Luke Bottomley

Week 1

A little bit about myself, I grew up in Dexter, Michigan and went to Albion College where I graduated in May 2019. It was definitely the people that first attracted me to C&M because everyone seemed very nice and always seemed willing to help each other out. Luckily that first impression of C&M has turned out to be true. In this first week, everyone has been really helpful and willing to answer questions that I have. It is great to know that everyone is so supportive. I guess there really hasn’t been anything that has surprised me so far other than how much I have learned already in the first week. The thing that I am looking forward to most is getting started with client work and to really start learning about what that will entail.

Month 1

So far my experience has been great! There has been a lot for me to learn and I know there is a whole lot more to learn. During this first month I have been able to do some client work as we prepare for busy season. The people are definitely the best part about working at C&M. Everyone is clearly a part of the same team as everyone is very willing to answer questions and provide feedback. Everyone is also very nice and great to be around. So far, the most memorable moment has probably been some of the client work that I have done where I have actually gotten to work with some financial statements. Also the holiday party was memorable too because it was a lot of fun. Overall, my first month at C&M has been a great experience, getting to learn new things and getting to meet and work with the people of C&M.

Month 6

If I could describe the past 6 months in one word, it would be learning. Over the past 6 months I have felt like I have been constantly learning new things and having new experiences. It seems like every day I’m learning something new that can help me in the future.

I think a valuable skill that I have begun to master is staying organized. I have realized it is important to stay organized as I might be on multiple jobs at once and that I have to keep everything straight to get things done in a timely matter.

After making it through my first six months and first busy season, I think the best advice I can give is to remind yourself every once in a while to just relax. At points your mind might be racing or you might be worrying about certain things, I think it is important to sometimes just take a step back and relax for a few minutes, evaluate what is going on and then move forward with what you were doing.