[Anonymous]

I am lucky to get a tax internship in a big 4 company, but I am clueless what a tax intern really does in the workplace…

All I have done till now is reviewing my tax course materials… But I think the real work will be much different.

So I have some questions here…

What is the real work like? Could anyone give me some advice for preparation?

I appreciate all responses. Thank you!

[Mike]

I can't speak to the tax side as I am in audit but any preparations should be similar. Don't worry to much about reviewing technical tax/accounting stuff, and spend time on streamlining your life and using general computer applications. Like TNCPA said, get familiar with excel. All of the office suite for that matter. Unless you have a part time job and use it extensively there, you could really benefit from watching some youtube videos to brush up and pick up some tricks. Memorize the shortcuts and what not.

This may seem silly, but if you have not worked in an office figure out how to operate the super basic stuff so you don't get stuck having to ask someone how to scan something.

Besides that, just get your life in order so you're ready to work more than you have been and stay up to date on current events so you can talk to people about more than how cold it is outside and what you had for lunch. A positive attitude and ability to ask the same question no more than one time are the main things that will help you do well.

[Anonymous]

Thanks to everyone!

I have learned a lot!

Now it's the time for me to prepare the CPA EXAM!

[Anonymous]

Thanks to everyone!

I have learned a lot!

Now it's the time for me to prepare the CPA EXAM!

[Anonymous]

Enjoy your internship while it lasts… don't be stressed and seek overtime 🙂

Be proactive in looking for work- interns usually have lots of downtime. Introduce yourself to as many staff+ as you can. See if you can help out with scanning, spell-checking memos, double-checking the math on workpapers, etc. etc.

Don't worry about knowing your stuff, they don't expect you to. But they do expect you to remember how to do things if they already taught you once.

[Anonymous]

Enjoy your internship while it lasts… don't be stressed and seek overtime 🙂

Be proactive in looking for work- interns usually have lots of downtime. Introduce yourself to as many staff+ as you can. See if you can help out with scanning, spell-checking memos, double-checking the math on workpapers, etc. etc.

Don't worry about knowing your stuff, they don't expect you to. But they do expect you to remember how to do things if they already taught you once.

[Mayo]

Can't sleep, so I'll add some stuff to the thread. Apologies for including stuff previously posted. Also, this is from the Audit side, but the idea behind it is the same. Audit interns…this might help:

-Anytime you ask a question, interact with a client, or receive instruction from your team, bring a notepad and pencil/pen.

I still remember going to a client contact to simply pick up a paper or some form, staying 20 minutes while she explained a schedule intended for a Staff auditor, and me nodding and pretending like I knew what she was saying. Went back to the staff, and basically said, “really sorry man, but she started about XYZ and I was lost”. Thankfully, he was nice, and simply smiled and said “Don't worry about it”.

-Show up on time. Maybe 5 minutes early, but not much more, Chances are your Senior takes 30 minutes before you show up to organize and think about the tasks she/he needs to assign you. You show up too early and you'll basically be surfing the internet and making the Senior feel rushed. At least that's how I do it. 😛

-When you say “I'm finished”, make sure you've proofread and reviewed everything in the work paper. It's ok to take your time. There's really no rush. But the most annoying thing is when you speed through stuff to impress me on how fast you are. Meanwhile, the formatting looks crappy, formulas don't make sense, and there are a million typos. It doesn't have to be perfect or even good. But I can tell if you've rushed through something. Someone always goes back and completes/reviews your work, but it's much easier on us if it's well done and to a minimum standard.

-I'm giving you instructions. I know 90% of it may be out of context and totally foreign. That's ok. You don't have to understand the “why” 100%. But at least get 80% of the “how”. While I'm giving you instructions, if you don't understand something then ask. It's ok. I have taken the time to explain it to you, so that means I have time to answer now. Not to mention all my attention is on you and your assigned task. Later on I might be distracted by a million things, and might unintentionally be less helpful and focused

-As you go through your task, write down your questions and make a list. If you get stuck, move on to the next task. If you only have one task then make an effort to think through it. Give it ten minutes. After that, ask your fellow interns (in person or by instant messenger). After that, ask the first year staff (unless otherwise told not to; chances are you're expected to). THEN, if you're truly stuck then tell the Senior you're stuck and that you have a question. Answering a question every five minutes kills our concentration, makes both of us inefficient, and shows you're not trying. When I come over to help you, you should be able to say, “I've tried or thought about this, this, and this, but I can't figure it out”.

