Who did you work for and what did you do? I was part of SIPP (Semester in the Profession Program) this Spring where I interned at EY in Boston, one of the "Big Four" accounting firms. I was in th

Jessica.jpg
Who did you work for and what did you do? 

I was part of SIPP (Semester in the Profession Program) this Spring where I interned at EY in Boston, one of the "Big Four" accounting firms. I was in the assurance service line, or auditing. I audited many clients from industries like Bio-Technology (pharmaceutical companies), a professional football team from the NFL, and real estate investment firms just to name a few. I worked in teams ranging from 4 people to 15 people depending on the size of the client. My responsibilities included being able to recognize potential audit issues or unusual relationships with a basic analysis of financial statements and communicating those to my team. Auditing is basically conducting an official financial examination and making sure the client is not committing fraud or making any mistakes in their financial statements or accounts. 

I was treated just like a first year staff at EY, which was very rewarding to know that they trusted me to be responsible for tasks that a full time employee would be responsible for. I had a lot of client interaction as well; I would ask them for supporting documents or interview them. On one of the bio-tech clients I was actually able to chat directly with the CFO who was great about helping us out with anything we needed - he loved to talk about UMass so we had something in common. I worked a lot of hours, but overall it was definitely one of the greatest opportunities I could have ever taken advantage of! 

How did you get the position?

I did a lot of preparation, starting spring of my sophomore year. I went to Interview Ninja Training with Melissa Salva which was a huge help. She gave us so many tips that truly work, so I highly recommend going to one. I was also lucky enough to take a class with Kim Figueroa where she gave us awesome tips on how to set up your resume and power words to use in the descriptions. Melissa, Kim, and Trish Harper also gave great advice on how to set up and organize your LinkedIn profile. I used Isenberg Experience and with the Optimal Resume tool I edited my resume to be as perfect as I could get it. I did every mock-interview that I could, went to career fairs, and any event that EY held - I was there. I had heard there were externships available for students who were interested in a future with the firms that these leadership programs were with and I applied as soon as I found out. After a few interviews and events, I was accepted and went to Boston in the summer as a participant in EY's Emerging Leaders Program. This is where they basically were selling themselves to potential interns - they showed us the office, we networked like crazy, and they taught us about the firm and the different service lines available. They took us out to a nice dinner after a duck boat tour which was so much fun. At the end of the program, they had us fill out a survey on which service line we would potentially be interested in if an offer was given, and if we wanted to intern in the winter (SIPP) or summer. After the externship ended, I got a call a few days later with an internship offer for the winter in Commercial Assurance; I happily accepted! 

What was your experience like and what did you learn?

I went into this internship, like every other SIPP intern, not knowing the slightest about auditing since we take the class when we get back from the internship. EY was extremely good about teaching me everything I needed to know and walking me through any processes I needed help with. My teams were great about answering all of my questions thoroughly until I understood exactly what they wanted me to do. A great deal of interns are afraid to ask questions or too many questions, but I realized they want us to ask questions; they are aware that we are not going to be able to tie out a 10-k, for example, by ourselves and are there to guide us along the way. I learned an unbelievable amount during this internship. I was doing new things every day and was challenged more and more as the internship went on. By the end of the internship, I was extremely proud of myself for what I had accomplished. Not only did I learn in terms of academics and accounting, but I learned a lot about working with teams and people that may not have the same working style as a previous team. 

Saying my experience with SIPP and EY was great is an understatement. I made new best friends with some of my fellow interns, learned many academic and life lessons, and in the end I was offered a full-time position with EY for after I graduate in 2016. I accepted and am lucky enough to say that I have a full time job waiting for me with still a year left of school. Not many people can say they have accomplished that, but I can now and it is because of the Semester in the Profession Program, which I cannot express enough for young accounting majors to look into and eventually be a part of.

What advice do you have for other students?

My advice can be broken into three parts. Do your research, get your name out there, and take action as soon as possible. Do your research - going into an interview not knowing much about the company is a huge mistake. Go to the company website, look around at what their philosophy is and what they care about most and in the interview, bring that up. It shows that you truly know about the company and it might differentiate you from other candidates. Get your name out there - go to any event possible. I am not telling you to go to every single event that every single firm or company holds, but if you can make it, go. Even if you are talking to someone and you are not interested in their specific line of work, they might know someone that they can connect you with to help you with your goals. If you are interested in a specific firm/company, go to their events and talk to the recruiters, ask questions, make sure you introduce yourself with a firm handshake and a smile - it can go a long way. After you speak with anyone that could have an impact in your future plans, email them or write a letter thanking them for their advice and to keep in touch - that is what networking is about. If your relationship with someone is a strong one, add them on LinkedIn. Lastly, take action as soon as possible. It may be intimidating as a freshman or sophomore to go up to a recruiter or campus ambassadors and ask questions and to stick your foot in the door, but recruiters are there to seek out the people who are committed and excited about a future with their company so the earlier you do get that foot in the door, the better! All in all, take as much advice from professionals, faculty, and recruiters and your success will not be far behind.