going to make you happy, successful, and on a path to a great career. There's a lot of great opportunities out there, make sure that you take the time to evaluate and select the one most appropriate for you!

My First Two Months at McGladrey. What Should You Expect?

Today's post comes to us from Sara Hafezi, a Tax Associate who started in our Chicago office back in August of this year. Sara will be sharing with us today how her first couple months have gone and what you might expect if you join us as a new Associate in the future.

...it will fly by. That is the best way I can describe what your first few months at McGladrey will be like.

Here’s how my first few months have gone. Right before I started, in August, I went to a BBQ thrown by McGladrey’s Chicago Financial Services Group. Everyone there was welcoming and friendly, and I was excited to start. That Monday, the whirlwind began with training, and, before I knew it, I was at work until 10:00pm preparing tax returns for the September 15th deadline.

It was hard work, unlike any all-nighters or finals prep in college. It is an experience that no one can understand besides the people you work with. Bonding over that shared relief on the night of September 15th is one of the things that makes it all worthwhile and makes McGladrey a wonderful place to work.

On September 16th, though, it was back to work. I got to go back to my alma mater, University of Illinois, to help with recruiting. Let me tell you, it was MUCH better being on this side of it! When we got back to Chicago, it was time to prepare the next round of tax returns for the October 15th deadline.

In less than 3 months I have been with McGladrey, I have learned an incredible amount, experienced a lot of things and met a lot of smart and amazing people.

Based on how fast these months have gone by, I have a feeling that the regular tax season will be here and gone, and before I know it, maybe YOU will be preparing tax returns with me for the September 2012 deadline, too!

McGladrey's Desk Free Volunteer Day - Oct. 21, 2010

As mentioned in the previous post, Desk Free Days are becoming a very popular way for McGladrey employees to better connect with our clients and to get out and support our communities. The most recent Desk Free Day, held on Thursday, October 21, 2010, was specifically designed for our employees to get out and volunteer with local charity and community organizations. Over 1650 employees participated in over 100 events around the country.

Over the past two years, McGladrey has made a determined effort to support local and national charity and community organizations, but never before were so many employees so directly involved on a single day like they were last Thursday. Our employees appeared to have a great time for a great cause. You can see for yourself on a photo album that resides on the McGladrey Careers Facebook Page.

National Desk Free Day: Getting Out and Giving Back

Today's post comes to us from Leila Shamas, a Marketing Specialist and Campus Recruiter based in our Denver, CO office. Desk Free Day is a relatively new concept here at McGladrey, and Leila shares with us some of what happened on the first Desk Free Day back in July.

McGladrey employees recently began participating in Desk Free Day, a quarterly event aimed at getting all of our employees out of the office, in front of our clients and into our communities in both the spirit of volunteering and building our brand in the marketplace. July 28th was our inaugural Desk Free Day across the country with employees participating in a wide variety of tasks and events ranging from volunteering with local not-for-profits to networking with peers in the industry or treating clients to lunch.

After the inaugural Desk Free Day, employees participated in a contest to vote on the best team effort as the personification of building McGladrey’s brand by doing good work in the community. A Kansas City team that volunteered at a client, the Catholic Charities Thrift Center, “won" the first Desk Free Day contest.

“The client has an amazing operation, and it was a privilege to help them and our community for the day,” said Laura B., a regional marketing communications manager. The outing supported the thrift center, which typically takes in $2,000-$3,000 a day for Kansas City-area needy as well as international programs. “Our efforts benefited a great organization, and along the way, we built a little brand awareness about McGladrey, too.”

The Kansas City team members received a $1,000 donation to the charity, a $35 merchandise certificate to McGladrey’s company store, and a special prize from Team McGladrey. The team planed to deliver our $1,000 check to the client, plus bring an even larger group of volunteers to help with clothing sorting, cleaning, shop floor work, whatever they need for next Desk Free Day.

In second place was a Chicago team that visited its client, one of the Midwest’s largest grocery co-ops, to gain “hands-on” experience by squeezing avocados and sniffing the fresh fruit in its warehouse cooler section!

McGladrey’s next Desk-free Day is this week, on Thursday October 21. Coincidentally, as the first event’s winner exemplifies, community service is the focus. Offices from across the firm will be volunteering their time with not-for-profit clients and prospects. Evidently the Kansas City team had so much fun the group is going back this month for a repeat appearance.

Some of the other planned activities include volunteering at various food banks nationally, Junior Achievement, senior center events, cancer walks, Boys and Girls Club activities, local humane society assistance, Habitat for Humanity, pumpkin carving fundraisers, clean-up events, and many other great activities!

Desk-free Volunteer Day is a fun way to make a difference for others in the communities in which we live and work. . . we’ve all really enjoyed the opportunity so far and are really looking forward to Thursday!

Stay tuned for more information about this week's Desk Free Day activities.

How Joining a Professional Association Made an Impact On My Life and Career

Networking is one of the most critical aspects to a successful job search. There is probably no better way to grow and action your network than by joining and becoming a leader in professional associations. To help illustrate what a leadership role in a professional association can do for you to help grow your career, Kathy Leal, an Associate in our Ft. Lauderdale, FL office, describes for us her experience getting involved with the ALPFA and Beta Alpha Psi chapters at her University, and the impact that it had on her life and her career.

