Client variety accelerates employee growth

At RSM, we serve middle market clients in many different industries, from consumer products to financial services to government and healthcare. Even within an industry, no two clients are alike. Our middle market clients are especially diverse, as they account for a third of the US workforce and 40 percent of GDP. Two first year associates in our New York office offered their perspective on the client variety they have seen in the year or less they have been here at RSM.

Kristen G. works specifically in the financial services audit group and worked on about four clients just in her first busy season. Each engagement lasted from three weeks to three months. She’s had the opportunity to work on private equity, a hedge fund, a fund of fund, and an employee benefit plan. Just being here for a few short months, she had the chance to see a good amount of different clients and continues to see variety and she joins new engagement teams.

When asked the most challenging part of getting such a variety of client experience she noted you must learn to manage your time well and balance them all. There are times when someone will ask to do something and, although she wants to get it done in a timely manner, sometimes it’s harder with another client on your plate, so she communicates to her superiors. Another challenge is working on different types of clients. For example, sometimes there is certain testing that only applies to one client and may not be applicable to others.

On the other hand, Courtney K, another first-year associate, works specifically on Commercial clients in the Assurance group. During busy season, she worked on about seven clients, also ranging in different industries. Courtney spent most of busy season out at client sites. Being physically there made it easier to talk through questions and do walk-throughs. The industries she worked on ran the gamut, such as, technology, real estate, consumer products, pharmaceutical and manufacturing.

For both first year associates, RSM has provided them with the unique opportunity to see a variety of different clients. The assortment has given them a taste of the many different clients RSM serves.