Major: Accounting and Finance – Company: Border States Electric – Location of Internship: Fargo, ND – Internship Title: Financial Accounting Intern
- Why did you choose the company that you work for?
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I chose the organization because of the culture and the people.
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- What were some of the requirements for your internship?
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Required tasks for my internship revolves a lot around excel and having excel knowledge. The amount of excel knowledge I have learned is unreal. A big part of my internship is the project that I have been assigned. The project is called Financial Accounting Policies and Thresholds, which is basically creating and documenting all the policies and thresholds that the financial accounting team operates by and having it in a centralized area for the entire company to see. The remaining tasks I have been a part of include journal entries, account reconciliations, rolling spreadsheets to keep them updated, assisting with accounting issues within the company, etc.
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- What is your favorite part about your internship experience?
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My favorite part about my internship has been the knowledge I have been exposed to. I am learning something new every single day and I really enjoy it. I get tasks that I may not know or understand but everyone is there to help and willing to answer any questions or issues I have.
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- What is the most challenging part of your internship? How have you overcome these obstacles?
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The most challenging part of the internship would be to speak out and not be afraid to let yourself be heard. When I first started, it was intimidating to be surrounding by people who knew what they were doing and being the new person on the team, it was challenging to voice your opinion on certain issues during meetings because I felt like I knew nothing. But, with time and support from the team, I have become way more confident in contributing to conversations and making myself heard.
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- How did you find your internship?
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I found the internship through the company itself but I had previously met them at the NDSU “Meet the Firms” fair.
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- Why was it beneficial for you to register for credit(s) through the Internship Program offered through the Career and Advising Center?
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It was beneficial as it was a requirement for the accounting degree but it also helps to get additional credits toward the program.
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- What advice would you give a student who is in the process of applying for an internship?
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Get outside of your comfort zone and talk to people. Go to these career fairs and events offered by NDSU, and connect with employers of various companies. Networking is super important, and I really suggest creating a LinkedIn account to get started.
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