Only caveat is that you shouldn't spin your wheels. Use the “10 minute rule” before you ask for help. It's not the “1 and a half hour rule”. Also, if it doesn't have anything to do with the task, I suggest you don't ask your question. We don't have time to discuss the theoretical implications of FASB Statement XYZ that you just learned in school. Save that for impressing the opposite sex at parties and winning arguments on the internet 😛

-Repeat after me….”Prior year files are my friend”…..”Prior year files are my friend”…..”Prior year files are my friend”.

-Checking email, browsing the internet, and listening to music are usually ok as quick breaks here and there. Don't spend all day on a Facebook, Twitter. reddit, or whatever you damn kids are doing these days. It makes you look lazy and off task.

-Have a positive attitude in all your tasks. Yeah, getting dinner is not how you envisioned using your education. Neither is making copies, faxing stuff, picking up mail and supplies, etc. guess what? That stuff is immensely helpful to us and takes it off our own plate. So just do it with a smile and we'll be really grateful.

-Don't fall asleep. I had an intern this year like that. Don't be that guy.

-Before you shut down, ask “Do you guys need anything else from me before I leave”. 9/10 times they'll say No. But the courtesy is appreciated.

-Groom and dress professionally. Guys: Shave, iron your clothes, brush your teeth, go light on the cologne, and cut your hair. Ladies: Don't dress like your going to the club and go light on the perfume. If you smoke, don't be “6-7 smoke breaks” guy.

-Be humble. You went to an Ivy a league? great! You're probably a hard worker, which would be appreciated You already did a tax/audit internship? Nice, that background will be helpful in your tasks. But do me a favor and please refrain from acting like we should care. We don't. I came from a small school, and work with plenty of people from big schools. We all had the same base knowledge of accounting, which is even less useful as an intern because you all know nothing (relatively) anyway.

-In audit, interns basically perform 3-4 tasks. Learn the “how” and some basic”why” behind those tasks and you'll be good to go. Otherwise, you're basically just highlighting and copying/pasting stuff all day with no idea of what you're doing. Trying to learn a little is ok, and ultimately helpful to give context on the job itself.

-Be ready to work overtime if needed. Yes it sucks, but it's a nice payday. When I interned there was one team that worked 80+ hours ever week (they still do :/ ). With overtime the interns' paycheck were larger than some of the Managers.t's a sweet deal and enjoy it while it lasts. “Overtime” hours are also a better approximation of busy season hours.

Being an intern is pretty easy, and the hard part (recruiting) is basically over. So just show up with a good attitude, be willing to learn and work hard, and be an overall cool coworker. Do that and 90% takes care of itself. What I mentioned is basically the 10% to help you stand out.

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[Mayo]

Can't sleep, so I'll add some stuff to the thread. Apologies for including stuff previously posted. Also, this is from the Audit side, but the idea behind it is the same. Audit interns…this might help:

-Anytime you ask a question, interact with a client, or receive instruction from your team, bring a notepad and pencil/pen.

I still remember going to a client contact to simply pick up a paper or some form, staying 20 minutes while she explained a schedule intended for a Staff auditor, and me nodding and pretending like I knew what she was saying. Went back to the staff, and basically said, “really sorry man, but she started about XYZ and I was lost”. Thankfully, he was nice, and simply smiled and said “Don't worry about it”.

