ND to SD

When starting my college education at the University of Notre Dame, I was very uncertain as to what I really wanted to do as a career.  My 14-year-old aspirations of becoming an Olympic swimmer had unfortunately become unrealistic, so I figured my next best option was to become an accountant! All jokes aside, through my business education at Notre Dame, I saw an opportunity to grow in the business world by pursuing a career in public accounting, and decided to run with it.

Early during my senior year, knowing I was going to do a five-year master’s program, I started to pursue public accounting internships for the summer, and on the recommendation of my uncle, Gerald Nappi, ended up pursing an internship in the Audit Department at Schneider Downs.  From my first interview at Schneider Downs, I felt very comfortable with everyone whom I interviewed with and immediately thought that I could see myself working here.  I even had the pleasure of being introduced to a fellow Fighting Irishmen, Ray Buehler, during my interviews.   SD seemed like a perfect fit, and luckily I ended up receiving an offer a few days later.

Through my experience at Schneider Downs thus far, I now completely understand the pressure that professors and career center employees put on the importance of getting an internship.  The experience you receive when you are actually at a client site contributing to an engagement is extremely beneficial in the learning process.  Classes can only prepare you so much for what you are going to do in an audit, but being on site and doing tasks first-hand can’t be matched.  The people I have worked with on engagements have been my de-facto professors, and have been not only helpful and understanding but very effective in allowing us interns to grow our knowledge and confidence as accountants. Additionally, the people whom I have worked with helped me grow professionally, being very open and friendly, definitely easing my nerves as a lowly intern.

Coming in, I really did not know what to expect out of this internship.  Rather than just being something to put on a resume, I think Schneider Downs does a great job of allowing interns to learn and grow during their time here, and receive very helpful guidance from the employees we interact with.  I am thankful I chose to come to SD for the summer, and couldn’t be happier with the experiences I have had here.

Learn more about Schneider Downs internships here.

John Nappi explains his internship at Schneider Downs and his experience in the Audit Department.

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The Schneider Downs Our Thoughts On blog exists to create a dialogue on issues that are important to organizations and individuals. While we enjoy sharing our ideas and insights, we’re especially interested in what you may have to say. If you have a question or a comment about this article – or any article from the Our Thoughts On blog – we hope you’ll share it with us. After all, a dialogue is an exchange of ideas, and we’d like to hear from you. Email us at [email protected].

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