How did you prepare for your internship search? What were some of the steps, i.e. fine tuning your resume, interview prep, etc.

I started my internship search in the fall of my sophomore year.  I began by writing my resume and visiting the UACC (Jason Whitney) for revisions. It is there where I learned about the career fair.  I researched the companies and accounting firms that were going to be present and identified the ones that interested me the most.   A majority of the representatives that I spoke with at the career fair were not interested in hiring me due to the fact that I had not started taking the core accounting classes yet.  Despite this lack of interest, the overall experience was a good opportunity to practice my communication skills and prepare for reapplication in the following fall.  In September of my junior year, I once again revised my resume with the help of Jason Whitney and submitted it to Wildcat Careers for early interviews.  Two firms offered me on-campus interviews and subsequently invited me for follow-up interviews at their Portland offices in November.  It was from one of those interviews that I was offered an internship for the summer.

What three things would you tell your peers they need to do so they find and secure a great internship?

- Start early (especially for accounting internships)

- Stay motivated (it’s easy to forget about applying for internships when classes start picking up)

- Perfect your resume (use all the resources available to you: friends, family, professors and the UACC)

Talk about the benefits of networking, timely follow-ups, and being proactive in your search.

Networking, follow ups, and being proactive allowed me to make a positive impression, meet new people, and practice effective communication skills.

What did you learn from your internship search that you will apply in future job searches?

In interviews and at the career fair I found it helpful to be outgoing. I had to remind myself that the employer can see my GPA and work experiences on my resume. Selling my personality to employers was key in order to differentiate myself from the pool of other applicants.

What is the most valuable part of your internship experience so far? What skills are you learning that you can apply to other internships and jobs?

What skills are you learning that you can apply to other internships and jobs?

I was given the same training and exposure as the new hires at BDMP. Therefore, I have actual experiences to draw on in future job interviews and in the classroom.