McGladrey positions for growth in D.C. metro with new space

In December, the former McGladrey Vienna, Va. office moved uptown to updated and expanded office space in McLean, Va.

This new space is less than five miles from its previous location, and was selected to accommodate the firm’s continued growth in the Washington, D.C. metro area. 

“We regularly review our facility requirements to ensure we are properly sized and equipped to provide excellent service to meet our clients’ changing needs and to provide the right support systems for our employees,” said Southeast Region Real Estate Director Rebekah Kleinman.

The new offices increased the space in the area from 19,000 sq. ft. to 30,000 sq. ft., including providing additional offices, modular seating, team work spaces and conference space to accommodate the needs of employees and clients. The space provides an upgraded technology platform and ample flexible space to support our increasingly mobile workforce. It also features modified Herman Miller Ethospace ergonomic workstations with lower panels to promote natural light and newly released Global Bridges workspaces to maximize collaboration. 

“Having outgrown our previous space is a positive sign of McGladrey’s enhanced brand reputation and expanded business in the area. This new space should allow for continued growth of our practice and to provide a more updated and comfortable environment to support the needs of our people and our clients,” said Bill Gorman, regional managing partner, Southeast Region.

View all of our current job openings at the McLean office here.

 

My First Few Weeks

By Hannah Lynch

Tax Intern

Boston, MA

Hannah Lynch

To begin, my name is Hannah Lynch and I am currently in my third year of undergrad at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Northeastern’s cooperative education program, where students work for half the year and take classes for the other half, requires business students to complete two (with an optional third) full time internships prior to graduation. My internship at McGladrey is my second “co-op” at Northeastern. I found out about the internship through campus recruiting and interviewed on the NU campus in October, and received my offer for the 24-week internship the same afternoon. 

My first few weeks with McGladrey as a tax intern have exceeded my expectations in several ways. I began my internship with a two-day orientation in the office, which covered mainly administrative matters. I met the other interns and some associates, and was given a laptop to use for the duration of my internship. The next week I was sent to the Q Center, a training facility outside Chicago, IL for a week of tax technical training, covering the software that I would be using on the job. I was in a class with approximately 20-25 other interns from all over the country with very different skill sets and levels of experience. One of the best things about the week was the charity event. One night after class, all the attendees of the training got together and were split into teams to build bikes for underprivileged kids from the greater Chicago area. The teams were made at random and were comprised of employees of all different levels. After we built the bikes, the kids came in and picked out their bikes. Not only was it a fun and very rewarding activity, but it spoke to the culture of the firm as a whole. After the week at the Q Center, I went through another week of training in the Boston office, which included return preparation case studies for corps, partnerships and individuals. This was for recently hired associates as well as interns and was geared more towards tax prep than the technicalities of the software. This training was a good way to become more comfortable with the software, as well as get to know other employees at the office. The teachers were associates, senior associates or managers who worked in the tax department. They were all open to questions and helped everyone to understand the how and why of the processes. Overall, McGladrey invested a lot of time and money into the recruiting process and the success of their interns. Having the experience as well as being given the responsibility similar to that of a regular employee are both incentives to put forth my best effort during the duration of my internship. 

I am looking forward to the next five months I will spend here at McGladrey. Working during busy season, I am eager to see what the next few months hold. Having only been in the office (and not in training) for a couple of days, I can say that everyone I have met so far has been kind and helpful. If the past few weeks are any indicator, I know my internship will be a great experience.

A Unique “Pathway” to an Internship

By Jamie
Tax Intern
Cedar Rapids, IA

Jamie

This summer I had the unique opportunity to attend McGladrey’s Pathways Program in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. For those of you who’ve never heard of Pathways, it is a leadership program that allows you to network with employees and learn what McGladrey is all about. I first heard about this program through a now current employee who had attended the summer before me. She strongly suggested I attend as the interviews were very laid back, the employees were extremely friendly and, of course, there was a lot of free food. 

So, I signed up the next time the Leadership program was offered at The University of Northern Iowa (UNI). I am sure some of you are wondering where the heck is UNI? Well, it is that itty bitty University whose men’s basketball team beat out #1 Kansas to advance to the Sweet 16 in 2010. Ahh, now you remember! Anyways, after I sent my resume to the HR department I was selected for a phone interview and was then chosen to attend Pathways.

