Schulman Lobel Advisors, LLC

Vault’s Verdict

Schulman Lobel is ideally looking for candidates with strong technical skills, a willingness to learn, and the ability to work collaboratively. Reliability, honesty, and attention to detail are also important.

The firm’s culture is defined by a strong commitment to work-life balance, professional growth, and collaboration. Employees describe the firm’s “crown jewel” as its respect for personal time. Although busy season can require long hours and be quite demanding, the firm avoids contacting staff outside work hours and offers meaningful recovery time. Generous PTO, summer Fridays, floating holidays, Employee Appreciation Day, and days off after tax season also help restore balance. And a hybrid schedule (that allows up to three remote days per week) adds a lot of flexibility that many insiders greatly appreciate.

Compensation is said to be competitive and aligned with industry standards. Benefits include 401(k) match, insurance coverage, utility reimbursements, and perks such as firm-sponsored meals during busy season. Some employees note that bonuses have shifted from two annual payouts to one, and a few express a desire for clearer communication around long-term compensation growth. However, most agree that career development is a strong suit. The firm offers exposure to a wide variety of clients and complex tax matters. The firm also encourages staff to attend trainings and webinars.

In addition to being highly collaborative, Schulman Lobel’s culture is described by the vast majority of insiders as inclusive and respectful, with employees from diverse backgrounds feeling valued and supported. Meanwhile, a strong leadership team, a recent private equity infusion, and plans for technological advancement contribute to a positive business outlook. Overall, employees value the people at the firm, their meaningful client relationships, and opportunities for growth.

EMPLOYEE REVIEWS

Quality of Life

• “One thing this firm does incredibly well is prioritizing the work-life balance. During the busy season, they ask for a minimum of 55 billable hours per week, which is very reasonable. They respect your time out of the office by not calling you outside of work hours. The firm gives about a month off each year between PTO and other firm-paid days off. One of the best things about this job is they allow us to work up to three days remote, which in an era of return-to-office is huge. Schulman Lobel gives us time to enjoy life and not be consumed entirely with work. The firm also plans and hosts many events together, like after tax season parties, holiday events, social gatherings and much more. Occasionally, food is brought in for us, which is incredible. The work culture is also very good; everyone respects and gets along with each other. I truly believe the crown jewel of this firm is their attention and care to work-life balance.”
• “Schulman Lobel tries its best to accommodate balanced work and personal time. While we are in an industry that has extensive deadline requirements, they offer a recoup and relaxation period through summer Fridays, employee appreciations day, two floating holidays, and generous PTO/National holiday schedule. The hybrid schedule is great, as it provides flexibility to staff. They constantly celebrate us employees through numerous events.”
• “The best aspect of quality of life at the firm is the people and the meaningful work, which make the job engaging and rewarding. The most challenging aspect is the sustainability of workload and expectations, which can lead to long hours and difficulty fully disconnecting.”
• “During busy season, the work-life balance suffers, of course, but outside of busy seasons, my work-life balance is great. Schulman Lobel has a very nice culture, and my relationships with my higher ups are good.”

Compensation

• “Salary is competitive and in line with industry norms. As for benefits and perks, we have 401(K) match, utility reimbursements, summer Fridays, Employee Appreciation Day, days off after the end of each tax season, floating holidays, gifts and announcements for personal achievements, etc.”
• “The firm’s salary, benefits, and perks are competitive and provide a solid level of stability and security. The benefits package is comprehensive, and the firm has demonstrated consistency and reliability in supporting employees over the long term. Perks such as flexibility and a supportive work environment are especially valued. One area for improvement would be ensuring that compensation continues to keep pace with market changes, increased responsibilities, and tenure. Clearer communication around compensation growth and how it aligns with performance and experience would be beneficial, particularly for long-term employees.”
• “Schulman Lobel offers various insurance policies with reasonable contribution to be covered by employee. The only issue has been that it seems the insurance provider changes frequently. The firm provides dinner during the busy seasons for people working in the office after 6 p.m. The firm previously offered two bonuses throughout the year, one after each busy season, which was nice. Now the firm has transitioned to one bonus payout towards the year-end.”
• “The best aspects are that my salary rose quickly as I got more responsibilities. The perks are quality and affordable. We are now offered Profit Interest Units, which is a good incentive. On the other hand, the salary has stagnated and bonus has gone down compared to prior years, where we received two bonuses a year opposed to the new one-bonus policy.”

Career Development

• “One of the best aspects of the firm’s career development opportunities is the depth and variety of experience available. Over the years, I’ve been exposed to a wide range of clients, entities, and complex tax issues, which has allowed me to continuously build technical expertise and develop professionally. The firm also encourages long-term growth and loyalty, and there are many opportunities to take on increased responsibility and mentor others. On the other hand, career development can sometimes feel less structured. Clearer guidance around advancement paths, expectations at each level, and more formal development planning would be helpful. While opportunities exist, they are not always clearly defined, and progression can feel more organic than intentional at times.”
• “One of the best things about the firm I work for is their dedication and attention to workpapers. This firm does a really good job of stressing the importance of making sure that our tax workpapers are organized. This includes making sure all Excel formulas tie into the return and our PDF files are organized and also tie into the return. The firm I worked at previously did not give any attention or care to this so when I started working at this firm, I noticed the difference immediately. Additionally, this firm has a very large and unique set of clients, so you will have the opportunity to get exposure to a new area of tax, and it keeps the work really interesting and fun.”
• “Schulman Lobel strongly encourages employee development via training/seminars and on-the-job training. New staff are exposed to all types of work by assisting partners, managers, and senior staff.”
• “Best aspects are that they give us resources and opportunities for self-training, such as online webinars and self-study courses. Worst aspects are that there isn’t a formal onboarding training process; it's a learn-as-you-go philosophy.”

