College students majoring in accounting are strongly encouraged to pursue internships while they’re in school, and students often complete several internships by the time they graduate. Internships generally lead to offers for full time positions post-graduation, so what do you do if you receive more than one offer from the firms where you interned? This is a good problem to have, to be sure, but it’s also a decision that requires careful consideration.
We asked two of our team members who interned at Kreischer Miller and accepted offers to join us full-time after graduating to talk about the factors that went into their decision.
Gabby Fulop, a Senior Accountant in our Audit & Accounting group, completed a busy season internship with Kreischer Miller in the third year of her four year BS/MBA program at LaSalle and joined the firm full time in October 2021.
Mike Kirby is also a Senior Accountant in Audit & Accounting. He also did a busy season internship in the final year of his MBA program at DeSales. He joined us full time in October 2020.
Here’s what they had to say.
What did you enjoy and value about your internship at Kreischer Miller?
Gabby: I valued the support and trust Kreischer Miller placed in me by treating me as a first year staff, rather than an intern. As an intern, I was doing all of the same work that a first year staff would have been doing and even received the same training as a new staff. I felt like I really got a good understanding of what starting my career in public accounting would look like.
Additionally, I appreciated the fact that team members were willing to help teach me and answer any questions that I had even though the internship was a temporary position. Prior to the internship at Kreischer Miller I worked at jobs where senior-level employees would ignore me and not even say hi or good morning. But at Kreischer Miller I felt like all of the directors and higher-ups were very friendly, always had their doors open, and were willing to spend the time getting to know me, even with their busy schedules.
Mike: I enjoyed and valued the learning moments during my internship. Similar to Gabby, I also found that rather than being treated as an intern, I was treated as a full-time staff. This enabled me to learn various areas of an audit and showed me what being a full-time employee at Kreischer Miller would be like. I learned that I could go to anyone for questions or help with issues that may have arisen during an audit.
When I had a problem or question, rather than automatically solving it, the senior accountants I worked with would walk me through the solution. This enabled me to soak in the information and learn as much as I could.
What I valued and enjoyed most was Kreischer Miller’s people and the firm’s culture. Being onsite everyday with the audit team, including directors and managers, showed that not only are the higher-ups willing to mix with the team and provide teaching moments, but they also enjoyed just having regular conversations. That kind of interaction went a long way, since they are in the highest positions at the firm. It showed me that Kreischer Miller’s team members, no matter their role or position, valued me – the intern – as an employee and a person.
Why did you decide to accept Kreischer Miller's full-time offer?
Gabby: When I came to an open house at Kreischer Miller, one of the speakers told us to think about the reasons we chose our college and to look for the same things in a firm. Coming from La Salle, I was used to smaller class sizes where I could stand out and have close relationships with my peers and professors. I saw the same things through my internship at Kreischer Miller.
The firm’s managing director holds quarterly town hall meetings where team members at all levels are able to speak up and voice their thoughts, and they are truly heard. Also, as the audit teams are generally smaller than the those in the Big Four and national firms, I saw that everyone on the team needed to contribute in order to get the job done. I felt like my work really mattered, even as an intern.
Mike: I accepted the full time offer from Kreischer Miller because the people and internal culture as well as the relationships we develop with clients felt like the best fit for me. During my internship I saw how open our clients were with directors, managers, and seniors. it showed me that although we are performing audit work for clients, our larger job is to develop relationships with them and help them with their broader business needs. This is something that stood out to me and showed me that Kreischer Miller was different from many other firms that may be more focused on just the audit or the tax work.
Another variable that stood out to me was the relationships the audit team had with one another. The teams I worked with would ask each other about their weekends, what they liked to do for fun, and how their families were doing. It showed that people cared about one another and what was going on in their lives, not just the quality of the work.
Ultimately, I accepted the full-time position because I knew I would be put in a position to work through multiple areas of an audit. This would help me learn as much as I possibly could, while receive multiple teaching moments. Plus, I knew I would be working with a team that cares for one another along with the quality and timeliness of the work being completed.
Why would you recommend Kreischer Miller to prospective team members?
Gabby: I think a Kreischer Miller internship offers you the best chance to see what a full-time career in public accounting would be like. Through the real work experience, shadow opportunities, and lunches with directors, you can see if this is something you would like to do after college.
I also tend to be on the shy and reserved side, but Kreischer Miller’s team members have pushed me out of my comfort zone to do things like public speaking at my alma mater. They know what I am capable of and encourage me to reach my full potential.
Mike: In my opinion, being treated as a full-time employee even before you become one means that you are in the best possible position to learn as much as you can. Kreischer Miller helps you grow professionally and personally, between the teaching moments with the audit team and the personal interactions with clients and audit teams.
Learn More About Employee Experiences and Career Opportunities at Kreischer Miller
Looking to learn more about what life is like at Kreischer Miller? Check out some additional information about our internship experience here or starting your career with us here. You can also request a personal chat with our recruiting team here!