Happy Wednesday, Hounds! As we approach the end of the semester, many students are wrapping up their Spring internships such as Prithyankara Rajesh ’24. Over the spring semester, Pri has been gaining critical accounting experience as a Tax Intern at KLR, an accounting firm in Boston. Last summer, Pri had the privilege of interning at TJX, gaining experience in Financial Accounting. Read the blog below to learn how Pri’s internship experiences have helped shape her decision to pursue a career in Public Accounting.
What does a typical day look like for a Tax Intern at KLR?
As an intern, I offer assistance to the staff accountants by prepping returns and work papers. I really enjoy collaborating with all the Associates, Interns, and Managers at KLR!
Are you hoping to accomplish or learn anything during your internship?
I am hoping to learn more about Tax Estimates and Tax laws.
What are your career goals? How will this internship help you reach those goals?
My goal is to be fully immersed in Public Accounting and this internship is the perfect start to it! During my time here, I got a feel for what it would be like to work full-time in Public Accounting.
What are your key takeaways from your experience? What skills did you gain from this internship?
The skills I find to be most relevant to this internship experience are initiative and detail-oriented, which I have strengthened throughout this semester. From my previous experiences at different places of work, I have learned that it is appreciated to be the one to take the first step, be it a conversation with peers or getting assigned tasks. This shows that I am interested in learning and getting to know new people. From this internship, I have learned the importance of attention to detail; I never realized how much I needed to improve this skill until I started getting feedback and reviews on my work. I am glad to have learned this aspect of myself early on in my career journey.
Why did you apply to this internship? What aspects of the position or company interested you?
I applied for this internship because I wanted to experience the “busy season” of accounting, and KLR is the perfect place for it because they offer interns an incredible training program. I also appreciate their work culture and client-centric focus – this resonated with my personal principles. My internship has shown me the many aspects of tax that will help me long-term in my career.
How has your Assumption education prepared you for this internship?
Federal Income Tax with Professor Kevin Peterssen was one of the best classes I have taken at Assumption. He challenged us to problem-solve real-world tax examples happening in real time. This made me interested in wanting to learn more about taxes. Many of my professors here gave me the confidence to try something new and unfamiliar. I think overall my journey at Assumption taught me the importance of being open to all opportunities that come my way. Once I realized this, I was surprised to enjoy doing many things that I never thought I would like in the first place.
What advice would you give to a student who wants to participate in an internship?
No matter how much you learn in class you will learn at least 10 times more in a professional setting. This is especially true if you are pursuing an education that requires learning many technical skills. Irrespective of where you intern, you will find yourself learning invaluable skills that can be used throughout your life. This is also the perfect time to meet new people who share the same interests as you, giving you more opportunities to network. Also, it is a ton of fun!
If you are interested in being featured on Highlighting Hounds, please email us at careerdevelopment@assumption.edu!
