In order to gain valuable, hands-on experience, the vast majority of future accounting professionals complete one or more internships near the end of their undergraduate studies. Many degree programs even make internships a requirement for graduating.
Besides the benefits of gaining experience and completing degree requirements, internships are incredibly useful because they give future accountants a foot in the door with the firm at which they complete the program, which oftentimes leads to a full-time position post-graduation. There are a number of benefits to taking a full-time position with the firm at which you completed your internship—but don’t just take our word for it! Read on to discover the perspective of some of Blackman and Sloop’s former interns who made the leap to full-time team members.
Benefits of Going from Intern to Full Time Team Member
1. Knowledge of the workplace culture
“One of the major benefits is that you have already experienced the workplace culture and have had time to evaluate whether or not it is a good fit for you.” – Andrew Olson, Tax Associate
“Already having a feel for the culture and having experienced it first-hand was great.” – Logan Miller-DeBrosky, Business Advisory Associate
“You already have a feel for the culture and how things operate. It takes a lot of stress off.” – Sarah Benoist, Audit Associate
2. Knowledge of the workplace systems
“On the technical side, it has some substantial benefits. You’re already familiar with the systems that the firm uses and don’t have to worry about or take time to learn a whole new set of software. It’s a much smoother transition in that way.” – Andrew Olson, Tax Associate
“You already have a feel for what your job is in terms of what tasks you will be assigned and what your day-to-day will look like. For example, some of the work I did during my internship I am now doing as an associate, but now that I am an associate rather than an intern, the clients have become my clients that I am working on.” – Logan Miller-DeBrosky, Business Advisory Associate
“Transitioning from anything to full time employment is hard. Everything is new and there is just so much to learn. I really felt that having my internship helped me with that transition so much because I had already learned the software we used, such as Engagement, Suralink, time entry, etc. I felt that it was one less thing for me to learn and that was so important when everything seemed so overwhelming and all at once.” – Sarah Benoist, Audit Associate
3. Established relationships with teammates
“Your coworkers already have some idea of where your strengths and weaknesses lie. They know what they can do to support you and what work you might be best suited to.” – Andrew Olson, Tax Associate
“I was able to build relationships with the people I worked with during my internship, and now that I am full time those relationships can continue to grow, not only with the people in my department but throughout the firm.” – Logan Miller-DeBrosky, Business Advisory Associate
“Another benefit is, of course, knowing mostly everyone already. It can be so nerve-wracking to start a new job! You worry about what your new coworkers will think about you. Already knowing everyone took another layer of pressure off.” – Sarah Benoist, Audit Associate
4. Knowledge of the workplace hierarchy
“You get to see how the firm is structured, in terms of the different positions (associate, senior associate, manager, senior manager, partner, etc.). You get to see what the day-to-day is like for people in those positions, along with how your role, as you move up, changes over time and what responsibilities you will have to take on.” – Logan Miller-DeBrosky, Business Advisory Associate
Interning with Blackman & Sloop
The Blackman & Sloop internship program provides accounting students with practical, on-the-job experience, as well as an opportunity to assess their interest in a career path with our firm. Our comprehensive and unique internship program is designed to channel students into a pool of candidates for full-time career opportunities with Blackman & Sloop by offering students the chance to rotate through our three service areas: audit, tax, and business advisory.
Blackman & Sloop is always looking for bright, enthusiastic future accounting professionals to participate in our internship program. If you are looking to gain hands-on experience and develop your understanding of public accounting, consider us as a place to begin your accounting career in North Carolina. To learn more about internships with our firm, visit b-sadvisors.com/careers/internships.