A Day of the Life of an Intern: Junior Brian Price

What is name of the company you are interning for and your position there?
I am interning with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), a Big 4 accounting firm. I am an assurance intern in their Philadelphia office.

Describe a typical day on the job.
Every day I arrive at my team's client's office. I check e-mail and wrap up any work I had done the day before. I then reach out to members of my team to see if there is any work they would like me to do and I just try and keep up and learn as much as I can.

What are some skills that you have learned that you feel will apply to your future career?
Excel. It is so important and frequently used. I had known a little before I started, but in only a few days my skills and knowledge of the program have increased greatly. I am also familiarizing myself with accounting software, which will certainly benefit my future career. Organizing and task management are certainly necessary.

Any soft/social skills?
Small talk is big. Remembering people's names is also key. Having the confidence to approach superiors to ask questions has been a huge part of the internship.

What were your expectations of the internship? Does it match the reality?
My expectations were to work long hours doing tedious work. I was mostly right — it is the busy season for accountants, so I have been here past the "normal work day" every day. The work, while tedious, is interesting and gives great insight into the firm and client, as well as a preview of what is to come in my career. Some things I did not realize immediately were the number of interactions I’d have with coworkers and what the "normal" intern things, i.e. ordering dinner for the team, were.

How do you feel this internship prepared you for the real world?
So far, I feel this internship is preparing me in multiple ways. In how to network and talk to people and commute from home to work. Also, it has provided me a way to boost my technical skills and has provided for software programs experience. It has just overall given me a taste of life after school.

What advice would you give to college students pursuing an internship? 
Put yourself out there. Talk to as many people as you can — a lot of people who have opportunities for you come to campus all the time. Put in your hard work now and do the things you may not want to do to boost your resume in order to get that interview. Ask upperclassmen for advice on their specific paths. And, just stay in touch with recruiters.