Finding the Fun: Connecting with Coworkers

I grew up in northwest suburban Hanover Park, and when I was in high school there I took a placement test to see what careers would suit me best. One of the results was actuary, which was interesting since math wasn’t my strong suit, or so I thought. Then I took a few accounting classes in college, and while I actually didn’t like it too much at first, I found I was good at it; and after I got into it more and more, I realized I really do like math when I apply it to problems.

When I tell people I’m an accountant, they are surprised, I guess because I don’t fit the stereotype. I’m a positive, fun person. I love to mountain bike and explore the outdoors. And believe it or not, accounting fits right into that. It’s not boring. It takes a lot of skills that I love: planning, scheduling, organization and problem solving.

I wanted to find an accounting firm that matched my personality. I looked at working at a Big 4 firm, but my friends who had internships there were working extreme hours, and what they did was very repetitive. I had an internship at Weiss while I was a student at UIC and it gave me a great vibe. The office is alive with quirks and fun people. And that’s what makes it fun for me– the connections with people and coworkers that you make along the way.

– Katy Papach, Staff Accountant