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Internship Spotlight – Shannon Lambert

Name: Shannon Lambert

Graduation Year: 2021

Major: Accounting Minor: Information Systems Technology

On campus involvement: DIII Track and Field, Orientation Leaders, Delta Sigma Pi, and Institute of Management Accountants Student Chapter (IMASC)

Where and When did you Intern: WilkinGuttenplan in East Brunswick, NJ (Summer 2019)

How did you hear about the internship and what was the interview process like?

I heard about the internship through my sophomore career planning seminar for accounting majors and then conducted further research on Handshake and the company’s website. The interview process was a two-step process. My first interview was on campus with the company’s recruiter. Once I passed that interview, I went into the office a few weeks later to interview with two more staff members as well as tour the office.

Describe your role.

As a summer tax and audit intern, my role was to assist with finishing tax returns that were put on extension as well assist staff and partners with special projects that they were currently working on. In addition to this, all the interns were given two individual research projects that we presented to a partner in the firm.

What was an average day like?

Although I would not consider any day at WG as “average”, most of my time consisted of sitting at my desk next to the other interns and working on whatever assignment was given to me. Some days I worked on completing tax returns, while other days I worked on my research project about introducing blockchain to mid-sized accounting firms. There were also days when I met with staff members to shadow their position or help them with a project. Moreover, the interns went out to lunch with staff members weekly to get to know them better, which made me feel as if I was apart of the WG family right from the start. Not to mention, I will never forget my ping pong matches in the break room at the end of each day.

What was the best memory you had interning?

My best memory I had while interning was volunteering with the other interns and staff members at Lakeview Elementary School in Edison, NJ, which is a special school for students who are both physically and cognitively impaired. I was able to work right alongside the students, which was both an eye-opening and rewarding experience. Volunteering with my fellow interns not only helped us grow closer but showed me that WG cares about impacting the community in a positive way.

What have you learned from this experience?

The most important thing I learned is what it’s like to work in a corporate setting. I have worked multiple jobs in the past, but this was my first internship related to my major. Before this internship, I was still a little unsure about my career path, but my time at WG confirmed that I am happy with where I am and want to work at a mid-sized accounting firm in the future.

What is one skill you feel as if you’ve improved upon while at your internship?

A skill that I feel as if I’ve improved upon while at WG was time management. I am normally someone who takes a very long time to finish assignments, because I can be quite the perfectionist. However, working at WG taught me to be more efficient, since accounting is all about billing hours. If you charge your client too much for a relatively simple task, they are not going to be too pleased.

Do you have any advice for anyone who is applying for an internship?

My biggest piece of advice for anyone applying for this internship is to just be yourself in the interview and exude confidence. As a sophomore, I had very little accounting experience going into my internship. However, I proved myself to be a hard-worker and someone who was personable. Everyone at WG wants to help you and see you succeed; they realize that most of us do not know much about the accounting profession.

Contact

The Career Center
Roscoe West Library, Room 102
The College of New Jersey
P.O. Box 7718
2000 Pennington Rd.
Ewing, NJ 08628

609.771.2161
Staff Directory
Office and Resumé Open Hours

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