From Factory to Financial Statements

On my way up to the 17th floor on my first day of my summer internship, I was feeling an equal mix of nervousness and excitement - excited to begin my experience with a great accounting firm, and nervous about the unknown adventures that were ahead of me. From the interviewing process, I knew that Schneider Downs would be a great place to learn what public accounting looks like outside of the classroom, but I was still nervous about my first work experience that was not in a factory. For the past three summers, I have worked at a local factory that produced cheese, of all things. As one may expect, I was not too confident that my time working on a factory line would prepare me for working in an auditing department. Unsurprisingly, at the factory I never had to perform a walkthrough with a client or ever needed to wear a suit to work. But here I was on my first day, in a suit and tie, feeling a bit out of my element, heading in to start my auditing internship.

After I made it through the first week of training and started heading out to clients, I realized that most of my nerves were put to rest. I learned that the people at Schneider Downs truly were here to help; and trust me, I took advantage of it. While at clients, I had plenty of questions and my colleagues always took the time to answer them fully and help me in any way I needed. That is what makes an internship so valuable; I get to learn from the people who are actually doing it. With the summer winding down, I still get a little nervous walking into the office of a new client, but I know that the people I am there with are more than willing to help. I have learned so much this summer, from how working in a corporate setting actually looks, to how to apply different testing methods to different processes. However, one thing I was not expecting to learn was that there is one similarity to working in a factory: no matter where my career takes me, nothing can make up for working hard. 

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Material discussed is meant for informational purposes only, and it is not to be construed as investment, tax, or legal advice. Please note that individual situations can vary. Therefore, this information should be relied upon when coordinated with individual professional advice.

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Starting from Scratch: My First Internship
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More Than Just Public Accounting
“Trust” Me, Interning at Schneider Downs is a Rewarding Experience
Student-athlete to Accountant
Impacting Through Interning
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