"Find an Internship yet?" A Familiar Question for anybody in College

My Schneider Downs Internship Experience:

The August before my junior year of college, my parents really started harping about finding an internship for the next summer.  They told me to find an internship early because the longer I waited, the harder it would be to find one. My parents always give great advice, so I always listen…well most of the time.

I go to Westminster College, which is one of the schools that participates in the accounting consortium held in late September. I was already signed up for this and had my resume sent in. All that was left was to hear which firms wanted to interview me. I started school in late August, and a few weeks later, I received notice that a couple firms wanted to interview me, one of them being Schneider Downs.

 This would not only be my first interview of the day, but also be my first interview for an internship. I was nervous. I remember sitting there on the day of the consortium at the Embassy Suites, thinking to myself, What if I cannot answer one of the questions I am asked?  Then it was time for the interview. I walked through the door and was greeted by Tom Harvey.  He cracked a few jokes, and within minutes, I felt way more comfortable and at ease. The interview went so well that I was not even worried about the other interviews I had for that day.

 A few weeks later, I went in for second-round interviews, and a week after that I was offered the internship. I had also received offers from other firms I interviewed with, but this was a no-brainer for me. Everyone I interviewed with at Schneider Downs was very welcoming and had a lasting impression on me. I could not wait to start my internship. I still had a school year to finish though, but there would be no worries as to where I would be working next summer. I would not have to hear my parents ask me about applying for an internship again.

Flash-forward to the end of the school year. I was to start my internship in a few weeks, and I had friends who were still looking for a summer internship. I was so thankful that my parents told me to apply early. My friends were stressing about a summer job and all I had to worry about was finishing out the year strong.

Skip ahead a few weeks. I have already been through three days of training at Schneider Downs, and it is the night before my first real experience of auditing. I would be out in the field the next day visiting the client. Similar to the interview process, I was quite nervous again. How much would I really be able to help? Once again, my nerves were put to rest only moments after starting the audit. The in-charges and senior managers on the job were very nice and very helpful. They knew I did not have much experience and were eager to help me learn the audit process.

I have been working at Schneider Downs a few weeks now. I have learned a lot, not only about auditing, but also about the firm in general. First, there is never a reason to worry. There is always a person here who is eager to help and assist you. Second, this is a very close-knit company. Despite having over 200 employees, it feels like almost everybody knows everybody on a personal basis. Lastly, I have learned that I do not regret my decision to accept an internship at Schneider Downs. I cannot express how great the people are here. It is one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Read more about Internships at Schneider Downs in our blog