Students Gain Experience, Perspective on Accounting Career Paths
Clarissa Beaty, senior, accounting
Clarissa Beaty‘s 2011 internship with Thomas, Judy & Tucker, P.A., a leading public Triangle area accounting firm, began during the spring tax season.
“The main focus of my internship is working with the Tax Team to prepare tax returns. I also work on other projects, such as preparing trial balances, data entry, and assisting the audit team when needed,” Beaty said.
The experience, she said, “has allowed me to make a connection between the concepts I’ve learned in the classroom and the real life application. This internship experience has also allowed me to think critically within the classroom and realize the significance of the material being taught. I feel as though I’m learning 360 instead of 180.
Beaty learned of the internship opportunity through Poole College’s Career Development Center.
ADVICE FOR OTHER STUDENTS: (Do) not overlook the smaller local companies. Keep all options open and don’t limit your opportunities.
Sara Colvard, senior, accounting
Sara Colvard’s summer 2011 internship is in the decision support department at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Hospital.
“I am creating an education tool for top-level managers to teach them about the cost accounting system that we use and how they can utilize the decision support department to improve their own departments. I also am helping to develop RVUs and do some database work.” Colvard is attending learning series meetings every week with other interns in the hospital. “We get to listen to various guest speakers, and also have toured UNC hospital and will be touring REX and Chatham hospitals as well.”
She’s learning the impact of every position in an organization. “During the tour of the hospital we got to see patients in the hospital and see that even though I am just an intern in the decision support department, the little work that I do trickles down all the way to the hospital to benefit people that are in need. The whole network of how the organization works is amazing. I also got to go to the top of the helicopter pad!”
Colvard has also learned “not to get frustrated if you don’t like your major during school. Learning out of a textbook is extremely different that learning something in real life. I didn’t like accounting at all during school and now that I am actually working in that field I love it.”
ADVICE FOR OTHER STUDENTS: “Don’t just try and do an internship in your major. I did an internship at a radio show even thought I am an accounting major. You can learn numerous skills in any type of work situation. And also, meet as many people as you can. The majority of where you go in life is because of the people you know. Keep in contact with everyone.”
Kwame Boatwright, senior, accounting
Kwame Boatwright’s summer 2011 internship is with Sensus, a global leader in utility infrastructure systems and resource conservation. Boatwright is working in the Raleigh office, on finance, accounting and contract projects. He found the internship opportunity on NC State’s ePACK career opportunities website.
“I review current and old contracts we have with other companies and pull out essential information and input it into saleforce.com. I have also done some purchase price variance analysis work, and am working with one of the company’s accountants, learning the process of creating monthly and quarterly budgets and forecast.”
Boatwright said the internship has “has helped me to become more comfortable in a professional corporate environment. I have also learned to become more independent. Here, no one is going to stand over you and watch your every move, so you have to be able to figure some things out by yourself.”
He’s also learned a bit more about production processes for energy industry devices. “Sensus manufactures gas, electric and water meters. This past week I got to watch the company’s testers conduct a heat test on one of the electric meters. This heat consisted of them setting the meter on fire to see how it reacts.”
ADVICE FOR OTHER STUDENTS: “Be persistent in your search. Don’t give up if you don’t get an offer on your first interview. I had five interviews before I found an internship that matched what I was looking for and what the company was looking for.”
Related
- “Career Development Center, Poole College Office of Undergraduate Programs”: * Career Development Center, Poole College Office of Undergraduate Programs
