At the beginning of January 2023, I started my internship in the GYF tax department along with several other students. As busy-season interns, our responsibilities were similar to those of a full-time staff accountant at the firm. Overall, we worked with the entire team of experienced professionals and were treated as equals, without any reference to “only being an intern.” We prepared tax returns and performed additional technical tasks, had intellectual conversations with the staff and managers, and attended firm meetings, to name a few of the ways we spent our time (not to mention enjoying the in-office pancake breakfast pictured above!)
I felt a bit overwhelmed on the first day of training as I was introduced to all of the new things I would need to learn. I was nervous about being able to understand basic tax functionalities, learn new software, understand client stories and complete my work in a timely manner. There were large amounts of knowledge to grasp in the midst of busy season, but I know that an important skill that I gained through my internship was how to balance the workload. All of my co-workers and supervisors were helpful and provided assurance that I was hired because I was capable and would learn what I needed by doing the job with the support of other professionals in the firm. As I look back on that experience, it was not as bad as I had feared, and it gave me the confidence that I could handle the work.
I believe that being an intern was the greatest way that I could have started off my experience with GYF and to prepare me for a full-time position.
When I transitioned into my full-time role as a staff associate in the GYF Tax Group in May 2023, I felt more confident because I had built a strong foundation as an intern. I knew what skills were required in the role and had established my own techniques to get the job done to meet my deadlines. Also, I was already familiar with the clients, work processes and software. I felt comfortable seeing familiar faces and had developed relationships with many of the staff who I would continue to work with daily. I was still a bit nervous because I knew that there was more expected of me and more to learn, but the self-assurance I had developed during my internship gave me the confidence to accept additional responsibilities and grow as a full-time accountant.
After recently completing the work required for two big fall deadlines, I feel as though I have grown tremendously since I first started as an intern in January. As a full-time team member, I work on much larger projects and am granted access to more reference material as I prepare the returns. Because I already have the foundational knowledge, this expanded responsibility provides an opportunity for me to continue to learn and grow. I have improved skills that I had used in my internship, but were far from perfect. For example, I struggled when I first started to learn how to prepare business tax returns – I never got items to tie and was constantly at a loss. But after working and learning over the last few months, I have a better understanding of the process from start to finish and feel more confident in the work that I complete.
I know that there is far more for me to master in the world of tax. I still have a lot of questions, but I have learned to work more efficiently to find answers. Instead of going to a manager or senior about everything, I can ask my peers or do some research on my own to find what I need. I have learned that it is okay to take more time than what is budgeted to understand and make sense of the information. When I started as an intern, I thought the goal was to get my returns prepared on time and send them for signature, but I realize that this is not the case. I now know that it’s important to understand the client stories, what goes on within a return, how I may relate what I learned from one return to another. This knowledge is not only a result of the guidance provided by the seniors and managers, but also a by-product of my new-found self-confidence.
I have accepted the fact that everyone at a higher level than me has been where I am now. At one of the firm meetings a senior manager was asked, “What was the hardest thing for you when you first started out?” His response was, “Everything!” I related to this, and found it reassuring to realize that I am not alone – that everyone has gone through this experience too. I also understand that the goal of all those working at the firm was to help me succeed, and not to make fun of my failures. They recognize that it is important to encourage and promote growth in those professionals who are new to the industry. Knowing that I have the support and reinforcement needed when faced with something new has motivated me to work harder to learn and become a better accountant.