The Pathways Program was a two day event with the first day containing a variety of activities and the second day including two 30 minute interviews. To be honest, I was preparing myself for two long days with speakers upon speakers and very little interaction time. I also thought there would be 50+ students attending, but I soon found out that my assumptions were far from right!

Day 1: 

When I arrived, I was shocked to see that there were only 13 students attending the program. After reading the agenda, I was also surprised that we would have breakout sessions where we would get to tour the office, ask questions to staff panels, and also go on a client visit. Now, I know you are thinking “yay, touring the office sounds like a blast,” but it actually was! The employees made the tour into a scavenger hunt which allowed us to interact with managers, directors, and even partners. They also had us using our creative side by taking a bunch of random objects and trying to relate them to McGladrey in some way. After the lack of creativity displayed in that activity, it was clear why we all chose to go to school for accounting! 

Mini-golf on scavenger hunt

After finishing out the day in the office, we had the option to attend a tailgating grill out at a local park. This was a great way to unwind the day and get to know employees in an informal setting. The highlight of tailgating at the park was when the ice cream truck came. Well, I guess it was more of an ice cream van but who cares, it sold ice cream! I’ve never ordered from an ice cream truck before so it was kind of a big deal. 

Day 2: 

On the second day we had two interviews, which seemed very scary at the time but looking back now they were probably the most laid back interviews I’ve ever had. It was more of getting to know one another and seeing what qualities you could bring to the firm. After the interviews were complete, we drove out to a golf course to enjoy one last fancy meal. 

Within the next week I received a phone call from a partner of the firm asking if I would be interested in accepting an internship position. I was shocked that a partner would take time out of their day to extend an offer for this position! I obviously accepted the offer right away as I knew McGladrey is a wonderful business to work for.

Attending the Pathway’s Program has opened up many doors for me and I believe interning with McGladrey will continue to lead me down new, exciting paths. I look forward to seeing where my internship takes me and how much more knowledge I can squeeze into my already full brain. :-)

Scavenger hunt Group 1

Scavenger hunt Group 2 

Winter Tax Internship

By Matt Matula
Tax Intern
Chicago, IL

When life gives you lemons, do you include it in your taxable income? My name is Matt Matula, and I am a tax intern for the manufacturing, wholesale, and distribution department (MWD) at the McGladrey office in Chicago. I recently finished my week long training at the Q Center in Saint Charles, and the only way to describe my training is that it felt unreal. In this blog, I am going to try to paint a picture of my experience during my first couple weeks of training. Specifically, I want to focus on the actual Q center training facility, the people, the training, and the food.

To start off, I think the biggest thing that took me by surprise was the sheer size of the Q center. Compared to an actual college campus the Q center is relatively small, but the main building is more massive than I could have possibly imagined. In fact, during my week-long stay at the Q center, I had only gone outside the main building once. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go outside (granted it was winter time, so there weren’t many outdoor activities available), but I really didn’t have a need to go outside. The Q center had everything you could possibly want indoors including a hotel, dining hall, class rooms, spa, gym, game room with pool and ping pong, etc. It felt like I was in a bubble secluded from society and there was no reason for me to leave. I know that sounds like a creepy science fiction plot, but I promise it’s not that bad! 

Next, I want to talk about the people I met. During my week in Saint Charles, McGladrey shared the training facility with tax interns/new hires from another large firm. Although we didn’t sit in the same class rooms or go to the same events, you still saw people from other firms during meals, at the gym, and in social areas. I became good friends with several people from Florida, California, Minnesota, Virginia, New York, Pakistan, Czechoslovakia, Albania, and many more places that I cannot think of right now, but you get the idea. At first it was overwhelming to meet so many new people, but I learned really quickly that if you just put yourself out there it becomes a lot easier to make friends. Also, everyone was extremely friendly regardless of where they came from or what company they work for.

Now to talk about the actual training. I am not going to lie I probably learned more during my one week of training than I did my entire senior year in college. Although that might not be saying much since I had a really easy senior year, it was still more work than I remember doing in a very long time. We were in a classroom every day from about 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Although we completed about three individual tax returns and two corporate tax returns, the purpose of the training was to get everyone used to navigating and becoming familiar with all the company software. It would be impossible to retain all the information you learn during the week. The idea is to get comfortable with the various programs, and the actual content will be learned throughout your internship experience, so don’t freak out if you don’t think you will remember everything! Also, the instructors are extremely nice and helpful.