At the beginning of my junior year in the spring of 2007 at Florida International University (FIU), I was encouraged by a friend to join the Accounting Association/ALPFA Miami Student Chapter. I was hesitant to attend the first meeting, afraid that I wouldn’t know anyone besides my friend. The moment I walked in I was greeted by friendly members of the executive board and immediately felt at home and decided to join.

That first meeting made me realize how unprepared I was to enter the real world and pursue a career in accounting. I met people who motivated and guided me to do better in school, work, and life. To this day I am still pushed to always do my best. I was extremely active my first semester in the organization and was top member. I made many lifelong friends, learned about the accounting field, and pushed myself into a world of new experiences. I decided to run for a position on the executive board, even though public speaking was one of my biggest fears and inherently from the fear, a weakness. I felt it was my duty to give back to this organization that had helped me grow so much in just a few months. I became secretary for the fall 2007 semester and with every meeting, my fear of public speaking and shyness gradually disappeared. As secretary, I was able to not only perform my duties on the board, but also the duties of many others as well. I learned an invaluable lesson about teamwork. I went on to be President-Elect, President, and Consulting Officer of my school's ALPFA Chapter. My last semester at FIU, I joined Beta Alpha Psi. I was able to expand my network and get to know more of my future colleagues by being a member of both organizations.

Many say they run for the executive board so that they can get a job, but there is so much more to it. It’s hard work, but if done right, can be incredibly rewarding. I grew as a person and became more confident in my abilities. Had I not joined any organization, I would not have met all the great people I now call my friends and, more importantly, I would not be able to say I work for McGladrey. I encourage everyone to get involved and stay involved beyond school. Continue to work hard and not give up until you have achieved your goals.

The Campus Interview - Are You "Interview" Ready?

Today's post comes from Trina Moody, McGladrey's Western Region Campus Recruiting Lead, who provides some great advice on how to prepare for an interview. Trina is based out of our Dallas, TX location, and can be found this fall actively recruiting at campuses including the Univ. of North Texas, Texas Christian Univ., Southern Methodist Univ., and the Univ. of Texas at Dallas.

Interviewing for an internship or full time employment opportunity does not have to be a scary process! Think of it as conversation between you and a representative of the firm, where the purpose of the meeting is to decide if there is a fit between what you’re looking for and what the firm has to offer. Here are a few tips on what you can do to prepare for “Interview Day.”

Tip #1) Research the organization: It is important for you to do your homework—learn as much as you can about the firm (s) that you are interviewing with. Speaking with your professors and peers about the firms that you’re interested in, is a great starting point; however, take it to the next level-do internet research. Look at the firms’ websites, company literature, different news articles that feature them, blogs, Twitter—most firms are even on Facebook as well! You’ll learn more than you think!

Tip #2) Be aware of what behavioral interviewing is: Behavioral Interviewing is one of the most popular techniques of interviewing used during campus recruiting. It focuses on the belief that the best predictor of future performance is past performance. So, what does this mean for you? Be ready to reference personal situations, in your past, that positively highlight how you’ve dealt with different situations (obstacles, working with difficult team members).

Tip #3) Dress to Impress: Remember that you only have once chance to make a first impression and when in doubt, dress above the standard. Be sure to know the difference between business professional (suits, skirts, tie, and etc.) and business casual (collared shirt, knee length dresses, polo shirts, and etc.) Leave flashy jewelry and strong scents at home.

Tip #4) Follow up: Make sure you leave your interview with the name of your interviewer and the address where he/she can be contacted. Write a brief thank-you note on a note card, or type a brief letter. (In this day and age, e-mail thanks are gaining acceptance, as well, but the ‘hard copy’ approach is still preferred.) Use this opportunity to thank your interviewer for his/her time and remind him/her of your strengths and what you bring to the table.

Once again, interviewing does not have to be a scary process. Implementing a few of these tips, will help make sure that you’re ready. We hope you find these tips helpful, as you embark upon your interviewing process!

Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption Names McGladrey as Best Adoption-Friendly Workplace

For the second straight year, McGladrey has been named by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption as one of the best adoption-friendly workplaces in the country. The Foundation collected survey data from nearly 500 employers to determine the winners, and based upon the adoption benefits that McGladrey offers, including a $5,000 reimbursement for adoption-related expenses and up to six weeks of paid-time-off for adoptive parents, McGladrey was again considered one of the best. Additional programs including New Parent Coaching, Coach-on-Call and Employee Assistance were also taken into consideration.

To illustrate further the many great adoption-related benefits that McGladrey has to offer, we invite you to listen to the Podcast below, where John Keyser, a Partner/Managing Director in our Las Vegas, NV office, talks about how he and his wife accessed McGladrey's benefits to help their family grow through adoption.

Click here to listen to the Podcast

1660 People 'Like' Us. Do You?

On the occasion of the release of The Social Network, I wanted to draw attention to our own social network, the one that it alive and thriving on the McGladrey Careers Facebook Page. In addition to pictures and videos, there is a constant conversation going on with multiple questions coming in daily from candidates who want to learn more about our process or who just want to say hi. It's proven over the past year to be a great opportunity to interact with the Recruiting
professionals here at McGladrey.

So 'Like' us today, take a look around and feel free to ask a question or just leave a comment (all inquiries are responded to). You'll be glad you did!

McGladrey Careers Facebook Page

Coming Next Week - The McGladrey Classic!

