Article by Nolan Blassingham who joined Selden Fox in the fall of 2021 after graduating from Augustana College.
I had the privilege of starting my professional career as an audit associate for Selden Fox in October 2021. Reflecting on these past four months, I am extremely grateful to have started my career at Selden Fox. Given the COVID pandemic, I was graduating college during an unprecedented time, and I couldn’t have asked for a smoother and more welcoming transition into the working world. I was met by caring, helpful, and welcoming colleagues on my first day at the office.
I interviewed via zoom, while strict social distancing was enforced. This interview format was much different than I had previously experienced. During the beginning of my job search, remote interviews made it more difficult to connect personally with the interviewer and understand the firm culture while only talking to one or two people over the internet. However, when I interviewed with Selden Fox it was evident that their interview style reflected their company culture. I spoke with the human resources manager, an audit manager, and a firm shareholder. All the conversations had a consistent narrative. They were genuinely interested in who I was as a person and not only wanted to make sure I was a good fit for them, but they were a good fit for me as well. Each person took the time to ask me questions about my future goals, personal development, interests outside of academics and work, and ultimately what were the reasons I wanted to join Selden Fox. When I received the offer of employment, there was no doubt in my mind that I would accept the position as a result of what I learned about the people and the firm during the interview process.
Full Time Employment Transition
The transition from being a recent graduate to working as a full-time employee is a difficult path to navigate. For most recent college graduates, school is all that you’ve known for the past 16 years of your life, so it’s no surprise that it’s a tough adjustment for many people, me included. However, I have quickly discovered that at Selden Fox they understand and appreciate this challenge making it easier for me. This is largely due to them taking a vested interest in my growth and development from the very first day. I’ve received training on all the software and websites that we use daily, new employee specific training, firm wide training, and specific audit area training which has provided me with the confidence to perform daily tasks expected of me.
In four short months, I have had the opportunity to work from the office, be in the field at clients’ offices, and work remotely. This has provided me with a wide array of experience and insight into the accounting profession. The amount of insight and knowledge I’ve gained within four months of working for Selden Fox has exceeded my personal expectations.