Last, but certainly not least, is the food. You will have the opportunity to eat good food at the Q center, and a lot of it! Every day, three times a day, there are three separate buffets that have different food ranging from sushi, Chinese food, Mexican food, steak, sword fish, salad bars, soft serve ice cream, and everything else in between. You will probably put on five pounds during your stay, but it is oh so satisfying. I will definitely miss that part about the Q center the most, especially since busy season doesn’t leave much room for such luxury.

Now I am back at the Chicago office, and I am eager to start some real work. Everything is quiet and slow right now. You can tell that it is the calm before the busy season storm. I am sure my eagerness will soon turn into panic, but the goal is to keep my resolve, and absorb as much information as I possibly can. Look for my next blog to hear my survival story sometime early April!

The McGladrey Intern Experience

By Joshua Benson
Assurance Intern
Phoenix, AZ


Joshua Benson

Four days prior to my official start date, I attended the McGladrey holiday party in Phoenix. The event helped me get rid of some of my new-intern jitters as I caught up with my navigator, met other interns and new hires, and was introduced to the different people I would be working with. It was an excellent way to be welcomed into the Phoenix office as I got to see accountants “dance,” watch employees take ridiculous pictures in the photo booth, eat lots of amazing food, and genuinely experience the unique culture of the Phoenix office. The party helped me feel like I was already a part of the team, and after purchasing a few more pieces for my professional wardrobe, mapping out my daily commute to work, and coming to terms with ironing my cloths every week, I began to feel more at ease about my preparation leading up to my start date.

Training was one of the best experiences I have ever had as a young adult starting my professional career. After doing my new hire orientation in Phoenix, I immediately left the office to catch my flight to LA for assurance training. Since my father has been traveling for work for nearly 35 years, I was able to ask him a lot of questions and then do the exact opposite of what he suggested. He told me to pack as little as possible, to wait and iron my cloths when I got to the hotel, to take snacks to keep my energy up, and to get plenty of rest the night before and during the trip. Since I clearly knew more than my father, I over packed my carry-on suitcase, stayed up late the night before flying so that I could iron my cloths, and I didn’t take any snacks to munch on. When I finally landed in LA at 9:00, I was irritable, I still had to travel to the hotel, eat dinner, gather my thoughts, and of course, I had to iron all of my cloths once again. Unless you want a headache, I highly recommend following my dad’s advice when flying for business.  

The assurance training spanned two days and covered various topics. After getting to know each other, our group began learning more about McGladrey’s rich history, its present areas of focus, and where the firm is trying to go in the future. We then jumped right into training, covering how to prepare for an audit, error evaluation thresholds, how to use McGladrey’s audit software, what supporting documents were needed and how to use them, and then we worked through some examples on how to audit cash. The training is not designed to make someone an expert in two days, but rather to get people familiar with the process. It will take time and on-the-job training to feel more comfortable with performing audits on the various sections of the financial statements. As with anything new, the keys to being successful are being prepared to work hard, comfortable with asking questions, and willing to be teachable.  

Since I’ve been back from training, I have been involved with different audit engagements, helping with auditing cash, A/R, and A/P. I’ve had the privilege to meet and talk with CFOs, Controllers, and many other professionals in the offices of our clients. When I’m in the Phoenix office, I mail out account confirmations, help coworkers perform miscellaneous tasks, prepare for my upcoming engagements, and access the learning tutorials in my spare time. Words cannot express how exciting it is to be exposed to so much information so fast. In the past four weeks, I have been able to take the technical knowledge and theory I learned in the classroom and really put it in context; it’s all starting to make sense now! 

The Internship

by Darina Veleva
Tax Intern
Chicago, IL

Darina Veleva

I am currently a tax intern with McGladrey‘s Financial Services group and I feel extremely privileged to have the opportunity to be a part of the FS team. Right from the start McGladrey has distinguished itself from other public accounting firms by having a down to earth approach and a very welcoming staff. So far during my first week as an intern I have been in constant contact with seniors, managers and partners. Everyone is welcoming and always available when needed. In addition, the company does a great job training interns and staff which enables them to feel comfortable with the work they do. At McGladrey an individual is able to build confidence with the help of colleagues and seniors because they are approachable and very understanding. The down to earth culture helps new associates and interns feel at ease which allows them to perform better. Here everyone feels like a part of the team.

