As a graduating senior who saw his last 1.5 months of college and graduation ceremony essentially cancelled, I could not help but worry about the possibility of an internship opportunity being cancelled as well. I saw companies around the area freezing hiring and/or cancelling internships completely as the days got closer to summer. I was excited when we got the phone call discussing how my Schneider Downs internship would be completed. It meant a lot to all us interns that Schneider Downs valued the internship experience enough to continue with the opportunity. As the days continued, it became clear that the internship would most likely be completed virtually. It was going to be a challenge to start the internship completely online, but we were just thankful to be given the chance.
Once the internship began, I noticed the team mentality within the firm quickly. Every person who spoke to the Intern group told us to ask as many questions as needed of the teams we worked with. We had access to numerous people to help us learn about the firm, auditing, and the accounting profession as a whole. The concept of working in a team resonated with a washed-up high school “athlete” like myself. I appreciated the patience the people I worked with displayed as I asked tons of questions during engagements. Every person I was fortunate enough to meet was personable and helpful. Meeting such a wide variety of personalities within the firm made me realize how effective groups work together.
The internship introduced me to the auditing profession at a glance. I was thankful that each engagement team I was on took the time to teach me the various types of testing involved in an audit. It is unfortunate we did not get to experience traveling to clients or eating lunches, but the staff did an amazing job of making feel at home. The culture within the firm was evident even in a completely virtual setting.
