Interview with Ayesha Ali, IT Risk Associate in Chicago

Introduce yourself and share three fun facts about yourself. 

Hi! I’m Ayesha Ali! And I…

• am the first one in my family to graduate college
• go to a concert at least once a month
• love donuts 

What is your favorite part of working for RSM?

I love how RSM truly values its employees and is committed to providing work life balance. I expected a lot of late nights at the client and coming to the office on the weekends to keep up with the workload. I was pleasantly mistaken. While I do have a long night once in a while at RSM, most days I’m home before 7 p.m. with no work to do at night. I’m able to come home, rest and come back into the office the next day relaxed and ready to go.

Also, the people here are truly one of a kind. The members of my department are all incredibly friendly, intelligent and hard working. Working alongside these individuals has made my experience here even more delightful.

You were hired as an experienced associate, how did you integrate yourself within the team so quickly?

Because I had experience, the team had a lot of faith in me and immediately assigned me onto an engagement. There’s no better way to learn a company’s methodology than going through an audit right from the get go. Everyone was very patient with me while I adjusted to RSM’s culture. Also, my in-charges really took me under their wings as mentors to me, and that helped me feel welcomed into the firm.

What has it been like working with you team members thus far? Any fun stories?

Working in teams on engagements, as opposed to working by myself in my past jobs, makes it easier to develop great relationships with my coworkers. I truly felt like I was part of a team, where my coworkers had my back. It’s always hard to learn a new methodology and many of my in-charges were extremely patient in my transition.

Furthermore, I dislocated my knee in January and was on crutches for two months. During that time, my managers were so understanding and allowed me to work from home when getting to a client site was difficult. The days I could actually make it to the client, my team members really helped me out by buying me lunch, filling up my water bottle and making sure I got home safe.

I think the unique situation I was put in caused my coworkers to feel empathic for me and because of their help in the transition and injury, I developed strong relationships with each of them where we work hard together to finish an audit, but we’re also great friends.

How would you describe the team and culture here at RSM compared to other firms you have worked for?

In a word, world class (okay, two words). RSM gives its employees enough work on their plate so that they are busy and challenged. I’m never bored at RSM and I see so many opportunities to do incredible things here that will help the company but also help me to grow as an individual.

Working at other firms, I used to always feel like my head was just above water in terms of my workload. At RSM, that feeling is a rarity. With the audit structured the way it is, I have a better handle on my work and don’t feel like I’m about to drown every day.

Lastly, I can’t stress this enough, the people here are what makes you fall in love with this place. RSM only hires the best individuals and it shows in the great teamwork, the high quality of service we provide, and the professional and friendly attitude to serve with it.