Interns

I found my internship with Barnes Wendling to be very versatile. I started with audit and gradually moved to tax. My day-to-day tasks included not just shadowing and "sorting papers" but preparing tax returns, completing tax-related side projects and "solving puzzles", relying on tax laws and knowledge of software. I would highly recommend saying yes to every learning opportunity because you will not be left clueless; there is always someone available to guide you. I am glad I found Barnes because of their flexibility. I have a family, so it is especially important for me to work when it fits my schedule.

I always started my day knowing exactly what I will be doing. This allowed me to be able to balance school with work. I worked in both tax and audit and helped with reconciliation of bank statements, collecting samples to test, and even looked at legal statements or invoices to find anything that could potentially affect an audit. Sometimes the client would give us a tour of their facility and we’d go out to lunch with them. This helped build  my interpersonal skills.

The strong development culture at Barnes Wendling was a major factor in my growth and development during my internship. During the typical day, I would begin by arriving at a client’s facility. My tasks would vary by client and by day, but the expectations were always clearly identified. Audit staff would not only show me how to work through more challenging tasks, but also explain the reasons behind why we complete tasks in certain ways. I enjoyed the client facility tours. Not only was it fascinating to see what the client was doing/making, but you would also have time to discuss related items.