In First Person

Sarah Bilotti: I'm Back!

Hello, I’m Sarah Bilotti, and I’m a member of BBD’s Class of 2011.  I graduated this past May from The University of Scranton, and started full time at BBD in July.  My experience with BBD actually began during my sophomore year of college.  I met Bobbi, our HR director, at my school’s recruiting event.  She invited me along with some other students to come visit the office to learn more about what the firm does and the kind of people that make up BBD.  Everyone I met that day was so nice and so excited to tell us about what an awesome firm BBD is. In the few short hours that my visit to the office lasted, I was able to witness the dynamic and friendly culture of BBD, and see what a great place it would be to work

During my junior year when it came time to consider an internship, I knew that BBD was where I wanted to be.  I was fortunate enough to have an internship in the Investment Management Group, which is the group I have now joined full time. 

The internship was an incredible learning experience because I was able to experience working on audits first hand.  If you have the opportunity to do an internship, I would absolutely recommend it. Of course, while it’s necessary to take accounting and auditing classes, there are some things that just cannot be taught in a classroom. I learned so much during my internship and feel like it definitely prepared me to begin my career in public accounting.

In the three months since I have been back at BBD, I have learned more and more each day and had a lot of great experiences.  I can honestly say that I’m certain BBD was the right choice for me.

Kate Rada: Hello!

Hi, I’m Kate Rada and I will be writing about some of my experiences during my first year at BBD.

Just to give you some background information on myself, I graduated in May from West Chester University with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance. It was a very hard road, but having both Accounting and Finance under my belt has really helped and prepared me for this job. Along those lines, if you still have time and are debating to take the extra step, at least try to minor in finance because it really helps you obtain a greater understanding in applying accounting concepts. While at WCU, I was a member of the Women’s Varsity Rugby Team, which definitely helped mold some time management skills and gave me various opportunities to get involved in the community.

During my sophomore year of college, I had a tax internship with a regional-size accounting firm located in Delaware.  Although I had a great learning experience there, I assumed that every public accounting firm was just black and white and impersonal like that firm was, but that was before BBD.

In the following year, I decided that I wanted more and I wanted to be able to grow.  I was so excited when I got the call from Bobbi, our HR Director, for the audit/tax internship.  I don’t even know how to begin to explain my amazing internship with BBD.  I was given such a wide array of opportunities, ranging from preparing my first 1120S, vouching invoices, searching through historical records, preparing endless Excel worksheets, and I loved it all.  And of course, during any busy season, you work long hours, but when you’re working with people that are so funny and friendly, time flies by as your crunching numbers.

I just started full-time this past August; I’ll admit I had a bit of nerves coming back but they left once I saw everyone again. BBD has such a warm, inviting environment; this is what makes them stand apart from the rest.

Nick Stever: Why I Chose BBD

When starting my job search during my senior year at Temple University, I wanted to target a certain type of public accounting firm.  My target was a firm where I had the opportunity to grow and where I was not just going to be treated like a number because the firm was too large.  So, I targeted mid-size firms in and around the Philadelphia area. 

I had interviewed with many firms but BBD really stood out to me.  From my very first conversation with our HR director, Bobbi Kelly, I could tell BBD had what I was looking for.  In my first interview, Bobbi really stressed the culture of the firm- that it was a team atmosphere, everyone helps everyone, and everyone including the partners are accessible and helpful.  I accepted the offer to join BBD full time this past fall and I can tell after only a few months of being with the firm that everything was as advertised.  The culture is really unique.  Everyone is very helpful and engaging when I have questions.  We all eat lunch together when we are in the office while watching Sportscenter in our Great Room.  We even play Wii occasionally during lunch.  It is a great environment to work in because you know you have the support and help of all your teammates and everyone else in the firm.  Besides being great co-workers, many of us are friends outside of work.  The people really make the firm great and create the culture that makes our firm so unique.  I am really happy I chose BBD.

