The Value of Our 2019 Accounting Internship at Redpath

April 4, 2019 — The snow is mostly gone, and our interns are getting closer to the end of their 2019 accounting internship experience. Today we look into what value they have seen from their internship.

Kathryn F. is finishing her senior year at Augsburg University. Experiencing public accounting firsthand, learning how to apply concepts learned in school to real-life situations, and the Redpath culture and environment are things that stand out to her about the experience. It has really confirmed that accounting is the right career for her. 

“I really enjoy working in tax and learning how different it is in regards to what everyone else thinks we do. Everyone here has been so nice and helpful throughout the whole internship. I never felt judged for having many things to learn and asking questions about them. I understand now how much work goes into the process of one return and it feels really good to finish one and route it to the reviewer! I also see how much we learn on the job and how important it is to get this practical experience before we start our careers.

I probably didn’t need to take a million pages of notes on everything we learned in training—I often ended up simply asking for help anyways. Asking for help and working through a problem with someone helped me understand it better anyway!”

Zachary T. is currently a junior in his third year at the University of North Dakota. His highlights of the experience include the processes for learning new things at the firm and familiarizing himself with what the career path of an accountant can look like.

“I’ve met many great people as well. I have a much better understanding of the day-to-day aspects of accounting as well as more general skills like time management and workspace organization. Working in the office has been a good experience and I had a smooth acclimation. Looking back, I think that being patient and being willing to ask as many questions as necessary is a large part of that.”

Brandon S. is currently a senior at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, and says that the biggest highlight for him is the opportunity to come in each day and learn something new, whether it’s a new regulation or a shortcut to work more efficiently.

Through the internship, Brandon has developed a greater understanding of not-for-profits and governmental entities, including the regulations they must follow. He enjoys thinking through how to communicate; questions need to be worded in a way the client will understand when the team visits them.

“One piece of advice I would give myself back when I started is to not be afraid to ask questions and consider learning new sections of the audit process. Over the past few months, I have learned that everyone at the firm is willing to help, and make sure you understand where you went wrong so you don’t make the same mistake repeatedly. The hands-on experience has been an awesome opportunity to learn.”

Alec W. is currently a senior at North Dakota State University, where he is on pace to complete not only his Bachelor’s but also a Master of Accountancy degree.

He is grateful for all the people he has met, from tax seniors to fellow interns. Redpath has a social event on Fridays, which can be nice because every employee gets the chance to talk to other people about not only accounting but also non-accounting subjects.

“This has been my first job at a public accounting firm, and it has helped me gain a better understanding of various accounting software, and also the differences between business and personal tax. 

I didn’t expect to have as much partner interaction as I have had. They’ve been very accessible, and I’ve had the opportunity to get to know them while working through tax returns and other projects.

I’ve found that you don’t need to be afraid to ask questions. At first, I was a little apprehensive to do so, but after a short time I realized that everyone wants to help out and doesn’t mind at all.”

Aaron D. recently graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He has enjoyed getting to know the processes employed by tax professionals and enjoys the social events Redpath makes available.

“Through the internship, I’ve learned how the definition of a single word can have many different meanings within the tax code.

I’ve stopped worrying too much if something is taking a little longer than expected because it’s just a part of learning. We’ve also learned that if we keep our candy dish full, some of our seniors will stay longer for our question and answer sessions! Everyone here has been so welcoming and willing to help.”

Roan M. is a senior who will soon graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He enjoys that there are so many different personalities and talents within Redpath and Company—something that he experiences every day.

“I’ve learned much more during this internship than I thought possible on day one. My understanding of both business and personal tax has skyrocketed over the last few weeks.

I wasn't expecting there to be social events every Friday, and I was pleasantly surprised by the way the firm provides food throughout our busiest time of year. Also, I was very happy to see how understanding, patient, and respectful my reviewers are–it makes the learning process that much easier.”

Nicole K. is currently a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She has enjoyed learning about how companies operate and what auditing truly entails.

“I’ve learned something new every day, and at this point, everything makes way more sense than when I started. I like that I can see how I’ve progressed and feel more knowledgeable about what I’m doing—and why we do things that way. The internship has given me a much better understanding of how much goes into an audit and the processes we use to complete one.

I didn’t know what to expect when I started, but it’s been a great experience overall. I've seen that critical thinking can usually get you the answer you need—and if something isn’t making sense, just ask!”

Jacob B. is currently a senior at the University of Saint Thomas and will graduate later this year. He has found his coworkers to be incredibly welcoming and helpful throughout the transition process from college to public accounting.

“Prior to the internship, it was more difficult to see the connection between what we were learning in class and how it would actually serve me in the future—but after spending a busy season here it is much easier to see how it all fits together!

I think the most surprising part has been the people and how well I have gotten to know everyone in my short time here. Everyone has just been extremely great to work with and get to know better.

My advice for those just starting out in accounting would definitely be to just relax; it is easy to feel like you are in over your head, but if you just take a step back, relax, and keep trying your best, everything gets done eventually!”

Kerstin B. recently graduated from Concordia University, St. Paul. She says that it has been a real highlight to meet everyone and work for a company that actually walks the walk when they say that you can ask questions. The firm wants you to ask questions because it is important that employees continually learn and grow.

“Redpath really embraces continual learning. I think that’s really cool and highly respectable! You can’t fully understand what something like an internship will be like until you start it. So ultimately, I had no idea what the programs and processes were going to be like, the ratio of business to personal returns, how they get assigned, what the schedule and hours were going to feel like, etc.

I was expecting a high stress environment, but that’s not what I experienced. Everyone at the White Bear Lake office seems just as relaxed, pleasant, and welcoming as the first day we started.

Looking back to the start of my experience, I would tell myself to not be nervous and instead focus on how to schedule and prioritize non-work related responsibilities. During busy season time goes by very quickly.”

Payton S. is a junior at the University of Saint John’s. He has enjoyed the fact that the type and amount of work and daily atmosphere around the office were comparable to what he saw here at his summer experience at Redpath.

“With this being my first public accounting internship there was a lot to absorb, but I think the level of work picked up appropriately as the weeks went on.

The firm’s social events were nice too—they were really helpful for reconnecting with people I had worked with in the past and for meeting people from other departments as well. That said, I probably got to know people the best by working on jobs with them, and when we were out in the field it was really nice to be sitting with others who were able to help, show me how to do new things, and answer all different kinds of questions.”

Are you interested in getting a feel for what it’s like to work in public accounting? It’s not too early to apply for a 2021 accounting internship. Maybe we’ll see you then!