Setting the Foundation

It all started back at the Robert Morris career fair – I approached the Schneider Downs recruiter and mentioned that I have an interest in tax accounting. The recruiter informed me that the deadline to apply was the same day.  With this in mind, I returned to my apartment and immediately applied for the position online. Fortunately, I received an invitation for an initial interview on campus. This, in turn, led to a second interview at the Schneider Downs office in Pittsburgh.

During my second interview, I met with a shareholder and senior manager. I then received an office tour and had lunch with two staff members, an experience where I was able to talk about the firm and their work experiences.  A few days later I received a call and accepted the busy season internship. I was also offered the opportunity to participate in a summer tax internship.

My internship experiences provided me with insight into the real world of public accounting. At school, I learned about tax theory with individuals and business entities. During the internship, though, I was able to apply that knowledge to a real tax return.  I quickly realized I would be exposed to areas of tax not covered in my two introductory tax courses at Robert Morris University. For not only did I have to obtain an understanding of the tax software necessary to prepare returns, but I also had to complete returns with which I was unfamiliar with and conduct research on specific areas of tax. 

Everyone at Schneider Downs has been very friendly and welcoming. In fact, I was invited to the firm’s Christmas party two months before I had my first day of busy season.  There are lots of questions to ask and many friendly people willing to provide answers.

Overall, I enjoyed working with the tax department and discovering the differences between a spring and summer internship.  Regardless, both taught me important lessons.  As a senior manager who often interacted with the interns during the spring internship would say, “Today is the most important day of busy season” – the reason being:  any work not completed today becomes postponed until tomorrow. I have found this saying not only to be true at work, but at school and life in general.  Interning has set a foundation for a career in public accounting. I look forward to the challenges, opportunities, and rewards that come with this career path. 

Contact us for information regarding Schneider Downs internship opportunities

Visit the Our Thoughts On blog to learn more about Schneider Downs intern experiences