From Intern to Accountant: Finding Your Path

I was born in Mexico and moved to Palatine when I was 12. I got an accounting degree from University of Illinois at Chicago – I was the first in my family to graduate from college. I wasn’t sure what type of accounting I wanted to do. I thought audit, but when I got an internship at Weiss in 2014, I discovered I liked tax.

As an intern at Weiss, everyone knows who you are. You aren’t just “the intern.” Everyone is willing to help – even the partners are approachable and helpful. It made the decision to stay there full-time after my internship ended an easy one. When you’re entry level, you can start as a generalist and learn and understand the path you want to be on. There is a lot of diversity in the job, and you can work on a lot of different projects at once. It can be challenging, but that constant change is what I really like about it.

Now I’m a senior accountant, and I’m almost done with my CPA. I love the atmosphere at Weiss. There are flexible schedules and everyone has a place to fit in. I even have a regular lunch group. Now I attend college career fairs and recruit for the company. I still remember what it was like to be new, and I can help interns better understand what to expect. I tell them there are a lot of people they can relate to here.

– Yesenia Malagon, Senior Accountant