A week from tomorrow, McGladrey will proudly host it's first PGA Tour event in Sea Island,GA, The McGladrey Classic. As the only firm in our industry with it's own PGA Tour event, excitement is building across the firm in anticipation of a branding and marketing opportunity unlike anything we have ever seen before. The tournament will be carried live on The Golf Channel, and will be covered in media - print, online, and television - around the world.

The tournament, hosted by Davis Love III, will include a great field, including former Majors and Players Championship winners Zach Johnson, Lucas Glover, Trevor Immelman, David Duval, David Toms, Justin Leonard and Lee Janzen. The tournament is also for a great cause, benefiting the Davis Love Foundation, the Special Olympics, and the Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Georgia. For more on this great event, visit the McGladrey Golf Blog.

But don't just take our word for how great this event will be, watch below as Team McGladrey Members Zach Johnson and Natalie Gulbis describe what they think of The McGladrey Classic. And be sure to watch The McGladrey Classic on The Golf Channel next Thursday - Sunday from 3PM to 6PM ET.

Podcast: Work Redesign

At McGladrey, we are constantly exploring new and innovative ways for our people to achieve flexibility in the workplace. We currently have groups of high performing managers that are working directly with the Third Path Institute on a Work Redesign experiment. In this process, they will be leveraging a peer group to come up with win-win solutions for them and their teams. A successful work redesign experiment with an employee one of our mid-Atlantic offices and ThirdPath last year led us to expanding it to another peer group.

To learn more about how the Third Path Institute approaches the concept of Work Redesign, click the link below to listen to a podcast interview with Jessica DeGroot, Founder of the Third Path Institute.

Click here to listen to the podcast

Extra! Extra! The new McGladrey Magazine is here!

Every year for the past few years now, McGladrey has published a magazine geared towards college students with the goal of educating students about the firm, about careers in accounting, and about what it take to be a success in this industry. The new edition of McGladrey's magazine is now available by clicking the link below:

Your Future at McGladrey

Highlights of this issue include:

• Dave Scudder, Managing Partner of McGladrey & Pullen describes his career path and growth
• The top 10 things our associates wish they knew in their 1st year as an Accountant
• A Senior Associate's experience with the McGladrey Plus training tool
• CE Andrews, President and COO of RSM McGladrey, Inc. provides his perspective on the future of McGladrey
• A "Day-in-the-life" story of an Auditor in our New York office.
• ...and much more!

Also, be sure to pick up a hard copy of McGladrey magazine when we visit your campus this fall!

McGladrey Again Named by Working Mother as 'Best In Class'

For the 4th time, McGladrey has been named by Working Mother Magazine as one of the Best 100 companies for working mothers, and was also named for the 2nd time as Best In Class company for our Flexibility programs!

As some companies have reduced or eliminated certain employee programs, McGladrey preserved it's WorkLife programs and has successfully ingrained flexibility into our culture. And when we say that it's been ingrained into our culture, that's not just alot of talk, as we saw an 83% increase in the number of employees using flextime arrangements in the past year. That commitment, combined with award winning programs such as Coach-on-Call and, our FlexYear program, and our New Parent programs all add up to reasons why we continue to make this prestigious list.

In addition to making the lists, one of our own is also being honored by Working Mother. Missy Sisler, a Director in our Des Moines, IA office, was named as the McGladrey Working Mother of the Year, and will be honored in the November issue of Working Mother Magazine. So congratulations to Missy and thanks again to Working Mother for including McGladrey as one of their Best Companies for working mothers!

The Grass Wasn't Greener!

The Irvine, CA office of McGladrey couldn’t be happier knowing that one of their esteemed former colleagues will be returning to their ranks today. No, it's not Superman, the Man of Steel you see here in the picture (he still prefers to be a free agent), but rather, Dale Divers, SALT Tax Professional!

Dale, a graduate of CSU Long Beach, and who obtained his MST from CSU Fullerton, has made the decision to return to McGladrey after previously having worked for PwC prior to his first stint with McGladrey, and having left a few years ago to work for Grant Thornton.

Dale is an avid traveler. His next exciting stop is the McGladrey tax department in Irvine, CA fulfilling the role of a SALT Tax Director. I had the opportunity to sit down with the self proclaimed road warrior to talk about what brought him back to McGladrey.

Q. What attracted you to return to McGladrey vs. seeking an opportunity with competitor firms?
A. Having worked at McGladrey from 2003 to 2007, I have a good understanding of the Firm’s expectations and of my role, and I anticipate a very short transition period to get up to speed and engaged with professionals and clients.

Q. Having worked for Pricewaterhouse and Grant Thornton, what do you believe separates McGladrey from them.
A. McGladrey is solidly positioned in the middle market – other firms are making valiant efforts to go “upstream”, focusing on serving larger clients that are unhappy with the Big Four.

Q. How do you see McGladrey supporting you in your professional goals?
A. McGladrey was very supportive of my professional goals during my first tour with the Firm. In 2007, I left with the mistaken impression that the “grass was greener” elsewhere. Since that really wasn’t the case, I’m excited about returning to McGladrey and getting back to serving the middle-market clients that have, in my mind, all the interesting and fun SALT issues.

