My Summer with McGladrey

By Gianna Migliaccio

Assurance Intern

New York, NY

 

I cannot believe that I am writing my final blog post back in Syracuse already.  Where did this summer go? I guess the old saying is true—time really does fly when you’re having fun! This summer with McGladrey was an absolute success and I don’t even know how to begin reflecting on my experiences. I just wish that I could go back and start again for such a variety of reasons.

 

Since my last post I have many updates to write about.  Although my fantastic team (team 4) did not win the audit project, we are still so proud of ourselves and the work that we did. Our final presentation went better than any of our practice runs and we couldn’t have been happier. To maintain a competitive advantage many of the intern groups kept their concepts a secret from each other, which became quite difficult since we were always together. We would sneak around the office with our supplies and hid our board until our presentation, which is pretty funny to think back on.  However, since the internship is over, now I can finally reveal details about our presentation! We made McGladopoly, a McGladrey version of the classic game Monopoly to detail the steps of an audit.  Each space on the board was specific to McGladrey and to New York City. Although we didn’t win the audit project, my group was able to win the tax project! Since I was out of the office working on an audit for a new client during the time of the tax project I was not able to share their victory, but it was a win-win for all of us.  Oh the life of an auditor--you really never know where you’ll be!

 

However, the travel and client work is part of what drew me to audit in the first place.  My desire to be in audit was reinforced through this audit especially. I love teamwork and the notion of an ever-changing work environment and luckily for me, this client was in the city! This didn’t change my commute, which was kind of a relief since this audit lasted for the duration of my internship. But overall, this experience provided me with more than I had expected when I was first assigned to it.  My time was extended and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I valued my team, and they were great teachers.  It was really exciting to be able to sign off on parts of the audit myself and to also be confident in the work that I was doing.  And as a result of this experience I realized that I absolutely love financial services, which I never anticipated.  I always thought I’d want to work in commercial, but now I’m positive that financial services is the sector for me!

 

The fact that I was out of the office for the last few weeks of the internship was bittersweet to say the least.  I wouldn’t have traded that opportunity, but I did miss being in the office with the rest of the interns.  We had become so close over the summer, that I found myself missing them and our dynamic as a whole. But, spending the last day at the Mets game with everyone was a great way to end the summer and have a fun relaxing day with both interns and employees outside of the office. It was as if we were campers all grouped together in matching t-shirts.  I loved it.

 

But overall, I truly believe that you can do the same job anywhere, especially in this field, but it is the people that make the difference.  This summer, I learned a lot, I met great people and made new friends that I know I will be close with for years to come.  And now, I am back at school embarking on my Masters degree and am thrilled to know that next fall I will be starting my career with McGladrey.  I can remember back to sophomore year attending my first event with the firm, and to now know that I will be working there is the greatest way to start this year and an even sweeter way to end the summer.  

Success Started Here

By Lyndsey Lawson
Assurance Intern
Irvine, CA

To say that time has flown by is an understatement. I remember my first day here and being more nervous than I’ve ever felt before. Now, I have experience working in the audit field with some of the most intelligent people I have ever encountered. I can honestly say I’m going to miss all this auditing fun when my internship comes to an end.

The life of an auditor (never in the office!)

As much as I love sitting at a desk for 8 hours, I always want to do a little victory dance when my schedule gets updated and I see that I get to go out to a client. It seems as though the auditors are almost NEVER in the office, and I love being at a client so I must be fit for auditing! Interning at McGladrey has allowed me to go out to several different clients and I’ve had a blast at every single one of them. You might be thinking, “How is that possible? Work isn’t supposed to be fun.” But I’m not lying. Among all the work, there were plenty of opportunities for fun and new learning experiences. I never expected that I would be cracking up constantly and making jokes at one another while working (efficiently, of course). And the work is awesome! Not gonna lie, I half expected I was going to be doing “grunt” work and tasks that people often think of when they hear the word “intern.” But besides making copies and running job-related errands, I got to do actual audit work. I’ve worked on a 401K audit, an SEC review, and a few others. I was able to perform some test work for audits and I got to shadow another team member during walk-throughs, which was pretty awesome because I got to hear the language/conversations and see how auditors interact with clients. And on a side note, I now totally feel like an Excel pro.