-Show up on time. Maybe 5 minutes early, but not much more, Chances are your Senior takes 30 minutes before you show up to organize and think about the tasks she/he needs to assign you. You show up too early and you'll basically be surfing the internet and making the Senior feel rushed. At least that's how I do it. 😛

-When you say “I'm finished”, make sure you've proofread and reviewed everything in the work paper. It's ok to take your time. There's really no rush. But the most annoying thing is when you speed through stuff to impress me on how fast you are. Meanwhile, the formatting looks crappy, formulas don't make sense, and there are a million typos. It doesn't have to be perfect or even good. But I can tell if you've rushed through something. Someone always goes back and completes/reviews your work, but it's much easier on us if it's well done and to a minimum standard.

-I'm giving you instructions. I know 90% of it may be out of context and totally foreign. That's ok. You don't have to understand the “why” 100%. But at least get 80% of the “how”. While I'm giving you instructions, if you don't understand something then ask. It's ok. I have taken the time to explain it to you, so that means I have time to answer now. Not to mention all my attention is on you and your assigned task. Later on I might be distracted by a million things, and might unintentionally be less helpful and focused

-As you go through your task, write down your questions and make a list. If you get stuck, move on to the next task. If you only have one task then make an effort to think through it. Give it ten minutes. After that, ask your fellow interns (in person or by instant messenger). After that, ask the first year staff (unless otherwise told not to; chances are you're expected to). THEN, if you're truly stuck then tell the Senior you're stuck and that you have a question. Answering a question every five minutes kills our concentration, makes both of us inefficient, and shows you're not trying. When I come over to help you, you should be able to say, “I've tried or thought about this, this, and this, but I can't figure it out”.

Only caveat is that you shouldn't spin your wheels. Use the “10 minute rule” before you ask for help. It's not the “1 and a half hour rule”. Also, if it doesn't have anything to do with the task, I suggest you don't ask your question. We don't have time to discuss the theoretical implications of FASB Statement XYZ that you just learned in school. Save that for impressing the opposite sex at parties and winning arguments on the internet 😛

-Repeat after me….”Prior year files are my friend”…..”Prior year files are my friend”…..”Prior year files are my friend”.

-Checking email, browsing the internet, and listening to music are usually ok as quick breaks here and there. Don't spend all day on a Facebook, Twitter. reddit, or whatever you damn kids are doing these days. It makes you look lazy and off task.

-Have a positive attitude in all your tasks. Yeah, getting dinner is not how you envisioned using your education. Neither is making copies, faxing stuff, picking up mail and supplies, etc. guess what? That stuff is immensely helpful to us and takes it off our own plate. So just do it with a smile and we'll be really grateful.

-Don't fall asleep. I had an intern this year like that. Don't be that guy.

-Before you shut down, ask “Do you guys need anything else from me before I leave”. 9/10 times they'll say No. But the courtesy is appreciated.

-Groom and dress professionally. Guys: Shave, iron your clothes, brush your teeth, go light on the cologne, and cut your hair. Ladies: Don't dress like your going to the club and go light on the perfume. If you smoke, don't be “6-7 smoke breaks” guy.

-Be humble. You went to an Ivy a league? great! You're probably a hard worker, which would be appreciated You already did a tax/audit internship? Nice, that background will be helpful in your tasks. But do me a favor and please refrain from acting like we should care. We don't. I came from a small school, and work with plenty of people from big schools. We all had the same base knowledge of accounting, which is even less useful as an intern because you all know nothing (relatively) anyway.

-In audit, interns basically perform 3-4 tasks. Learn the “how” and some basic”why” behind those tasks and you'll be good to go. Otherwise, you're basically just highlighting and copying/pasting stuff all day with no idea of what you're doing. Trying to learn a little is ok, and ultimately helpful to give context on the job itself.

-Be ready to work overtime if needed. Yes it sucks, but it's a nice payday. When I interned there was one team that worked 80+ hours ever week (they still do :/ ). With overtime the interns' paycheck were larger than some of the Managers.t's a sweet deal and enjoy it while it lasts. “Overtime” hours are also a better approximation of busy season hours.

Being an intern is pretty easy, and the hard part (recruiting) is basically over. So just show up with a good attitude, be willing to learn and work hard, and be an overall cool coworker. Do that and 90% takes care of itself. What I mentioned is basically the 10% to help you stand out.

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[Author]

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