Inclusion Efforts

• “My firm hires a wide variety of people from different ethnic backgrounds, different genders, and has been very beneficial to me. I am able to interact with these people every day and I learn from them.”
• “I feel that all employees have equal access to quality work and promotion opportunities. Schulman Lobel is inclusive from my experience.”
• “This firm has employees with a variety of backgrounds and beliefs. I never felt judged or different because of my religion, color of my skin, or orientation. The employees, partners, and everyone who works at this firm are all respectable people with open minds. I have never witnessed any such acts of non-inclusive behavior.”
• “The firm has made meaningful efforts to foster an inclusive and respectful workplace, and there is a general culture of professionalism and fairness across teams. Colleagues are treated with respect, and the firm has shown awareness of the importance of inclusion across gender, race and ethnicity, LGBTQ+ individuals, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and other historically underserved groups.”

Business Outlook

• “The firm’s business outlook is strong, supported by longstanding client relationships, a solid reputation, and deep technical expertise. These strengths position the firm well in a competitive market and provide stability for both clients and employees. The breadth of services and experience across teams continues to be a competitive advantage. A potential challenge going forward is balancing continued growth with staffing, workload, and employee morale, particularly in a competitive talent market. Maintaining engagement, supporting retention, and investing in the development of professionals will be important to sustaining the firm’s long-term success.”
• “The managing partner has an incredible business outlook and continues to push this firm forward. We have an outstanding team and truly the opportunity is endless. I see this firm becoming a big name one day.”
• “Schulman Lobel has recently partnered with a family office investment platform whose goal is to grow the firm. The firm plans to grow through advancement of technology and growing the client base.”
• “I think the firm's business outlook going forward is very positive because of the constant growth and the investment from private equity. The leadership is very strong, and I believe that SL will continue to grow.”

Intern Experience

• “The internship prepared me very well for my full-time roll. I learned many basic tax concepts and how to prepare simple returns. The internship also allowed me to become more comfortable working in an office for the first time.”
• “The best aspect of my internship experience was being able to apply what I learned in school and getting practical experience in the tax industry. In class, I did not feel as though I was doing anything ‘hands-on,’ just conceptual.”
• “The best aspect of my internship was the variety of projects I was exposed to. This allowed me to get experience with many different types of returns and other work. There weren’t any bad aspects of my internship, but something that could improve would be the training. Even though I was exposed to many different things, I wasn’t necessarily trained on the basics of tax accounting.”
• “I was trained by other junior staff and everything we learned early on was kept simple and not overwhelming. I liked that all four interns were hired at the same time and we moved together through every task. A difficult aspect of the internship was that there were only one or two people involved in the review process for each return assignment the interns completed. Therefore, it would take several days for us to get feedback on our assignments with not much to do in between.”

Hiring Process

• “The firm’s interview and callback process is generally professional and thoughtful, with an emphasis on technical ability, professionalism, and cultural fit. The process allows candidates to meet multiple team members and gain a realistic sense of the firm and the work environment. An area for improvement may be continued consistency and clarity in communication and timelines throughout the process, which can enhance the candidate experience. The ideal candidate for the firm is someone with strong technical skills, a willingness to learn, and the ability to work collaboratively. Equally important are reliability, attention to detail, and a long-term mindset—individuals who value client relationships, take ownership of their work, and are interested in growing with the firm over time.”
• “I had two interviews, one with the hiring manager, and one with a partner of the firm. I think the ideal candidate that the firm is seeking is one that is hardworking and willing to learn a multitude of concepts and skills that will make them more well-rounded.”
• “This firm has multiple rounds of interviews with multiple different partners. They will test you on the knowledge you claim to have. The firm prioritizes hiring people who are competent and honest.”
• “My interview was for an internship position and was relatively laid-back. It was more behavioral and included a couple technical questions. I received an email the following week stating I got the internship. I was then offered a full-time position later that year when I finished the internship. I think the ideal candidate the firm is seeking is someone who is willing to put in the time to learn and is coachable. Additionally, someone who is motivated and will be passionate about their work. Attention to detail is very important here and something I think the firm looks out for as well.”

Interview Questions

• “Describe your ideal environment. Where do you wish to be in five years as far as your career? What will you commit to in order to attain it? Who are your heroes and why? What teachers had the most influence on your learning and why?”
• “What brings you to our doors? What are your short-term and long-term career goals? Tell me about PTET. Tell me about QSBS. Tell me about QBI. Walk me through your process from info in the door to finalizing.”
• “For an entry-level position, they asked accounting basics, how I would handle certain situations on the job, and what my goals are.”
• “Why I was interested in accounting, my experience with tax, and what I learned in the accounting classes I took thus far.”

UPPERS

• “The people, the long-term client relationships, and the depth of experience gained over time.”
• “I like that we have a hybrid schedule. Also, I feel supported with my desire for a work/life balance.”
• “Nice benefits and we are compensated fairly.”

DOWNERS

• “Busy seasons can be demanding for extended periods, which can impact work-life balance.”
• “Deadline pressures.”
• “Still is some variation in procedures among partners and how they go about processes.”