I started out as a broker at a major financial services firm. However, I soon discovered that a bureaucratic environment wasn’t the best fit for me. So I launched an online search for “small company finance careers” and found Equity Methods. After reading the firm’s job description for a financial reporting associate, I knew I’d found what I was looking for.

Today, I work with a number of large publicly traded companies to create custom financial reporting solutions for their equity compensation. I also spend time reviewing reports each quarter, answering questions, and working to improve our training and processes. Beyond that, I help recruit the next generation of EM associates.

It takes resourcefulness, flexibility, and audacity to succeed in this position. You also have to be a fast learner. We teach you what you need to know, so it’s more about your ability to pick up concepts and apply them in practical ways.

I’m certainly not an extrovert, but I also couldn’t see myself buried in spreadsheets all day without any client interaction. I love that this career strikes a good balance between analytical problem-solving and building client relationships. Here, I have a chance to make a big impact and work on initiatives which help the whole firm, and the promote-from-within culture makes me feel like there’s no ceiling on my career growth.

We take the work seriously, but we don’t take ourselves seriously. We laugh a lot. And there’s always something to look forward to—be it a potluck, a group dinner, or one of our offsite events.

My general career advice? Whenever possible, see if you can go one step beyond what the task calls for. More often than not, it’s that one step that makes you stand out.