Notes

11 29 2007 - 1:03 pm. Category: misc

I know I said I wasn't posting any more, but I need to make notes about the incoming changes, and I need to do it somewhere that it won't get lost. Pieces of paper torn off of one of the five notepads I have sitting in this room tend to do that. Or I find them later and ask myself "what was this not for?"

Incoming Changes
Blogroll
Remove 2 + 2 = ?
Archive previous entries before internship posts
Photo up top creating border
Update Warcraft addiction page
Add a biography page
Increase entry font size
Never7? never7? NEVER7? Pick one
Texture background (?)

Interview Zwei
we got disconnected in the middle of the damn thing

11 13 2007 - 10:57 am. Category: work

I had my second phone interview, this time with Isler Northwest, yesterday. It went pretty well, the woman that I spoke to is a Pacific grad, pretty much the head of the tax area, and quite friendly. She likes to talk a lot. My impression was alright, but at the same time she seemed a little unprofessional. She didn't have an answer for how many hours they needed me to work, instead she "tried to remember" how much last years intern did. There were also awkward pauses at the beginning were she would ask me a question, I would answer, and then she would take notes.

Overall, it wasn't a bad impression, and I have an interview with them scheduled for Dec. 18th. Recall that my interview with Maginnis & Carey is Dec. 12th. So my predicament now is what do I do if Maginnis offers me the position but I still want to do the interview with Isler? My professor, who I emailed, said that i could tell Maginnis that I have another interview and would like to follow through with it first. If they want an immediate answer though, I will just say yes to them because the internships are going to be basically the same. They are the first I interviewed with and gave a better impression overall. Unless I am totally turned off by my Dec. interview, there is no reason to say no. I asked my dad to, and he said that waiting a week might be too long for Maginnis, but to let them know as well. He talked to my grandpa, who said the same thing. Is it sad that as simple of a thing as my dad taking interest in this to think and talk to others about it makes me really feel loved? He even went out and looked at the web pages of the companies to give me his opinion. He said in the end my impressions, even at this point, are good to go on. I don't know why it makes me feel so awesome and happy just to have my dad involved in the process.

Here's my only concern with Maginnis: he opened our interview with talking about football. Mind you, I can pretty much sit and enjoy a football game. I think the rules are intricate enough that it can hold my attention. It's a more intriguing version of getting a ball from one end to the other. But... all the firm's partners and managers are guys, I don't even know if anyone in there staff is female (although by law I suppose some have to be). This is only a concern because, while I can be a "guy," it definitely makes me feel like I'm playing a role, and I generally am just more comfortable with and worm up to women easier. Isler Northwest has women, I interviewed with one, and she is a partner. It just wouldn't be that great to be playing a "guy" all the time, even if Maginnis is a better firm. But David did point out, I would only have to be there a semester at the longest.

Thoughts on my two situations? How to handle my two interviews and possible offers from the first before the second or from both? If being in an uncomfortably male situation is enough to warrant not considering a firm?

I choked when I said hello

11 05 2007 - 12:53 pm. Category: work

I just got off the phone with Richard Wingard, one of the partners of Maginnis & Carey. I think it went fairly well. He opened with a story about a colleague of his currently in Prague going to a sports bar and being there for 12 hours watching the US football games. I found this hard to relate to immediately, but thankfully I had a story involving some people here I could share as well.

I think that the conversation went fairly well, despite being short. Here are my notes, unedited:

Meet in December
Sat in Feb tax training
20 hours/wk
In on Sat pref
Mentor w/one person for general
Return specific to client - talk to who gave return
Back on 17th (me), send email
Wed the 19th (when we will potentially meet)
Meet people then lunch w/staff
Mid-morning to mid-afternoon

It was rather short, and he caught me off guard by how soon he asked "do you have any questions for me?" Thankfully I was prepared with a few. That's how I found out they expect 20 hours a week and what kind of weekly schedule, that and they will pay for parking if I drive in instead of taking public transit. I was asked what kind of office environment I was looking for, which I nailed what they are like almost exactly. The only thing I said was I liked an office about 50-70 people, and they are only 35. He asked me if that was too small and I told him of course not. I was also asked what my plan was for the next five years after I graduate. I said of course becoming a CPA, getting involved in the OSCPA, working my way as an established accountant in a firm working on more in depth projects, and staying in the Portland metro area. All-in-all, I didn't do too bad.

In the next few days I should receive an email from him setting up a time for an in-person interview in December once I get back. By interview I mean a mid-morning to mid-afternoon event including meeting the office and lunch with some staff. I hope there isn't too much talk about football at lunch.

One of the things I do have to my advantage is that there is a Pacific grad from last year who was an intern and is now staff, so they will put the two of us together when I visit. I think it went well, despite being fairly short. It was less than 20 minutes or so. But he said he likes the sound of me, which is a good thing I think. Now it is just a matter of waiting until December.