I came here after working at a similar-sized firm with a specialty in health care. My previous firm had a solid reputation, but I was looking for greater variety in the assignments and people I was working with. Since I came here, I have worked on just about everything, including financial forecasts, audits, compilations, retirement plans and payroll tax. I've even been involved in some of the firm's marketing efforts. These are all areas I would not have been able to experience had I stayed in my previous position.
When I started my search, I was concerned that if I moved to a much smaller firm, it would limit my opportunities for advancement, training or the resources to support me with coaching and learning to serve our clients better, even though it might provide some increased flexibility. So I interviewed with a large independent firm, but it was very formal and just didn't feel that it would be the right place for me.
Then I found Wilkin & Guttenplan. What impressed me wasn't just the warmth I experienced from my first meeting. It was also the formal processes in place for coaching, performance evaluation, training, and CPE selection. I am totally in synch with the firm's commitment to the highest level of professionalism in dealing with clients, but I think the firm is just as professional in the way it treats employees.
This past busy season, I found myself with an enormous workload. On one level, you know it is the nature of the profession and you get the work done. However, it was very helpful to have my mentor assist me in setting priorities, and showing me the best way to communicate the conflicting demands being made so I could maintain the quality of my work. It also enabled the firm to help distribute the work as evenly as possible, which I am sure helps us from a business perspective and certainly keeps our clients happy. At a different time, my mentor also encouraged me to communicate to the firm what kind of work I like and seem to be good at, so that I can develop a niche expertise. And perhaps, the most interesting piece of advice I got from my mentor, I was told to cut back a little on my work to make sure I didn't burn out, which would make me less valuable to my clients, the firm, and myself. (yes-I was surprised, too!) It was suggested that I pursue some outside interests, so these days, I am trying to leave work a little earlier to do things I enjoy personally. The firm still expects, and gets, my best effort at all times, but it's nice to know they cared enough to make sure I have life beyond the office. It's just still hard to believe that someone took the trouble to tell me that I was actually working too hard!
Because my undergraduate degree at Seton Hall was in Business and Computers, I have decided to get a Masters' in Accounting, which the firm is supporting. And that's a big part of what makes W&G a special place. I know the firm expects a lot from the staff—they have high professional standards, and foster a strong work ethic and that's fine. I want to work very hard; I respond to an environment with high expectations. But they also give me the tools and resources, through training, mentoring, performance reviews, provided in a team-oriented atmosphere, to help me exceed their expectations, and mine.
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