For Garrett Shakstad, there is nothing more exciting than sharing a room with professors and students.
“A good teacher has a huge influence,” he says. “I love the learning process – and working with students to figure out a career path.”
Shakstad is the campus recruiting manager at Baker Tilly, a top ten certified public accounting firm with a global footprint. In this capacity he works proactively with Irvine Valley College’s (IVC) staff to recruit students as paid interns, an opportunity that allows them to gain valuable real-world experience, develop core skills and work alongside professionals.
The paid internship program is a boon for both students and employers, says Shakstad, who is passionate about instilling an understanding of and love for accounting in students. “With a goal of converting our interns into full time associates, we have been very successful with our recruiting efforts at IVC. Most students there are exceptionally serious about their accounting studies – on track to transfer to a four-year school and earn an accounting degree.”
IVC also offers the Guaranteed Accounting Program (Gap 4 plus one) in tandem with Cal State Fullerton, offering a flexible pathway to bachelor’s and master’s degrees – and in the process gain credits for the Certified Public Accountant (C.P.A.) credential.
To recruit the right students, Shakstad relies on IVC accounting faculty, which he finds to be “engaged and hands on. They consistently go the extra mile to offer extras like organized tours of top accounting firms.”
Shakstad says there are two core qualities he looks for when hiring students: curiosity and the ability to foster relationships. “In public accounting relationship building – and the ability to work smoothly with clients and colleagues – is key,” he says. Also important is natural curiosity: a keen interest in how things work. “Curiosity drives the quest for knowledge and helps people ask the right questions and actively listen – fundamental traits for a successful public accountant.”
He typically works closely with Bennet Tchaikovsky, a longtime IVC professor of accounting. "Garrett has been incredibly supportive of our students, giving his time to assist them prior to transferring to a four-year school as well as once they have transferred,” Tchaikovsky says. “With Garrett's guidance, multiple IVC students have been successfully hired by Baker Tilly over the past few years."
Shakstad, who himself is a community college alum – he transferred from El Camino College to USC to obtain his B.S. in accounting – says two-year colleges provide an invaluable option. “They offer an important stepping stone – offering flexibility and affordability with supportive, hands-on faculty.”