Q. What advice would you give an audit/tax professional who’s considering making a move to McGladrey?
A. Having left McGladrey for another opportunity, and now returning after 3 years at a competitor, it’s clear to me that McGladrey is much more sincere in their efforts at working with professionals to obtain both interesting client work and professional development opportunities, while also helping professionals maintain that all-important “work-life” balance that is painfully absent at other Firms. If I may pass on some excellent advice I was given years ago – your career is a marathon race, not a 100-yard dash. Keep that in mind when evaluating if that greener grass is really just a camouflaged sprint track.

Dale resides in Buena Park with his wife and sometimes enjoys breaking out his Harley Davidson and riding the open roads of Southern, CA. Dale admits that he greatly enjoys all of the details required in trip planning. Not surprising given attention to detail is a top quality our tax professionals. This summer Dale and his wife were on the road a full 30 days, travelling about 7,500 miles through 21 states, and visiting 29 National Parks, Monuments and Historic Sites as well as about 50 other roadside attractions.

If you’d like the opportunity to work alongside someone like Dale, then check out our current openings at www.mcgladrey.jobs. We currently have the following needs in our Southern CA offices.

Tax Director - Los Angeles

Tax Senior Associate - Los Angeles

Tax Associate - Los Angeles

Opportunity is Now!

It's been quiet at Success Starts Here for the past month, but not for a lack of being busy. It's actually been a considerably busy summer here at McGladrey, one of the busiest I can remember. We've been gearing up for what we are already seeing as a a very active hiring season this Fall with many openings at both the experienced and campus recruiting levels.

We currently have over 200 experienced-level positions posted on our career website. We have a wide variety of positions available in offices around the country, including:

• Audit Senior Associate/Supervisor - Dallas, TX
• Audit Senior Associate - St. Louis, MO
• Audit Supervisor - Vienna, VA
• CISCO VoIP Telecom Consultant - Cedar Rapids, IA
• Consulting Manager - Fraud Investigations
• Experienced Developer- .NET, C#, SharePoint - Moorestown, NJ
• International Tax Senior Associate - Schaumburg, IL
• Tax Supervisor - Charlotte, NC

Click the links above for more details on these opportunities and to apply. To search for and view our other available opportunities, please visit http://www.mcgladrey.com/Careers/Careers-Search.

In addition we will be actively recruiting hundreds of new Associates and Interns on over 120 campuses throughout the country this Fall. To learn more about our Campus Recruiting and Internship Program, please click the links below:

Campus Recruiting Process
Internship Program

Finally, starting next week, you will be hearing from a variety of new contributors across McGladrey about their experiences, the McGladrey culture, events and community service activities that McGladrey sponsors and more! We encourage you to check back often to get a broader view of what it's like to work at McGladrey. Until then, enjoy the rest of your summer, have a great Labor Day weekend, and check out our current job openings. The opportunity for you to join McGladrey could truly be NOW!

Congratulations Kim!!!

I love Lacrosse. I was a Defenseman in high school and was an assistant coach for a high school team while in college. This past year, I started coaching again, this time with my son's youth Lacrosse team. It's a truly great sport with a great history.

As a fellow Defenseman, I'm extremely proud to announce that a former McGladrey Intern and soon-to-be Tax Associate, Kim Griffin was recently named to the U.S. National Women's Lacrosse Team. While at James Madison University, Kim was an All-American Defender and a finalist for the 2010 Player-of-the Year award. Kim was also a Academic All-American, and a winner of the Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner's Academic Award from 2006-2008. Kim earned her Bachelors Degree in 2009, completed her Masters Degree this year, and will be starting her career at McGladrey in November.

With all of her accomplishments, we have no doubt that Kim will be as successful with our clients taxes as she has been with a Lacrosse stick!

Podcast: New Associates Finish Their First Busy Season

Last November and this April, you had the opportunity to hear from three of our new associates regarding their experiences so far at McGladrey. Kelly, Nathan and Zach finished up their first busy season a couple months ago, and they are back again to share with you what their busy experience season was like and what was ahead of them for this summer.

Thanks again to Kelly, Nathan and Zach for enlightening us their experiences as they have launched their career here at McGladrey!

Kelly G. - Tax Associate from Boston, MA

Nathan B. - Audit Associate from Elkhart, IN

Zach W. - Consulting Associate from Des Moines, IA

Happy 2nd Blogaversary!!!

Two years ago, a new concept was launched - a blog about what it was like to work at McGladrey. Well, not a completely new concept, other companies like Microsoft and Sodexo had similar blogs in place already, but certainly novel for our industry. The goal from the beginning was to peel back the 'top layer' and provide a deeper view into our company, proving you, the reader, with more detailed information than you could get from any other source about our jobs, our culture, our perks, and our people.

Since we launched the blog on July 24, 2008, we've had just under 24,000 visitors from all 50 states and many countries around the world. Our Facebook page, which carries a feed of our blog posts, averages 3000-4000 visitors a month, providing even greater exposure to the content of Success starts here. There have been over 180 posts on topics including our community service initiatives, our internship program, our locations, our jobs and the the numerous awards that we have received. We've had contributions from our interns, our managers and our recruiters. We've offered you content via video, podcast and even screenplay. It's been a great couple years at Success starts here, and we look forward to an even more exciting year ahead with even more contributors and more exciting content to come.