The internship began with two days of orientation for interns and staff members from all around the country. During orientation we got to know each other, have lunch together and learn about McGladrey. After orientation all of the new employees and interns attended training in St. Charles, IL. The training lasted one week and it introduced us to the different software the company uses to prepare returns. In addition to getting introduced to the software, we also prepared a few returns with the help of training instructors. Although the Financial Services office does not utilize all of the software introduced at training, I have to say that exposure to the software was extremely useful in preparing my first return. The first tax return I prepared was not as difficult as I expected and my reviewer was very helpful. The return helped me familiarize myself with the programs I’ll be using and also gave me a feel for the work itself. Other than my first return I have been busy with training. Inter office training is industry specific unlike the training in St. Charles which introduced company software. An additional benefit of being a financial services intern is sharing an office with my fellow interns. Being surrounded by peers is great because we can help each other and also have lunch and dinner together which makes everything more fun.

During these past few weeks of training I have been exposed to topics which I didn’t have the opportunity to learn about in school. For a just short while I have been able to learn so much and busy season hasn’t even started yet. This internship has provided me with the opportunity to gain knowledge about the accounting profession in addition to industry specific competencies. It is not only a great opportunity to learn and practice, but also an opportunity to understand the accounting profession and set career goals.

The popular myth that public accounting firms are a stiff and unpleasant work paces has definitely been disproven by McGladrey. Working here has been a pleasant learning experience so far. 

Finding my Home

By Morgan Quesinberry
Assurance Intern
Orlando, FL

Morgan Quesinberry

As I began my journey into the world of accounting there were numerous road bumps that would stand in my way. Going through college as an accounting major, I soon realized some things have to be compromised. Late nights hanging out with friends turned into late nights studying for intermediate financial accounting. As I worked hard within my accounting major, I realized that the late nights and hours of studying paid off. With all the hard work I had put into school, as well as trying to balance a social life, I was able to graduate in December with my undergrad and begin my internship with McGladrey the first week in January.

I started the recruiting process later than most of my peers, my junior year of college. I showed up to my first UCF Meet the Firms with a suit that was too small for me (last time I believe I wore it was in high school), my massive purple purse, and a bright pink folder that held my resumes. I learned quickly I was unprepared and stuck out like a sore thumb. As all my peers have already mapped out their plan of attack on all the firms, I was contemplating going home! Instead of running for the hills, I decided to stick it out. I kept reminding myself that I would not know how to prepare myself for the next chance I would get, if I didn’t even try. This was a big life lesson on being prepared in the business world. Ultimately, it prepared me for the next event UCF would hold.

I continued to attend Meet the Firms and Career Fairs, making sure I stopped by McGladrey and met different people. One thing I noticed when I approached McGladrey was the relaxed atmosphere. Other firms seemed uptight and wore full suits, McGladrey was different. And I like different. I liked how I could be myself and talk comfortably with the McGladrey employees. 

My McGladrey journey really began after being accepted into McGladrey’s Pathways Program. Through those short three days of Pathways, I soon realized how much I continued to enjoy the people that made up McGladrey and the foundations McGladrey was built upon. At Pathways one of the things that I appreciated was that one of the audit partners came in and welcomed us to Pathways. It was such a shock for me to see an owner of McGladrey taking time out of his busy day just to say hi. He told us all about his story and how he ended up at McGladrey. If he cared that much about the firm, then I thought I should too! 

After Pathways, I was selected for an opportunity for the Winter Assurance Internship! I was so excited to start my career with McGladrey and work with the people I had met throughout the recruiting process. Orientation and training were great experiences. For orientation all the Florida interns met in Orlando. We spent a few days together learning the basics of the internship and more about McGladrey. We received our laptops and everyone was eager to open them. I was excited to see my schedule for the internship. I was thrilled with the clients I would be working on, especially since one of my clients was located in Tampa. For training, the Orlando and Jacksonville audit interns spent two days together learning what to expect for our first audit. Before orientation and training I had no idea what to expect, however after training, I felt extremely comfortable when I walked into the location of my first client.  