 

Jessica Brady: My Journey To BBD

My journey to BBD began back in September of 2008.  Rutgers was holding its annual fall career fair.  While my classmates were concentrating on mingling with the Big Four representatives, I decided to take a different approach.  I have always seen myself getting involved with a smaller organization in order to learn more and make a greater impact.  So there I was, making my rounds in the lobby when I spotted BBD’s table.  I approached slowly, rehearsing my opening statements and questions in my head.  I chatted with the HR director, Barbara Kelly, for a few moments inquiring about the company and any intern opportunities they may have.  Upon leaving the table, I handed her my resume and took her business card.  The next day I sent an e-mail thanking Barbara for meeting with me and asked her to keep me informed on any opportunities they may have coming up.  About a month later I received an e-mail inviting me to come visit BBD, to get a closer look at an accounting firm- who BBD is, what they are all about.  I accepted the invite, and I’m so glad that I did.  I had the opportunity to meet staff, tour the office, and spend time with everyone in the Great Room.  I can honestly say that from that visit, I was determined to become a part of the BBD family.  I remained in contact with Barbara all throughout the next year until finally she let me know of a job opportunity.  In August of 2009, almost a full year after I met Barbara, I was offered a position.  It just goes to show you never know where the connections you make, while still in school, can lead you.  It’s been a great journey so far, but it’s only the beginning.  I am so excited to be a part of such a great group of people, and know I will learn a great deal here. 

Chris Watkins: Why I Chose BBD

After spending over 4 years in the military, I was looking to transition into a career in corporate America.  Soon after I applied to BBD, I received an e-mail asking me to come in for an interview.  As I sat down with Bobbi Kelly, I was nervous because, like everyone else, I wanted to make a good first impression.  After speaking with her for only a few minutes, I felt more relaxed and confident.  Even on the second interview, I had the same feeling after only a few minutes.  The reason for this is because of the culture at BBD.  Everyone is genuinely helpful and courteous, and they want people to know that they are welcomed, even in the interview.  The way that I know that this is not the same across the board is because I was interviewing with a different firm simultaneously.  The feeling that I had with the other firm is that the employees did not enjoy working for the firm very much.  I almost had the feeling that if I worked there I would feel more like a number then a person.  There was no doubt in my mind that BBD was the right choice for me.  The staff has helped my transition from the military to civilian life and is always willing to answer my questions no matter how insignificant they might seem to me.  BBD made the choice easy for me, and each day the people around me are a reminder why. 

Chris Cahill: Why BBD Was Right For Me

When I was looking for an Internship in the beginning of my junior year of college I knew I wanted to go to a mid-size firm because I wanted to be a name not just another face in the crowd. I was told by people that in larger firms it is easier to get lost and not stand out as much, and I wanted to be known within the firm I was interning with. I interviewed with 8 mid-sized firms, one of which was Briggs, Bunting & Dougherty. Coming out of the interview with BBD I had a good feeling that BBD may be right for me based on how the interview went and what I learned from the interviewer about the firm. When I was offered the opportunity to intern with BBD I visited the office and found that my feeling coming out of the interview was correct. Everyone that I met at the firm was very nice and I liked the vibe in the office. I also met two of BBD’s partners and they were welcoming and down to earth. The visit to the office sealed the deal, I loved the environment and liked the size because I felt like I had the opportunity to stand out and be known. I accepted the offer to intern with BBD and it worked out great, everyone knew my name and I had the opportunity to work in both audit and tax areas of the practice. One thing that really impressed me about BBD, during the internship, was the accessibility of the partners and managers, who were always available to answer any questions I had. I was offered a job after I completed the internship and I accepted the offer because BBD was everything I was looking for, a mid-sized firm with growth potential, had a great environment, and I was a name, not just another face in the crowd. Now that I am back full time things remain the same, everyone knows my name and the environment is still great.

Rachel Toomey: Why was BBD the right choice for me?

I still remember the day of my 2nd interview with BBD when I went out to lunch with three of BBD's employees.   We took a short walk over to Mission Grill and as soon as we sat down and began talking I instantly felt at home:  I not only felt comfortable asking them questions about my future career in accounting but I was even able to share a few laughs with them at the lunch table.  It was unlike any interview I had ever been on; who would have thought you could actually enjoy an interview?

So to answer the question, my co-workers are the reason I chose to work at BBD, and my first impression couldn't have been more right.  Since I started in July, my friends and family always ask me "How's the new job?" and I'm lucky enough to tell them that I couldn't ask for a better group of people to learn from and grow with than those at BBD.

The reason why I found the people I work with to be such an important factor in my decision was because I knew that as an accountant in a CPA firm I would be learning from them everyday and spending a lot of time traveling and working closely as a team.  What is more important as a new auditor in a team of four than to be able to feel comfortable with those you are working with, whether it's asking them a question about the audit or just asking about their weekend? 

At BBD I found this comfort and more: I now consider my co-workers my friends as well, something that makes coming into work something I can look forward to.  Whether it's working on an audit or playing a friendly game of home-run derby on the Wii at lunch time, I consider my decision to become an employee at BBD the best decision I could have made for my career, not only professionally but personally as well.