By Nathan Rastatter, 2020 Tax Season Intern 

Over this past spring, I had the opportunity to join Barnes Wendling CPAs’ accounting internship program. There were challenging moments, such as going out to audit engagements at the start of my second week and meeting the CFO for our client. I was nervous but felt supported by the manager I was working with and ended up having a great conversation with the CFO. Other tough moments include the weeks leading up to April 15 as more and more tax returns flowed into my list to complete. But, through it all, I had excellent support from staff and managers and was able to get everything done .

What My Accounting Internship Entailed

My internship at Barnes Wendling covered both tax and audit, and I feel like I learned a great deal about each. On the audit side, I got to work comprehensively on small clients, so I got to see everything from Account Receivable confirmations all the way up to drafting the financial statements myself. On the tax side, I was exposed to a variety of personal tax returns, including trust returns and some business ones too. Overall, I was given a whirlwind tour of the many career routes in public accounting.

My Experience as an Accounting Intern

When I accepted this internship, I felt strongly that I wanted to experience both tax and audit. I didn’t want to commit to one or the other as my career without trying each of them. Therefore, I liked how Barnes Wendling showed me both sides of public accounting. Additionally, particularly on the audit side, I got to work on a few smaller clients. This let me walk through an entire audit from start to finish. A lot of bigger firms wouldn’t be able to offer an experience like that, and it was really important to see that whole process.

Advice for Future Accounting Interns

My advice to fellow interns would be to always ask questions. There are so many helpful people at Barnes Wendling, from the newest staff member to the most experienced partners. In my experience, everybody was always willing to help out, or at the very least direct me to somebody who had the answer. I would much rather ask than spend time trying to work through it on my own, so don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it – and you will need it!

Overall, I would recommend this internship. It will show you the different sides of public accounting, as well as introduce you to some great accountants. No matter what path you pursue in accounting, whether it be tax, audit, or even industry, I strongly feel interning at Barnes Wendling would be an asset in your journey.

For more regarding our internship program, click on the image above or here

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