Here’s an article written by three University of Calgary students interning this summer at RSM Richter.
By Adrienne Wong, Amy McCracken, and Nikki Tajiri
It is now August, a new semester will begin in a few weeks, and what will be on an accounting major’s mind? We’ll be worrying about group projects, exams and strategizing to make that top grade as well as something else…Recruiting! Recruiting in the life of an accounting major at the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business starts in the early month of September.
We have to be prepared at the drop of a hat to attend numerous information seminars and corresponding interviews to see who you want to work for, and who wants you to work for them! That’s exactly what we did and that’s exactly how we got to RSM Richter.
Right now, we are going through many exhilarating accounting experiences and are being given the chance to apply the knowledge we’ve acquired in class in the field. We’re seeing a high-profile employee fraud case for the Forensic Accounting Department all the way to a Notice to Reader (NTR) and everything in between.
We’re taking garbage bags full of receipts and creating financial statements, and then translating that information into a full blown tax return. Not once are we worrying about falling into the drudgery of a boring routine. There is always something to plan, always something new to work on. Sure, we work hard but we are having a lot of fun doing it.
Each week is a new adventure. One week we’re be off to Toronto to play lacrosse in bumper cars at our Icebreaker event, and the next we’re be flying to Chicago for a Capstone Intern Business Conference. None of us will ever forget taking a pie in the face for the Heart & Stroke Foundation charity event that we planned ourselves.
We’re having the opportunity to mingle with the top-notch CA’s in the profession during the Merit Awards Gala. It was inspiring to be sitting at stage front while cheering on Steve Allan, one of the Partners at RSM Richter, as he received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. Etiquette lessons, golf lessons, Mini-Olympics, and social events at our office aided in creating this wonderful experience for us.
At RSM Richter, we are being challenged as aspiring accountants to step up to the plate. With every activity that we are embarking on, there is a learning curve. We are being challenged on a day-to-day basis. One of the best things about this mid-sized firm is that you are given an incredible amount of responsibility.
As part of this responsibility, we are expected to undertake a task and struggle with it—try and figure it out on our own. We are expected to take the initiative to ask questions when we don’t understand a concept. We are practicing using our own professional judgement. At the end of the day, it was amazing at how much we are accomplishing.
The intimate setting of our office is allowing us to get to know everyone on a personal basis. And better yet, everyone knowing us. Everyone is watching us learn and grow. One of the remarkable things about the RSM Richter office is that it truly has an “open door” policy – even the Partners are stopping by on a regular basis just to chat.
At first we were a bit surprised that the Partners knew all of our names, but we soon came to realize that this was simply a part of the daily life at RSM Richter. Throughout this summer, we’ve created powerful bonds with our fellow students. Not only are they work colleagues who are providing us with endless guidance and support, they are becoming very close friends.
So, a piece of advice as you embark on this recruitment journey come September. Granted we can’t tell you where to do your internship or where to start full time – that will become a personal journey for you to decide all on your own. But we can tell you that we are experiencing an unforgettable summer at RSM Richter, that they are treating us with respect and giving us a chance to use our skills. We would not trade our time at RSM Richter for anything and we’d encourage you to find a firm that can give you the experience that you want. Remember, your experience will be what you make of it, so make it great and have fun!
By Adrienne Wong, Amy McCracken, and Nikki Tajiri
It is now August, a new semester will begin in a few weeks, and what will be on an accounting major’s mind? We’ll be worrying about group projects, exams and strategizing to make that top grade as well as something else…Recruiting! Recruiting in the life of an accounting major at the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business starts in the early month of September.
We have to be prepared at the drop of a hat to attend numerous information seminars and corresponding interviews to see who you want to work for, and who wants you to work for them! That’s exactly what we did and that’s exactly how we got to RSM Richter.
Right now, we are going through many exhilarating accounting experiences and are being given the chance to apply the knowledge we’ve acquired in class in the field. We’re seeing a high-profile employee fraud case for the Forensic Accounting Department all the way to a Notice to Reader (NTR) and everything in between.
We’re taking garbage bags full of receipts and creating financial statements, and then translating that information into a full blown tax return. Not once are we worrying about falling into the drudgery of a boring routine. There is always something to plan, always something new to work on. Sure, we work hard but we are having a lot of fun doing it.
Each week is a new adventure. One week we’re be off to Toronto to play lacrosse in bumper cars at our Icebreaker event, and the next we’re be flying to Chicago for a Capstone Intern Business Conference. None of us will ever forget taking a pie in the face for the Heart & Stroke Foundation charity event that we planned ourselves.
We’re having the opportunity to mingle with the top-notch CA’s in the profession during the Merit Awards Gala. It was inspiring to be sitting at stage front while cheering on Steve Allan, one of the Partners at RSM Richter, as he received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. Etiquette lessons, golf lessons, Mini-Olympics, and social events at our office aided in creating this wonderful experience for us.
At RSM Richter, we are being challenged as aspiring accountants to step up to the plate. With every activity that we are embarking on, there is a learning curve. We are being challenged on a day-to-day basis. One of the best things about this mid-sized firm is that you are given an incredible amount of responsibility.
As part of this responsibility, we are expected to undertake a task and struggle with it—try and figure it out on our own. We are expected to take the initiative to ask questions when we don’t understand a concept. We are practicing using our own professional judgement. At the end of the day, it was amazing at how much we are accomplishing.
The intimate setting of our office is allowing us to get to know everyone on a personal basis. And better yet, everyone knowing us. Everyone is watching us learn and grow. One of the remarkable things about the RSM Richter office is that it truly has an “open door” policy – even the Partners are stopping by on a regular basis just to chat.
At first we were a bit surprised that the Partners knew all of our names, but we soon came to realize that this was simply a part of the daily life at RSM Richter. Throughout this summer, we’ve created powerful bonds with our fellow students. Not only are they work colleagues who are providing us with endless guidance and support, they are becoming very close friends.
So, a piece of advice as you embark on this recruitment journey come September. Granted we can’t tell you where to do your internship or where to start full time – that will become a personal journey for you to decide all on your own. But we can tell you that we are experiencing an unforgettable summer at RSM Richter, that they are treating us with respect and giving us a chance to use our skills. We would not trade our time at RSM Richter for anything and we’d encourage you to find a firm that can give you the experience that you want. Remember, your experience will be what you make of it, so make it great and have fun!
