Accounting Interview

What were your favorite & least favorite things about working at a big firm like Deloitte?

I enjoyed working with other professionals who were all licensed CPAs with various experience levels. I really miss having those professionals in an office with me to bounce ideas off of or ask advice from on client situations. I also liked the exposure to many different areas of tax compliance since I worked on for-profit, not-for-profit and governmental entities. I attribute my knowledge and ability to open a firm at a young age to my time with Deloitte & JPMS/COX.

Some of my least favorite things were not having much client interaction, working for multiple managers with overlapping deadlines, and 80 hour weeks during tax season. I often felt like 1 person being asked to be 3-4 times more productive than 1 person. There was very high demand and stress with the job. As a student-athlete, I was accustomed to high demand and stress, but it seemed like I was more of a machine just cranking out work.

What made you want to start your own firm?

I enjoyed working directly with clients and, especially, in the tax planning area. I was burned out from fellow tax staff leaving and not being replaced when our office workload had not decreased, very long hours even outside of tax season, and increased demands year after year with only minor pay increases. My managers were only a few years ahead of me and I would not be advancing beyond senior level due to the size of our office without one of them leaving (which did not seem likely at the time). And, I wanted to work in the community where I lived.

What are your favorite & least favorite things about owning your own firm?

I love the clients and have a great sense of satisfaction by helping them, no matter how big or small. I also enjoy having a close group of people to work with each day and have met some really neat people who have worked for me. The flexibility of work schedule is also nice.

Being the...