RSM Richter Chamberland Summer Interns

Anastasia Lambrinos: Getting to know my team

As I made my way to work on the first day, I couldn’t help but feel nervous and wonder what would be expected of me. I had never had a job in the accounting field and had no idea what it would be like. To say the least, I didn’t even know what accounting software looked like! This feeling was instantly set aside when I got to the office and realized that most, if not all, of the other interns were in the same boat as me. It was very comforting walking into the training room and recognizing some faces from the dinner at Bice and the 5 à 7 at Sharx.

The trip that we took to the Eastern Townships during the second week of the internship was so much fun! It was full of team building activities that required us to work together and constantly communicate with each other. Going out on the lake at night with a bonfire attached to the boat was AMAZING even though I did manage to fall in somehow! It was so peaceful and relaxing and really gave us the opportunity to talk and get to know each other better. We all instantly became very close and since then continue to make plans outside of work. I never knew I could make 23 new friends so quickly!

 

Annie Lauzon : When do we start again!

An internship at RSM Richter Chamberlandmeans working for one of the most prestigious accounting firms in Canada. This internship inspires us to give the best of ourselves and face new challenges every day, whether in the context of learning the exciting auditor profession or participating in a project within the firm. This experience also allowed me to meet with professionals who inspired me on a daily basis.

Being an intern at RSM Richter Chamberland also means being part of a team of colleagues who quickly become your best friends. Thanks to team activities such as a stay in the Eastern Townships and a dragon boat race, you will learn about the students you work with and feel like you belong. Whatever your level of stress during your first day of training, it is certain that at the end of the first week, the only thing on your mind will be "when do we start again!"

If you choose to do an internship at RSM Richter Chamberland, you will reap a wealth of knowledge in the field that you chose, you will live rewarding experiences and you will develop a network of extraordinary colleagues.

Merlène Gladys Akamba: The dragon boat experience

Although I am a person who is generally not very comfortable on the water, I loved the dragon boating activity. It created a kind of harmony between the teammates and made us realize that each individual has a significant impact on the performance of the entire group. We had to communicate well in order to synchronize our movements and our physical endurance was also put to the test! Despite the two days of muscle pain that followed, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. The encouragement, confidence and dedication of the coaches enabled each of us to challenge ourselves and give our best. 

 

Miriam Pratte: The open door policy really does exist!

Since my arrival, every employee I’ve met has welcomed me with enthusiasm,  then they smile at me when we bump into each other in the hallways and ask me how my summer is going. Each student is assigned a "buddy", a professional in the firm with a little more experience,  who also began his or her career here as summer student. I see my "buddy" as a resource to whom I can ask my 1000 questions without being afraid of bothering them.

Starting to work in a firm can be a bit scary, because this is our first step towards our future! However, I think here the objective is that everything goes well and that we spend a great summer while learning a lot about audit, consulting, tax, and any other field related to accounting.

We are also doing a lot of fundraising over the course of the summer. For one activity, we visited each floor of the office to help some of our colleagues who participated to the Tour de l’Île de Montréal, raise money for the Foundation of Stars. We were told by employees that it was a great idea. I was surprised to see that even if we disturbed them in their work, people were open and generous and willing to listen to us.

Gabrielle Ambrozaitis: A day at the Centre de Villégiature Jouvence in Orford

It was the end of a grey and rainy week and everyone was wondering where the sun had gone. Well, it turns out it was simply waiting for us to arrive at the camp! Without going into details, I will say that the activities organized for us were original, with the intention of creating ties, but many of us realized that those links had already been formed before we got there. We did a treasure hunt collecting stars. Beyond the nice weather, the games, the challenges, the volleyball, the canoeing, the laughs and the all-you-can-eat buffets, we generated a great amount of energy within the group. Let’s go team!

Mylène Emond: Team building and stargazing

On Thursday May 13th, I went with my fellow summer students to the Eastern Townships for some team building. We arrived early in the morning and quickly new points of commonality thanks to the numerous activities proposed by the Centre de Villégiature Jouvence. One of the activities was a treasure hunt, where we had to collect stars. Teamwork was essential here. Personally, I think this activity helped me understand how I fit within the group and it was lots of fun to boot!

After a delicious supper, we had the chance to go out on a rabasca canoe, while drinking a glass of port and stargazing. After this wonderful experience, we decided to spend the rest of the evening in a private lounge next to our rooms. It had been a memorable day…

The next day, we talked about the activities we did during our stay and we enjoyed the sunshine. Generally speaking, I think this trip was a good way to create new relationships with friends and colleagues and kick-started our summer at RSM Richter Chamberland in style.

Nedgy Augustin: Drinking port wine around a campfire!

I have to share with you the fantastic two days we spent in the Eastern Townships. I say two days, but it seemed like a week! (I mean that in a good way, of course).  Our days were packed with activities that gave us the opportunity to get to know each other better, such as drinking port wine around a campfire, on the water. And that’s not all!

On Saturday, we were invited to a gala evening.  I haven’t danced that much in a long time! And yes, I can confirm the rumours; it was the RSM Richter Chamberland team that got the dance floor going. We really had a lot of fun and it was like part 2 of our two days at Centre de Villégiature Jouvence. I think that the team building activities were very successful for us. We developed a group synergy that feels built to last. 

Daniel Kwong : My first 2 weeks at RSM Richter Chamberland

The orientation process that I went through on my first two weeks at RSM Richter Chamberland made me feel shockingly at ease. Different staff members came in everyday to help us learn about their computer software as well as their company policies. There was a lot of information given, however the way that it was presented made it easy for me to grasp the concepts. My worries quickly went away on my very first day and my excitement about having the opportunity to put my new knowledge into practice grew even more.

One of the things that I enjoy the most about being part of RSM Richter Chamberland is that I get the chance to fundraise with the firm's full support. This year, the funds that I will help raise will go towards The Foundation of Stars which is an organization that dedicates its research to curing child diseases. By collaborating with the other interns to make the fundraising campaign happen, I also got to know them much better. Despite only having known the other interns for a brief period of time, it feels as though we've always known each other.

Ali Kobeissi : Week 1 summarized in 1 paragraph

It`s hard to summarize everything we learnt in our first week, but here goes. The excursion in the North was really special. The outing helped us get closer and make new friends, because most activities were done in teams. When I compare the week right before the excursion with the following week, I can feel the chemistry that developed between us, as well as the positive energy among the group. It was an unforgettable experience because we learned to identify our strengths and weaknesses. Also, let’s not forget to mention that it was really fun!

James Boucher-Hill: Developing chemistry

The two-day trip in the Laurentians was really appreciated. It was filled with sports and role-playing exercises to help us get to know each other as colleagues, build our confidence and promote a sense of belonging to the group in order to form a solid team. Thanks to the numerous activities organized by the Camp, we effectively connected because we learned to work as a team to solve different situations and practice many sports. We also had the chance to watch the Montreal Canadians playing against the Pittsburgh Penguins, which was a lot of fun. On the last day of Camp, we had lunch with some RSM Richter Chamberland employees, including some partners, and competed in a relay race with them. This allowed us to get to know the firm’s managers and work as a team with them, which we enjoyed and appreciated.

 

The trip was really a great way to get to know each other and develop a group chemistry, which will certainly help us work more effectively in the future.