Speed networking through McGladrey corporate presentation

On Oct. 6 McGladrey & Pullen, LLP held its undergraduate and graduate corporate presentation and speed networking event.

Melanie Hoff, who is a partner at McGladrey, and Robert Schreiber, who is a manager at McGladrey, started off the event by giving background information on McGladrey.

McGladrey believes in having smaller teams which gives individuals the responsibility of handling different clients.

Every new hire goes through training, which helps members to continue learning and brings all professionals up to speed.

Employees have the ability to move around within the company. Schreiber started in assurance for a commercial group and after a year he wanted to try financial services. He decided he didn't want to do financial services and missed what he was doing, so he went back to doing assurance.

"If you want to switch do it early," advised Schreiber.

New hires will start at the end of October or the beginning of November. Some positions begin at other times depending on each departments deadlines. Tax associates started at the end of August. 

According to Schreiber there will be many new hires in audit, between 30 to 40 associates and interns.

Former interns are offered to sign on early giving them greater access to positions over associates that are being hired.

McGladrey is number five among the top accounting firms. It offers the traditional services of a Big 4 firm with a small firm family feel.

There are offices in 26 states with global operations in about 100 countries, according to Hoff.

The corporation has a people promise which helps in understanding the needs of the client. The firm is open to career changers, Schreiber stated that a happy employee leads to a successful employee.

After the introduction and a brief question and answer section, audience members moved into a speed networking session. There were four 20-minute sessions where different executives moved between tables and answered student questions.

After being hired, associates spend one week of orientation in the office and the second week is spent away with colleagues.

Software and audit skills are taught but most training is on the job, according to Schreiber.

"A lot of what you learn is out in the field," said Hoff during her speed networking session.

Travel abroad for associates is limited but there are opportunities for manager. There are local offerings as well as the ability to travel nationally.

Schreiber stated commercial clients travel more than associates in other areas such as food and beverage, distribution and other clients.

Hoff does some tax work that is involved with her clients in commercial audit. The smaller the firm, the more one works on both areas, added Hoff.

Parr Thomas, a senior tax associate and a member of the Baruch recruiting team, was the third person to stop at the table.

He decided to go into tax because he took an audit class in school and he disliked it so much he turned the other way.

When asked how much he memorized he stated most of the federal things were stored in the computer server. When there is difference in state he does memorize, especially in New York and New Jersey.

"You will pick it up the more you go and the more you use it," said Thomas.

While a first year or second year associate, an employee might be doing trial balances in a tax return.  A senior associate does more challenging preparations and bigger consolidations.

Thomas stated in most companies it takes two to three years to be a senior and five to seven years to become a partner. At McGladrey he reached being a senior in two years.

"If you don't perform they won't promote you. If you don't get your CPA they won't promote you," said Thomas. He stated one doesn't need their CPA by the time he or she becomes a senior but one needs parts of it.

During a different session, Schreiber stated an associate can take hours off to take the exam. If one does take a day off, it counts towards vacation time, which each associate starts with three weeks of.

McGladrey gives an extra day off for the exam and one day off to study.

"I recommend [that] before starting work full-time to take as many exams as you can. It is tough getting acclimated to a profession when one has to take another exam," said Schreiber.

McGladrey offers flexibility not only in testing but in other areas as well. It doesn't matter how you get the job done as long as it is done by the deadline. There is also a universal view of a document; if one person on a team adds a change to a document someone else can automatically see it.

Thomas went on to say he likes what he does, who he works with and finds it challenging.

He always has an "affinity" for the legal aspect of tax and tax law. To be in tax one has to understand legal language and legal documents.

He gave an example dealing with financial subsidiaries, where in different circumstances there can be difference in meaning. One needs to know the legal definition behind it.

Some people who work in tax are also lawyers. There are two or three partners who are also lawyers.

While working in tax, one needs to know accounting, about income statements and what doesn't go on the balance statement. 

"Check your ego at the door. During the first year you're on equal footing," said Schreiber of his biggest challenge.