Over the past three years, I have talked with audit professionals at career fairs and through accounting clubs who told me that the work I do in my classes differs greatly from the actual work performed during an audit. However, as an accounting student with no prior internship experience under my belt, I did not truly know what they meant. I joined GYF’s audit department with the expectation that most of my time would involve applying the accounting concepts I learned in my classes, but now that I am part-way through my summer audit internship, I finally understand what everyone was trying to tell me.
I quickly learned that the day-to-day reality of auditing adds layers of complexity
beyond the textbook examples I was used to.
In the classroom, accounting procedures are often presented in a structured way to build foundational understanding. In the office, however, real audits involve navigating large, unstructured amounts of information, maintaining consistent communication with clients, and exercising professional judgment to determine whether financial information is accurate and properly supported.
One of the biggest differences I noticed is how the information is provided. In my accounting coursework, I was often given all of the information needed so that I could focus on applying a specific concept. In practice, client records may require clarification, reconciliation or additional support before conclusions can be reached. Detailed analysis and careful review are often needed to identify differences and exceptions. Instead of simply finding a correct answer as I do with homework problems, I spend more time understanding why something happened and gathering enough evidence to support a conclusion.
This experience taught me that in addition to knowledge of accounting concepts,
auditing requires curiosity, analysis and professional judgement.
Another major difference between classroom and real life is the amount of documentation required. In school, demonstrating that I knew a concept by showing my calculation work was often the primary focus. In the audit environment, every conclusion must be supported by evidence and thoroughly documented in workpapers. Although it felt foreign to me initially, I learned that even when a balance appears reasonable, it is our job as auditors to show exactly how that conclusion was reached. Professional auditing has required a level of documentation and attention to detail that extends beyond what I have experienced in the classroom, and that is vital to the audit process.
I have also gained a new appreciation for collaboration throughout my internship. Most of my accounting coursework was completed independently, but auditing is a team sport. Each audit is performed by an engagement team that consists of Staff, Seniors, Managers, and Partners. As an intern, I work closely with the staff accountants, asking them questions, describing issues, and learning from their personal experiences. This part of my internship has been the most beneficial to my accounting knowledge.
Being able to ask numerous questions about the work I am doing and receiving individualized, engagement-specific guidance differs from the broader instruction of a large classroom setting.
Despite the contrasts between school and the office, I have been pleasantly surprised by how much of what I learned in the classroom directly applies to my work. My understanding of financial statements and concepts such as materiality and internal controls doesn’t just help me pass exams – this knowledge also guides many of the procedures performed during an audit. Having a strong foundation in these concepts and knowing how transactions flow through the accounting system has made it much easier for me to understand the purpose behind the work I am performing.
Perhaps the most important lesson I have learned so far is that the coursework and the internship experience serve different, yet complementary, purposes. My accounting classes provided a strong knowledge of key accounting concepts and taught me the language used in the professional world. The internship has built upon that foundation and shown me how those principles are applied in real-world situations. While the transition from student to intern has been challenging at times, the experience has helped bridge the gap between theory and practice, giving me a much clearer picture of what a career in auditing truly looks like.