We thank all of you for taking the time to visit our site to learn more about McGladrey and what it's like to work here. We have alot of great stories here at McGladrey, and it's our pleasure to bring them to you as often as we can. To celebrate our 2nd anniversary, here's some of my favorite posts/topics from the last year (in no particular order):

• Capstone Recaps - For the first time at this year's Summer Intern Capstone Conference, three McGladrey Interns provided their perspectives of their experiences at this great event: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3


• Intern Orientations - I was fortunate to attend our fun and informative new intern orientations in New York and Vienna, VA this summer.


• A New Day at McGladrey - The firm celebrated a new brand with local celebrations and a giant cake!


• New Associate Podcast Series - 3 McGladrey Associates described for us their first days at the firm and what their first busy season was like.


• C.E. speaks at VT - McGladrey's President, C.E. Andrews, spoke at his alma mater about the importance of business ethics.


• The right expectations about work-life flexibility - McGladrey's work-life expert Teresa Hopke provides her perspective on McGladrey's culture of flexibility.


• A Holiday Party Alternative - The Mid-Atlantic McGladrey offices celebrate the holidays by giving back.


• My Shawshank Redemption - Former McGladrey Intern and soon to be McGladrey Associate, Rachel, shares her experiences balancing a Masters program, studying for the CPA exam, and life in general (in screenplay format!)


• Polls!!! - We need to get these going again, but for a few months last year we had some great participation in several monthly polls that we ran.


• Interns raise money for the MDA - McGladrey interns take a unique approach for raising funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Great News and Views in Boston and Baltimore

It's been a big week here at McGladrey, complete with a major acquisition and two new offices. On Wednesday, it was announced that McGladrey had completed it's acquisition of Boston's Caturano & Company. The new combined Boston operation will be the fifth largest accounting, tax and business consulting firm in New England with approximately 500 employees. The local offices will consolidate to be based out of the Caturano building in Charlestown, complete with beautiful views of Boston Harbor and the USS Constitution. This office will now also be the third largest in the firm. A new, larger operation like this will certainly offer numerous opportunities going forward. Please check back often (or create a Job Agent) to explore career opportunities in Boston.

Speaking of harbor views, the new McGladrey Baltimore office officially opened this week. And let me tell you, what a view it is! Located in the new Legg Mason building in the Inner Harbor, McGladrey resides on two floors of this high rise, offering amazing views, close proximity to shopping, the National Aquarium, and hundreds of restaurants in Harborplace, Fells Point, and Little Italy. As a frequent visitor to Baltimore myself, I can't wait to get down to the new office to check it out. We'll include pictures of the new office in our Facebook Office Views Photo Album for sure.

In the meantime, the Baltimore has several openings in it's Tax operation. To learn more and submit your resume, click on the job titles below.


Tax Senior Associate - Baltimore, MD

Tax Manager - Baltimore, MD

Tax Director - Baltimore, MD

Ask BJ - Making the most of Job Agents

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?"

I addressed this in a prior post, but not only is it worth mentioning again, but we also have recently made some enhancements to our process, so we wanted to make sure we relay the most up-to-date information on to you.

To help ensure that candidates do not get 'lost' in the resume database and that they are directed on to the most 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 below and then 'confirm' your entries.

• Job Agent Name (something you pick, a title to remember what you have created)Keyword (if desired)
• Frequency (NEW - you can now tell our career site how often you want to receive alerts)
• Expiration Date (NEW - you can tell our career site when to disable this alert)
• Job Category
• State
• City
• Position Level

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

Podcast: New Parent Coach Program

Among the many great work-life benefits that we offer to our employees are a number of benefits specifically geared towards new parents, including our child care resource and referral program, adoption benefits of $5,000 subsidy per adopted child, 6 weeks annual paid adoption leave, 3 weeks paid new father leave, 6-8 weeks maternity leave (through short-term disability), and a new parent coach program.

The new parent coach program helps McGladrey employees learn more about how to balance work and parenting, and the expectations that go along with being a new parent while being a productive worker. In the linked Podcast below, Lauren Brunell, a Campus Recruiter from our Chicago office shares her experience taking advantage of this incredibly useful resource.

Click here to listen to the podcast

McGladrey 2010 Summer Intern Capstone Conference- Day 3

Another Capstone Conference has come and gone, another 2/12 days of learning, networking, sharing and fun. Christina Rossetti, an intern from our Stamford, CT office and a student at Boston College, shares with us her experience of Day 3 of the conference (from 30,000 feet!):

Sitting in seat 5B and soaring 30,000 feet above Illinois, I can truly begin to reminisce about my final day in St. Charles. Sitting here on my flight surrounded by the interns from McGladrey’s Connecticut and New York offices, it is hard to believe that the Capstone Conference has come and gone so quickly. Today started with another great breakfast in the Q Tower, where waffles, fresh fruit, and scrambled eggs got me energized for the day ahead. As I made my way to the St. Charles Amphitheatre with the rest of my Connecticut crew, I passed eager groups waiting to perform their skits. My own nerves were beginning to ignite as I took my seat in the large room, remembering that I too would be presenting later that morning. Wow, six more hilarious and creative presentations. Before my nerves could get to me again, I saw Ken Bansemer walk down to stage.

I remembered Ken from his shenanigans at the Blackjack table the night before and wondered what to expect from his speech, which was titled, “Success is Easy… It’s Failing That’s Hard.” Now, failure is a concept I usually prefer not to think about, but Ken explained the importance of both failing and embracing change in life. Ken lightened the mood when he shared videos of his piano recitals, where he struggled with some of his songs (an experience I can certainly relate to when I think back to my own piano recitals). We spent time talking about goal setting, and Ken had us write one goal on a sheet of paper and put it into a self-addressed envelope. He explained that he would mail us this letter about a year from now, just as a reminder that we should never give up on our dreams. My personal goal is to run the Boston Marathon, and I feel much more ready to accomplish this now that I know I must share, plan, commit, act, and learn in order to succeed.

