Garrett Shakstad, Campus Recruiting Manager, Baker Tilly US

The Argyros Career Services Team sat down for a Q&A with Garrett Shakstad, CPA, Campus Recruiting Manager, Baker Tilly US, LLP.

What advice can you give to students on adjusting their job search in the time of COVID-19?

Persistence. Waiting is never good. I know it feels like you’re nagging or annoying someone by reaching out repeatedly, but trust me we understand and you have to be persistent and consistent in reaching out to people and companies.

How has your recruitment model adjusted to this unprecedented time?  

I’ve heard the word “intentional” a lot more in this remote recruiting setup and I tend to agree. Everything is more deliberate. Scheduled meetings, agendas, time of the meeting, action steps, follow up. All of it feels like it has a more specific purpose than in-person meetings did before. EVERYTHING is a calendar invite these days for us and neatly boxed in a timeframe on a calendar, but we’re still hiring, we’re still working, we’re still trying to meet new people!

What excites you about your company/industry?  

Growth. That’s both personal and professional growth (for the individual) and also firm growth. It has been extremely fun for me in my 7th year with the firm to see many colleagues promote up, and step into leadership roles as well as to see the firm grow from a 250 person firm to a firm of over 4,000 people, operating coast to coast. Being a part of that growth for both the company and the individuals is an incredibly fulfilling and rewarding experience!