McGladrey Spring 2011 Intern Capstone Conference

Written by, Chris Clayville
McGladrey Intern, Phoenix, AZ office


I just returned from the Capstone Conference which is held for McGladrey interns during every internship. It is held at the Q Center outside of Chicago. I got my first taste of public accounting with plane delays caused by weather! I imagine that business travel goes something like this!

All of the interns and faculty were given a chance to meet and interact when we made felt blankets for the children of the Rockford, IL school district. McGladrey emphasized the importance of being involved in the community by donating time and other resources. Ken Bansemer, Senior Director of National Recruiting and Talent Management, presented on the importance of setting goals and following through. Ken’s message was about setting goals and priorities, and pursuing those that are most important to you. As John “The Penguin” Bingham said, “The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” Ken participates in triathlons and road racing in addition to his demanding career at McGladrey.

Prior to attending the conference, each of the interns took an online assessment using the Kolbe Index, a tool used to gauge how a person is most likely act if left to his/her own devices. For example, it can help determine if you are the type of person to base decisions on the accumulation of large amounts of data or if you are the type to thrive in highly changing environments. John Blumberg joined us on the second day and gave a presentation on being Successfully Instinctive. It was interesting to learn more about myself and fun to discuss the results with the other interns.

All of the participants were then able to choose from a selection of workshops. I chose to attend “Put Your Swag On” and “Marketing YOU! Understanding Your Personal Brand.” I enjoyed learning more about how to create a personal presence and understand the value of networking and adopting an attitude of service.

I was impressed that we met the McGladrey Leadership Team that evening. We were able to question the panel about their professional experiences and where they want to take the firm in the future.

Rounding out the conference was a “surprise” evening, a business simulation in which the interns formed our own Leadership Team and comedian Joel Zeff whose message centered around the power of a positive attitude in work and personal life, doing what you love and following your passion even if it leads you where you never thought you would go.

The spring 2011 McGladrey Capstone Conference was a great way to launch my spring internship with McGladrey. I am back in the Phoenix office now and ready to find out what a ‘real’ busy season looks and feels like in public accounting!