Already feeling motivated, our next activity magnified the feeling of inspiration. We paired up and began putting together blankets for the Salvation Army by trimming and tying together fleece fabrics. I was glad that McGladrey gave the interns at the conference an opportunity to give back to the community, because helping others definitely seems to be one of McGladrey’s values. This activity soon wrapped up and before I knew it I was in front of the entire conference ready to act out the skit that my group and I had been practicing. Thankfully, with a crowd of smiling faces in front of me, the skit went by smoothly and I calmly sat back and watched the last six teams present, including the McGladrey Mythbusters and a great Steve Erwin impersonator.

After our last lunch at the Q Center, we heard from our final speaker, Rory Vaden, who shared some great stories that really got me thinking about how I can be successful later in life. Rory explained that success is about doing the things other people do not want to do. Metaphorically, we must remember to take the stairs when everyone around us takes the escalator. The main thing I realized after listening to both speakers today was the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone and taking some risks. After Rory’s inspiring words, we concluded the conference with awards for the best presentations and a raffle… Man, I really wanted that I-Pod Touch. We also watched video footage from the entire conference, where we could all relive our experiences working in our teams, listening to speakers, and gambling at Casino night.

As the plane begins its descent into LaGuardia, I realize it is time for me to say goodbye to my new friends sitting around me. I know I’ll see my Stamford gang next week, but what about the rest of the interns I met at Capstone? What will we all bring with us as we return to our internships? I know that I am leaving with a much greater understanding of myself. Not only do I know my Kolbe score is a 7-7-3-3, I also feel ready to make short- and long-term goals for my future. More importantly, I have learned the importance of working as a team and embracing each other’s differences. The Capstone Conference was a great way to kickoff my internship and future career in public accounting…thank you McGladrey!


Thanks again Christina, and thanks again as well to Ryan Donaghy and Morgane Dion for sharing their Capstone experiences as well. You can view pictures from Day 3 below, and we'll have more to come in future posts. Capstone is one of the true highlights of the summer intern experience at McGladrey. If you are a student and are interested experiencing a future Capstone Conference yourself, be sure to see us on campus this Fall to explore Summer Internship opportunities with us.

McGladrey 2010 Summer Intern Capstone Conference- Day 3

McGladrey 2010 Summer Intern Capstone Conference- Day 2

Day 1 was long and fun, day 2 was sure to be even longer and even more fun. Morgane Dion, an intern from our Phoenix, AZ office and a student at Arizona State University, shares with us her experience at day 2 of McGladrey's Summer Intern Capstone Conference.

After a well needed hearty breakfast, myself and the rest of the interns gathered in the Amphitheatre where we were treated by Ben and an energetic guest speaker, Jacque Anderson. She started her presentation explaining that 70% of your career is built from experience, 20% is from people that surround you, and the remaining 10% is from self-development. Experience is a combination of great work, risk, and team. Capstone seemed to be organized in a way that brought all three components together. She did a great job of explaining each of these and giving examples. Good work simply blossoms from your education, while great work is not only meaningful to your company, but also to yourself. She shared with us her “exit card” or chance card and how it has pushed her to think and take risk whether in your personal relationship or your professional position. She played “Name that tune” with us, the song was her favorite “Like a Rolling Stone”, which was used to revive the energy in the room and illustrate someone taking a risk at Columbia Records. The most inspirational story she told us was about her coworker and friend Charlene, who always took the risk of taking the job that no one else wanted to take and ended her the position of CEO of GE as one of the most successful women in business. Her presentation was very entertaining with many anecdotes. She did very well at keeping everyone awake that early in the morning.

After Jacque Anderson handed us our own copy of her “exit card” and a coupon from her old employer Pillsbury, we broke out into our teams. Teams met up to work on their presentation, live or video. There are three different topics for the presentation. One is Seventeen Again, which involves going back and advising high school students into being the best possible candidate to enter into the public accounting industry. The second topic is how older generations view our generation. The last topic is giving tips to be the perfect intern. We met with our engagement leaders to ask question and tell them about what and how we were doing. Promptly at 11:45, the interns had lunch with the McGladrey Leadership Team. All the interns were divided onto 12 tables and each table included a member of the leadership team. The interns were given question topic to ask each of the leaders to spur conversations, but at our table, like at most, did not need them. After lunch we all gathered back together to have a Q&A session with McGladrey’s two leaders: David Scudder, the managing partner, and C.E. Andrews, the COO & President of McGladrey.