Even as an intern, I feel like a part of the McGladrey family. We are invited to all the events they have, even the annual holiday party. I never felt like I was “just an intern,” I was a part of a team. When I went on my first audit assignment it was with all new auditors. Even while only working with the team for a little over a week, I felt at home. Everyone I met was so welcoming and generally wanted to help me succeed. Going from engagement to engagement the process is similar and my in-charge gave me an abundance of advice and help as I completed a task. I am currently only on my second audit engagement, but I am looking forward to all the memories and people I will meet as I continue my internship. 

As you can see, I have come a long way from my first recruitment event. I have come so far and found a career and a home with McGladrey. Although I hope you decided to begin your career with McGladrey, I wish you the best of luck with finding the firm that’s right for you.

Nothing like an internship to get you through the cold

By Precious Dannug

Assurance Intern

Chicago, IL

If Chicago hasn’t already made it clear (who am I kidding – it has never been clearer), it is FREEZING. So, what’s better than snuggling up on your couch with a heated blanket and Netflix playing all of your favorite shows? An internship with McGladrey. The people are warm and the things I have learned so far are worth exponentially more than what I gain from an episode of Say Yes to the Dress. Needless to say, it has only been a few weeks, and my internship at McGladrey is going fantastic.

Precious Dannug

The way this internship is set up is extremely helpful. For one, every intern has a navigator, who is essentially our ‘buddy’ that has gone through the same internship process and we can easily come to for questions. Additionally, when interns are in the office and not at a client, we all work in the seminar room together. Not only does this create friendships with such awesome people, but if anyone’s lost on something, chances are, one of us can help. It has shown me that teamwork is a key component in this industry – especially during busy season. So, it’s nice to know that I have others who have my back when Microsoft Excel does not.

One thing that I feel very lucky to be a part of is a global investment firm’s audit engagement team. Our team has been at the client site for about two weeks. Being surrounded by the knowledgeable, hard-working, and helpful members of my team makes my internship much more beneficial. I am exposed to enlightening conversations, educated inquiries about the audit process, and loads of great teamwork. I also feel involved and trusted in the audit process. They don’t just have me doing simple tasks; instead, I am assigned complex projects that might have one or two bumps along the way, but leave me feeling accomplished when completed. 

You remember those days when you were stuck at home with a cold and your mom brought you hot tea and made you feel all the better? Well, Chicago weather is that long seasonal bitter cold and McGladrey provides all the comforts of home. McGladrey cares. It doesn’t hurt that they have an assortment of teabags to choose from, either. Oh, and did I mention the Keurig? It’s wonderful. Even during busy season, they make sure we are setting aside time for ourselves and also staying happily fed with dinners provided for those who stay late. This is relieving because even though busy season can be a stressful time, at McGladrey, it’s not a stressful environment by any means. In fact, this internship so far is a comfy-clothes-hot-chocolate-kind-of-day and I can’t wait to see what else comes my way in the next few months.

Winter Internship

By Jacqueline Gatto

Tax Intern

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Jacqui at training

About six or seven months ago I received a very exciting call: McGladrey was offering me an opportunity to do a winter tax internship in the Fort Lauderdale office. To say the very least I was extremely excited and nervous at the same time. This was an amazing opportunity but I did not necessarily know what to expect next. In December I was contacted by HR and told to start preparing for Orientation and Training. I was to spend a couple of days in Orlando getting my IT equipment and then a week in Chicago training with the different software.

Orientation in Orlando was informative. We spent a few days learning about McGladrey’s executive officers, the culture and how to get around the various resources the firm provides. By the following Sunday I was at the Q Center in St Charles, Illinios ready for training. We received a huge amount of information that week but the instructors were understanding and took the time to make sure everyone was on the same page. I slowly started feeling more comfortable with the work we were being given. To my surprise however, we did other things besides sit in a classroom all day. After and before class we had several exciting networking events. We met Jeff Johannesen, the national tax leader, which was truly a pleasure, had a “Managaing Your Brand” workshop and built bikes for less fortunate kids. The biggest surprise of the week was being able to meet the children that were going to receive the bikes! Sadly, training came quickly to an end and before I knew it I was back in south Florida.

The hours before my first day were a little scary because I was worried about the work that would be assigned to me and whether or not I would be able to complete it. To my surprise everyone in the office was extremely understanding and willing to answer my questions no matter how many I had. The comforting environment has helped me grow and learn with ease, making me eager to learn more. It has been two weeks since my first day and I can really say that I am very happy to be here!