Internships
WABC Intern Program
By taking part in the intern program at WABC, the student is not only gaining practical knowledge that will enhance their marketability when they graduate from college, but is also establishing professional relationships that will be of value throughout their entire career. Past experience has shown this to be the case.
There are several goals for the internship program. The primary goal of the program is for the intern to gain the experience and knowledge they will need to make them a viable and attractive candidate for a full-time position in an accounting firm upon their completion of college and the program.
An intern should be able to be in the office on Friday – graduate from college on Saturday – and be an associate at WABC on Monday without missing a beat. One of our goals for the program is for WABC to offer full-time positions to our competent interns. It is much better for the firm to be able to hire people who “know their way around the office” than to hire an associate that was not in the program. Many of the associates that have been hired at WABC in the recent past have been from the internship program (including principals, supervisors and partners at the firm).
Our goal for an intern is that he/she obtains the types of skills and knowledge of the accounting process that will give he/she a decisive advantage over other candidates for positions at other firms or companies in the private sector.
And finally the internship should give the student a good idea about the business of public accounting. How a public accounting firm makes money and what the keys to success are not only for the firm but for the individuals that make up the firm.
“Being a WABC intern has been a tremendous experience for me. The roles that interns fill at WABC are probably different than you’d expect. I have completed many different types of tax returns, collaborated with every level of staff regarding audits, reviews, and compilations, and I’ve never been sent on a coffee run. I have also traveled to different clients’ offices, which has provided me with experience in client relations, as well as a deeper understanding of business operations in a variety of fields.”
Internship Program Job Description
As an accounting intern, accounting and tax skills will be enhanced though practical experience to prepare for an associate position in a public accounting firm. Specific duties include the following:
- Proofreading financial statements for mathematical, grammatical and presentation errors
- Processing client tax returns for the filings with government agencies
- Preparation of basic corporate, individual, personal property and payroll tax returns using tax software programs
- Accounting write up work including data entry of client’s information into various accounting software programs
- Preparation of compilations including completion of administrative checklists and financial statements
- Preparation of audit workpaper files
- Basic audit testing procedures with the opportunity to work at client’s offices
- Preparing and tracking confirmation requests for audits
- Enter and maintain depreciation schedules using both book and tax depreciation methods
- Preparation of spreadsheets and other schedules as requested by clients
- Assisting with accounting office functions as needed
Please contact Jane Lyons at jane.lyons@wabccpas.com for further information.