Intern of the Month

March 2021

Kathleen Allen

Majors: BS in Accounting

Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2021

Internship Title: WilkinGuttenplan Summer Intern

Employer Name: WilkinGuttenplan

Employer Location: East Brunswick, New Jersey

Internship Dates: June 15 – August 15, 2020

1. Describe your role or a typical day.
   Due to Covid-19, we unfortunately were unable to meet as an on-site internship. Nonetheless, this did not deter WilkinGuttenplan from making the internship opportunity remote. A typical day could vary based on your assignments, but in the beginning we had a lot of training to prepare us for the coming tasks ahead.

2. How did you hear about or obtain this role?
   I heard about this role via Accounting Honors Employment Program. If you are an accounting major I could not recommend this program enough. In fact, if I did not participate in AHEP, I would most likely be graduating without a job in my field.

3. What were your major responsibilities at the internship?
   My major responsibilities included mostly CIRA (common interest real-estate association) Tax work, as well as a sample audit. On the more clerical side of things, we checked our emails, learned how to navigate through the different software, as well as managed our work flows.

4. What interested you about it?
   WilkinGuttenplan is a mid-sized firm and is very big on work life balance. To me this was far more important than joining a firm in which one would simply show up, work, and leave. WilkinGuttenplan actually allows one to make connections within the firm and integrates this very well within the internship. Not only do they pair you off with one of the members of their team as a “buddy”, who you can ask any questions about the firm or tasks you have, they also organized lunches for us in which we could virtually meet members of the team in different areas for the firm. They also partake in the “We Give” program, in which they help out charities such as the Red Cross as well as a local school for those with disabilities. WilkinGuttenplan offers an exceptional work environment for employees that is professional but also warm and inviting. These are a few of the things that set WG apart from other accounting firms.

5. What did you learn through your experience? How can you relate this to your future career goals?
   I personally learned that this was the firm for me, and am very thankful to be beginning my career with WilkinGuttenplan in the fall of 2021!

6. What advice would you give to other students about the internship experience?
   My advice for other students when it comes to internships is mainly to ask questions and to not be afraid to make mistakes. That was something I was always so worried about, but the truth is that when we enter into any type of internship, we are learning many new things at once. The firm knows this, and a good firm will encourage you to ask questions and will work through the mistakes with you to ensure that you are learning .