The two marched in to the Virginia Tech fight song— and that was when I knew this was going to be a session full of laughter and life lessons. Kimpa Moss, one of the Leadership Team members, directed the session with a few question and then gave the interns the floor. One of the lessons was “All of you get your CPA,” as it is one of the requirements of the profession. When CE Andrews said this I was glad I had at least read part of my first Becker book. David Scudder commented on something that I know a lot of interns and first years are nervous about: not knowing what we are doing and hoping we can get by with our small pose of knowledge until we actually learn it. He gave us confidence and assurance that it was expected of us to ask questions and to let others know that we needed help. During the session, one of the interns asked: what was the greatest piece of advice anyone has ever given you? Both answered with a response that reflects what McGladrey is all about. David Scudder told us to give our full attention to what we are doing at that moment, whether it is at home with your family or at work, this emphasizes the work-life balance that this firm pushes. CE Andrews let us know that we need to accept the unknown & pay attention to the details, and if you can’t balance the work-life equilibrium, get a dog, for it will always be happy to see you. This session really let the interns gain insight on how the two leaders of this firm feel about their professions, firm, and most importantly employees. After the Q&A session, we teamed up again for our project and put the final touch on our presentations before turning them in.

After dinner, all six Seventeen Again group performed their 5 minute presentations of how to stand out from the rest. Half of the presentations were live and the others were in video format. All of them were really funny and entertaining. It was fun to see how people interpret the same project differently. I personally look forward to seeing the rest of the interns performing tomorrow morning. The rest of the evening was a surprise planned by the faculty members it was VEGAS NIGHT. This included many of the famous Las Vegas games such as Blackjack, Poker, Roulette and Craps. I, along with many other interns, really enjoyed it because I learned a few of the tables without having to take to take too much risk. All in all it was a very busy, fun filled, and energy driven day!

Thanks to Morgane for sharing, be sure to check back tomorrow as another of our interns share their experience of the third and final day here at Capstone. To see some of the pictures from day 2, click on the photo album below!

McGladrey 2010 Summer Intern Capstone Conference- Day 2

McGladrey 2010 Summer Intern Capstone Conference- Day 1

It's Capstone time again! Time for Interns from across McGladrey and RSM Richter to descend upon The Q Center in St. Charles, IL for the annual Summer Intern Capstone Conference. This year, we have 94 interns representing 2 countries (US & Canada) and 54 universities. To help provide the prospective of the interns at this event this week, 3 of our interns will be sharing with you their experience at this event.

First up is Ryan Donaghy from our New York office and a student at Binghamton University. Read more below as Ryan shares with us her journey to the conference and some of what she saw the first day:

After traveling for 6 or 7 hours (more for some!) from New York, myself and the 7 co-interns I traveled with landed at the O’Hare International Airport. Those of us that checked our bags picked them up while waiting to make the hour trip to the Q Center in St. Charles, I.L. On the way, we discussed how much we wished we were staying in Chicago and how fun that would be. But 6 hours later, I changed my mind. Cramped in the Q Center Clubhouse, I met interns from so many other offices. I know for a fact that had we been in Chicago, the NY interns would have made plans to go out together, not caring what anyone else did. And it’s not that we’re antisocial or rude… it’s just that there are 23 of us total (more than any other McGladrey office), and we’re STILL getting to know each other, even going into our 4th week.

But back to the actual conference… throughout the internship, the McGladrey employees I work with have asked me, “Are you excited about Capstone??” I said yes, believing that was the appropriate answer, even though I was pretty unsure of what there was to be excited about. But at the end of the first day, I have not stopped laughing… and now I know what they were all talking about.

National Recruiting Director, Ben Gotkin, who the NY interns met during our 2-day orientation, gave a warm and encouraging welcome and a brief introduction to what would be happening over the next 2 days. He informed us that there were 94 interns total, coming from 2 countries (Canada and the U.S.), 28 McGladrey offices, and 54 colleges. Following Ben was John Blumberg, an inspirational and captivating speaker, who also has a great sense of humor. John presented the Kolbe index, an instinct-based test designed to help teams work more cohesively.

Before we started our internship, we were asked to take an online test consisting of 36 questions and 72 answers. You may be asking, “how can you have 72 answers to a 36 question test?” Well, there are 2 answers to every question—one choice for the most like you and one for the least like you. The test was hard at times, but as we learned today, that’s all part of the Kolbe master plan. You can’t measure instincts without making people think on their toes.

The best part of the day was watching John’s “Glop Shop.” This exercise involved 3 interns, picked solely based on their Kolbe scores. The participants were given a Ziploc bag filled with random items, such as Legos and silly putty. After John gave us their scores and explained what we should look for (i.e. Michael picking up shiny objects or Laura or Aaron utilizing the pad of paper and pen), we watched our fellow interns try and portray the McGladrey tagline of “The Power of Being Understood.” As expected, they didn’t come up with anything monumental, but they acted pretty much as John had predicted.

While explaining the Kolbe index, John clarified that one of the main points of the exercise was to able to “respect the people that are different than you.” Although I can only speak for myself, this statement really helped me to understand why Kolbe can help with the effectiveness of teams. Diversity is essential to the success of organizations. Without it, there would be no innovation. A lack of innovation leads to stagnation and this can ultimately cause a company’s failure.

Thanks again to Ryan for sharing. Please also check out a few of the pictures from the first day below. We'll have many more pictures from Day 2 tomorrow, so be sure to check back again for another update from Capstone!

McGladrey 2010 Summer Intern Capstone Conference- Day 1

Great Speakers, Content, Food and Ball Game = A Great Start!

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to sit in on our New Intern Orientation in New York. This week I had the same opportunity at our office in Vienna, VA. Our new orientation program, while now generally standard across the country, still offers some unique features geared towards the needs of the local offices. This group of interns, a slightly smaller group than our New York group, will be working over the next 8 weeks in our offices in Maryland and Virginia, and represent universities such as the University of Maryland, Virginia Tech, Mount St. Mary's, Loyola University, Towson University, Salisbury University and Penn State.

