Busy Season in Boston

By Hannah Lynch
Tax Intern
Boston, MA

It is unbelievable how fast time has gone by from the first blog post that I wrote back in January. Since then things around the office have picked up a lot. With the start of February came busier hours and more challenging work. From the first day I started I had work to do, but didn’t anticipate how much I would be exposed to throughout the coming months. During the past two months here at McGladrey I have been given opportunities to work on various types of returns, as well as an on-site client review with a senior associate for three days. I have gotten the chance to prepare individual, trust, partnership and s-corporation returns for a wide range of client types. With this came the chance to learn about different industries and types of clients that McGladrey serves. There have been some that I was able to complete in one day. However, there are engagements that I have been scheduled on since the week I began. One thing that I particularly enjoy about the wide range of work opportunities I have been given is the chance to work with different people in the office of all different levels. Regardless of their busy schedules, all the seniors and managers seem to find time to answer my questions and help me through any problems with returns I might be having. Working with people who want me to learn, rather than just fixing my mistakes for me, is one of the best parts about the job. 

As I am still finishing undergrad at Northeastern University, it is amazing to me how much more I feel that I have learned from this internship than I have in the past three years of college courses. Although classes are lucrative to understanding the basics of accounting, there is nothing quite like getting the real experience to learn. Getting the chance to do on-site work for a client was one of the more interesting experiences I’ve had here so far because it provided the opportunity to actually go out and be able to further understand the needs and thought processes of the clients. Though it makes for a busier week, I enjoyed the chance to get out of the office. 

Overall my experience has been nothing but positive so far, and with only two weeks left of busy season I can’t imagine that changing. Having other interns and first year associates around to help answer questions and make the long days go by just that much faster also makes the job much more fun, while helping me feel more comfortable. A welcoming environment such as McGladrey which encourages learning and asking questions is a place that I could definitely envision myself beginning my professional career after finishing school.