Major: Accounting
How did you secure your internship? I participated in on-campus public accounting recruiting last fall. As a part of that process, I participated in various summer leadership programs with the firms, performed multiple interviews, and went to many networking events.
Company interned with: PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers)
Role and responsibilities: Core Assurance Intern. This included working on audit engagement teams, preparing audit documentation, and helping plan year-end audit engagements.
Describe your “first day of work” outfit: Black dress shoes, dark grey slacks, black belt, checkered dress shirt
What were you most nervous about before starting your internship? I was most nervous about finding out exactly what I’d be doing! I knew what an audit engagement’s goals were, what the general activities were, and what clients I would be on, but I didn’t really know what my day-to-day roles and responsibilities would be like.
What did you like/enjoy most about your internship experience? I enjoyed the people I worked with the most during my internship. I was on a great team for the majority of the summer, and we functioned in a way that was very conducive to learning, growth, and collaboration.
What did you take away from your internship? I learned the importance of investing in human capital. The biggest thing that I took away from the experience is how many learning and development opportunities PwC provides its professionals, even us interns! Opportunities for growth and availability of coaching are so important for young professionals especially, and the firm does a great job with providing all of that. Those are also the opportunities that I see as truly differentiating employers when I look at possible career paths and employment opportunities.
Were you a brown-paper bagger or take-out supporter? I brought my lunch every day, but I would frequently leave it in the fridge until the next day and make a Chipotle run instead!
Average commute to work? My average commute to work was a 45-60 minute carpool drive.
Advice to new interns: Meet as many people as possible! If you meet more people, you can make a better decision on where to work in addition to having a good professional network built up that you can turn to for questions and advice. Have fun! Internships are a way for you to gain insight into a company and a career path, so make the most of it and make sure to be intentional about the opportunities you pursue so that you can make the most of it. For example, I expressed interest in what PwC calls “enrichment opportunities,” so I applied for the opportunities after I heard about them, and I was selected to shadow the United States firm Chairman and Senior Partner in New York City. This is an opportunity that I pursued and then had the great fortune of being selected for, but that I would have missed out on if I wouldn’t have intentionally sought it out. So, be an advocate for yourself and seek out opportunities that you are interested in!