Monday got off to a great start with the Eastern Region Assurance Line of Business Leader, Bill Gorman, who led the interns through an energetic introduction to the firm. Immediately following Bill's presentation, he was joined by local Tax and Consulting leaders for an enlightening Q&A session. After lunch, an introduction to our people programs by local Campus Recruiter Jen Poklemba (who had great knock-knock jokes) and an entertaining introduction to our brand our Client Promise by Business Development Director Ron Bertoia (who had great duck jokes), the Interns got their laptops and learned more about technology and compliance issues in the firm.

Monday evening closed with a dinner at one of my favorite local restaurants, Coastal Flats, located in Tysons Corner Center which is next door to the Vienna office (the Rock Shrimp and Blue Crab Fritters were fantastic!)

Tuesday morning started off with surprise for everyone. RSM McGladrey, Inc. President and COO, C.E. Andrews, who happens to work out of the Vienna office, came over and spent about 45 minutes speaking with the interns and taking their questions. The fact that C.E. took time out of his busy schedule for this (as well as with last year's and next week's Capstone Conference) makes his appreciation of and commitment to our internship program very clear. The interns took notice and truly appreciated the experience. The day continued with learning about our scheduling and time keeping procedures, and wrapped up with assurance and tax technical training. But the day wasn't over yet.

The interns and close to 20 other McGladrey staff, including several Partners met up at Nationals Park to take in the Nationals vs. Royals game. We started off with a hot dog/hamburger buffet in the picnic area, and migrated over to our seats at game time. The first few innings were fun, including a Josh 'The Hammer' Willingham home run that landed in our section, and cheers and chants from a traveling U-17 Rugby Club from England. The fun could of been spoiled by a passing torrential downpour, but this group reassembled and finished the evening playing Baggo at The Bullpen, a fun little place across the street from the ballpark.

Overall the two days were highly informative and fun. Not all of our interns get to hear from the President of the company on the 2nd day and get treated to a Major League Baseball game, but these interns certainly appreciated the experience and a ready now for a busy and enriching summer.

Next up for all of our interns is the Summer Intern Capstone Conference, which we will be covering for you next week with daily updates and pictures. In the meantime, check out the gallery below for some pictures from this week's intern orientation.

DC-Baltimore Summer Intern Orientation

Philly Interns Raise Money For Alex's Lemonade Stand

Did you know that 36 children in the United States are diagnosed with cancer every day? The interns in our Blue Bell, PA office, just outside of Philadelphia know this, and they are doing something to help raise money for the fight against childhood cancer.

In addition to their work responsibilities, the Blue Bell interns are hosting an Alex's Lemonade Stand to support this worthy cause. You don't need to visit Blue Bell however to quench your thirst and donate to the cause. Anyone can donate by texting 'Lemonade E66193' to 85944 or by visiting http://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/66193.

McGladrey interns across the country are participating in a number of different community service activities this summer. Help out our Blue Bell interns and a great cause today by making your donation. Check back often this summer as we'll have more stories of the ways our interns are supporting their communities.

Hello NY Interns!

I had the pleasure this week of visiting our New York office to observe and participate in the Orientation Program for the 23 new Summer Interns at that office. Over the course of this month, almost 100 Summer Interns will start at McGladrey offices across the country, and in three weeks, they will all gather together at our annual Capstone Intern Conference.

The New York office Interns are a diverse bunch, coming from schools across the country, including Notre Dame, Univ. of Colorado, Univ. of Maryland, Loyola (MD) College, Syracuse, Binghamton Univ., Baruch College, Virginia Tech, Fordham Univ. and several others. They spent most of their first day learning about the organization and getting exposed to the information, tools, resources and people that will help make their Internship experience a successful one. The highlights (IMO) were two panels, one that included our Line-of-Business leaders, and one that include several of our first-year associates, most of whom were prior McGladrey Interns themselves.

During a Q & A session, Line-of-Business leaders shared their wisdom of what it took for them to succeed and excel in the public accounting industry, as well as their views on what makes McGladrey a unique place to work within the industry. The first-year associate panel did much of the same, but from a very different perspective. Everyone on the panel had just finished their first busy season, so they were able to share their recent, relevant experiences. It was also clear that the first-year's were a tight group, with relationships and friendships that were build during their time as interns. The interns I spoke to after the panels found them to be highly valuable as they relived some of the fears that they had coming into the day. The day ended with a wine-and-cheese reception in the lobby which also included several other Partners, Directors and Managers.

The second day was more focused on tools and resources, on a tour of the office and being introduced to their 'Buddies'. The day concluded with a volunteer event, where our interns helped sort clothes an outfits for Career Gear, a non-profit organization providing career counseling, interview appropriate clothing and follow-up job support to men actively seeking employment. The interns navigated the NYC Subway system from Mid-Town to Downtown in full McGladrey gear to help out a great organization, and had alot of fun at the same time. The pictures below should provide some sense of what these two fun and interesting days were like for our new New York office interns.

In a couple weeks, I'll be spending time with our new interns in Maryland and Virginia, and then a week later, we'll be providing daily updates from our annual Summer Intern Conference, so stay tuned for more internship-related posts throughout the summer!

New York Summer Intern Orientation