Jared Fife, ’21

Major: Accounting – CPA Emphasis
Residence: Louisville, Kentucky
Career: Staff Accountant – Tax at Ernst & Young, La Jolla, CA

In a nutshell, what do you do?

I will be joining Ernst & Young as Tax Staff in the Diversified Staff Group (DSG) in January 2022. Working with several tax teams that EY has while serving different clients and industries. The teams include Global Compliance Reporting, International Tax, Private Client Services, Real Estate Tax, and Partnerships. I will be working with different tax service lines, which will allow me to select the field that I am interested in while focusing in that area moving forward.

As a Tax Staff, I will mostly be working on updating and completing tax returns, work papers, and making sure all of our documents and spreadsheets are up to date as federal, state, and local tax laws change.

Why do you love what you do?

Despite having to adjust to launching their first fully virtual internship, Ernst and Young was still able to provide me with a full-time internship experience and I had an amazing experience, so I am very excited to join Ernst & Young after graduation. I’m very interested in starting my career in Tax because tax laws are changing constantly and combine that with the depth and complexity tax law provides, I’m faced with a challenge each time I take on a new engagement which is what drives me in my professional career. Also, there’s several areas within tax that I want to explore to get a real sense of where my passion lies.

How did Albion help you get there?

Albion gave the tools that I needed to help me get a tremendous start to my career. My professors challenged my intellectual capacity through the content I learned and pushed me to think about how the course material would apply in the real world. Particularly in my accounting classes where my professors provided an educational foundation for me to help me get more comfortable for the work I was going to be doing during my internship at EY. This foundation played a huge part in me grasping the work faster than some of my fellow interns. Also, the professional development through the Gerstacker Institute led me to the opportunity of meeting with EY. Through resume coaching, interview prep, First Year Workshop and Summer School, I was able to build the knowledge and soft skills needed to be a competitive candidate in my career. Every step of the way, my professors, Gerstacker, staff and friends were able to help me through my education and professional development which has led me to a great opportunity with Ernst & Young.

For me, Albion…

…is a great institution that helps students with the skills and resources needed to pursue their dreams. My time at Albion allowed me to travel abroad, to be involved with several clubs and organizations, while building lifelong relationships with my peers and professors. Albion will always be a home for me and I’m proud to carry the Purple & Gold with me throughout my lifetime.