Michael Davis

Author: Michael Glowacki, Intern

I had no idea what to expect going into an internship. I had not always considered tax my strongest subject in accounting. My first day, I met with Valarie Lewis, who trained me on how to log in to the program to prepare returns. I would be focusing on 1040’s for the duration of tax season. After a week of getting familiar with the program, I discovered my ability at doing taxes. I should have had more faith in myself. The program makes inputting the data far easier than what I had learned in class. Doing things by hand and with great uncertainty had deterred me from wanting to practice tax accounting. It seemed like a foreign language to me in school. I decided I really liked being a tax accountant. I wanted to stick around and do more of this.

To my surprise and with the utmost gratitude, the firm extended my internship through summer. I would be getting a first glance at audit work, and learning a whole new program and a new set of skills. I even had the opportunity to delve into QuickBooks. My main duties in the summer included payroll and bookkeeping. This helped me continue to gain experience in the professional world, and build my resume as a valuable employee. What I learned over the course of that eight month period also gave me an advantage for my last semester of school in terms of the topics I would be studying.

I am now on a third internship with Brickley Delong this fall and I could not be happier. I went into this job only expecting to be around for tax season assistance, and it turned into something far better. I have had the privilege of learning about multiple aspects of the accounting profession. I enjoy my work and the coworkers. I think that is everyone’s career goal, and I have reached it through my internship.

When this semester is over, I will be a Ferris Graduate and have 150 credit hours (a great deal of them attributable to internship credits). This will allow me to get licensed as soon as I pass the CPA exam sometime within the next year. My long term plan is to stay on with Brickley Delong, the firm that took a chance on me, and has taken great care of me ever since. They have helped me kick-start the promising career in accounting that I have been chasing for the last four years. I can not express how grateful I am for the opportunities that they have given me. It is comforting as a student to have a plan after graduation. I feel confident and less stressed about transitioning into the professional business world. I recommend that any student who can get an internship take it and run with it. The possibilities are endless. As they say, an internship is a continuous job interview. It will only help you build your resume, skill set, and value in the long run.

For more information on internships at Brickley DeLong PC, please visit our career pages or contact Christine Dill, cdill@brickleydelong.com or (231) 726-5835.

Author: Michael Glowacki, Intern

Like many college students, I changed my college major. Oddly enough, I started my journey in the pharmacy program at Ferris State University. I hacked my way through Pre-Pharmacy for a year before deciding it was not for me. So, as anyone would do in that situation, I went and talked to a counselor who tried to pinpoint my interests and figure out what other avenues might suit me.

In High School, I signed up for an online accounting course and dropped it due to schedule conflicts. In the back of my mind, I knew I would have been successful in the class, had I taken it in person. I recalled taking that accounting class while talking to the counselor. I decided I would give accounting another chance. So, in my second year, I took accounting principles 1 and 2 and absolutely loved it. It made sense to me; I grasped the concepts, and I felt I really found my strong suit… my niche. Who would have thought? Most people think accountants are boring and completely serious all the time. That could not be more false, with regards to the people I have encountered on my journey into the accounting profession.

Moving forward to my senior year in the accounting program, I became the treasurer of the Accounting Association at Ferris. I had been told that you would not get hired for any job if you did not take an interest in your program’s extra-curricular groups. You had to prove your dedication. This is why I graciously accepted the position after being a member of the group for a year. I was not being lied to; being in the association opened doors for me.

The fall of my senior year I went to the career fair under the discretion of my instructors. This was the first time they had an influx of employers looking specifically for accounting majors. I was thrilled and nervous at the same time. At the fair, I met Paul Gilbert and Jennifer Kloosterhouse. I recall talking with them for about a half an hour, far longer than any other people I had encountered that day. With their information in hand, I left their booth. Later, my academic advisor stopped me in the gymnasium and told me to go back to Brickley DeLong’s booth because they wanted to give me an on-the-spot interview. I was ecstatic!

To make a long story short, I interviewed with Paul later that day. Then, I was invited to an office visit in Grand Rapids, where I interviewed with Grand Rapids staff and Timothy Arter, the firm’s managing partner. After receiving the offer, I started as a tax intern in January. The firm worked around my class schedule so I would not fall behind my graduation goals.

For more information on recruiting and hiring at Brickley DeLong PC, please visit our career pages or contact Christine Dill, cdill@brickleydelong.com or (231) 726-5835.

Author: Donny A. Baird, staff accountant

My name is Donny Baird, and I am a staff accountant for Brickley DeLong. I graduated with my Bachelor’s from Grand Valley State University in 2012, and I am finishing up with my Master’s.

As a recent student in Grand Valley State University’s accounting program, I can say that my college experience has allowed me to understand the general concepts and theories needed for “real world” public accounting. My coursework in business and accounting has permitted me to have a greater knowledge of work expectations and business procedures. In my typical day at Brickley DeLong PC, much of my activities relate directly to what I learned in the classroom. I am able to use these concepts in the real world and bridge the gap to our clients.

While working towards my bachelor’s degree, I interned at Boyne Machine in Jenison. This experience allowed me to challenge what I learned in the classroom and apply it to a single company. Now, serving in a public accounting firm, I get to apply these principles to many different businesses and individuals.

Every day is a new challenge in an accounting firm. The field of accounting is always evolving, and new laws and regulations require continual training. College training is necessary, but it is important that as accountants, we never stop learning and continue our desire to grow as professionals.

For more information on the experience of working in a CPA firm, please visit our accounting career pages or contact Christine Dill (231) 726-5835.

There’s been a lot of talk about raising the minimum wage not only in Michigan, but nationwide this year.  Starting January 2019, the regular minimum wage will be adjusted based on the average annual percentage change in the Midwestern consumer price index over a five-year period. The adjustment will be capped at 3.5 percent, and there will be no increase if the state unemployment rate is 8.5 percent or higher.  

Effective September 1^st, 2014 the hourly minimum wage will increase from $7.40 to $8.15. Also on September 1, the minimum wage for tipped employees will be 38 percent of the regular minimum wage. It’s currently $2.65 per hour, which amounts to about 35 percent of the $7.40 minimum wage. 

Minors 16-17 years of age may be paid 85% of the minimum hour wage rates. For training wages a rate of $4.25 per hour may be paid to employees 16 to 19 years of age for the first 90 days of employment.

Overtime employees are covered by the Workforce Opportunity Wage Act and must be paid 1-1/2 times their regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.

For more information on the minimum wage in Michigan and how it has changed see the link below or contact Terry Maycroft (231) 726-5825. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/cis/MWPosting.Optional_9_25_06_single_page_173925_7.pdf