Another essential and seemingly difficult task at McGladrey is lunch. Yes, lunch. Lunch is a big thing around here. When eating with other team members (which always happens when at a client), you have to figure out who’s dining out, what everyone does and doesn’t like, and most importantly, where we’re eating today. I’ve gone to so many delicious and wonderful places to eat with some of the McGladrey team. I feel like I’ve tried almost every type of food there is. I even tried Peruvian (yum!), which is a big step for someone like me who doesn’t ever branch out. Despite my love for food, going out to lunch with other McGladrey members almost every day gave me the opportunity to really get to know everyone on a more relaxed and personal basis. We’d talk about movies/music and tell tons of funny stories. McGladrey knows how to have a good lunch.

A very smart woman once told me to treat this opportunity as a career, not just a job. If there’s work to finish, take it home. The accounting world doesn’t only operate from 9-5. That advice coupled with my amazing experience at McGladrey has set me up for success. I have joined, grown, and succeeded.

Shout out to Mike(s) (T. & L.J) and all the other Irvine people for making my time here so enjoyable! And a big thanks to McGladrey, I couldn’t have asked for a better interning experience.

Never a Dull Moment

By Lyndsey Lawson
Assurance Intern
Irvine, CA

Work never gets boring at McGladrey, and I absolutely love this reality. Whether I’m at a client or a social event, I’m always happy to be busy. In my first week as an intern, I was told that I was going to be participating in McGladrey’s Pathways Program. For those who aren’t familiar with this program, it’s an opportunity for accounting students to interact with the firm in a business and social setting. I was ecstatic to be a part of such an advantageous and beneficial program available to students just like myself. The awesome part of it was being on the other side, where I was able to speak with the students about my own experiences and give them advice for their own “pathway.” The events included in the program that I participated in were people bingo, bowling, a few presentations (Becker-CPA licensing, very helpful!), and a community service event.

Bowling was a ton of fun. I like to think of myself as a “skilled” amateur, which I’m sure many can relate, so I always love when the McGladrey team goes bowling. We were split up into 5 mini-teams. Among my team were three Pathways participants and a Partner. I don’t know what it is about McGladrey Partners, but I think they’re all in some sort of professional bowling league (I have yet to win against one, or even come close, for that matter). Anyway, it was an incredibly fun event filled with good bowling, good conversation, and of course a little goofing off. J

I’d have to say my favorite part of being involved in Pathways was the community service piece that took place at Easter Seals, a not-for-profit organization that is truly inspiring. Easter Seals strives to provide assistance to those with disabilities so that they can interact and thrive within their communities. When the McGladrey team arrived, we each got a nice cowboy hat planted on our head, as the theme was Western, of course. The volunteers and staff of Easter Seals had several entertaining and interactive activities set up for the participants. We all had a blast helping those who needed it. We participated in many Western themed events such as Cactus Lasso, Horseshoe Toss, and Square Dancing. We even played my favorite, Charades! I was fortunate to meet an elder man, Michael, during my time at Easter Seals. My friend and fellow intern, Charmaine, and I had the pleasure of spending our day with him. He took the initiative and struck up a conversation with us during the activities and told us all about his love of polka music, Elvis and Disneyland. We were immediately hooked. He’s an absolute gem, a sweetheart, and probably the happiest person I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

I had a great time participating in McGladrey’s Pathways Program. Not only did I get the opportunity to make an impression on the students, but I also gained insight and knowledge that I can take from the experience. I can’t say enough about being able to participate in helping out my community. Overall, it was very rewarding!