How to prepare for an accounting internship

In the first part of our accounting internship series, we talked about finding a placement. In this article we’ll look at how best to prepare for an internship, looking at all the things to consider on the run up to your first day.

Logistics and practicalities

As an accountant, attention to detail is a vital quality, so before you start your internship figure out all the fine details that will help your time run as smoothly as possible and for you to make a good impression. This includes knowing who you’ll be working with, in which team(s) and where; knowing how to arrive on time on your first day, and any relevant contact details, such as line manager and HR; finding out what you’ll be working on and your responsibilities, which may require being comfortable in a piece of software, Excel, for example, so practice with it before you arrive.

Know the organisation and industry

Having secured the internship, you’ll likely already know a fair bit about the organisation and its sector. However, now it’s time to get into the nitty gritty – research its history and key events; get to know its products and services, customers, and competitors; get familiar with its leadership and structure (locations, departments, etc) to get an idea of how it operates. 

It’s also highly advisable to keep abreast of the industry by following it in the news; get to know the names of key businesses and players in the industry and how any key developments, for example, new technology or regulations, are affecting it.

Prioritise and strategise

Other key accountant qualities – prioritising and strategising. Set goals for the internship in line with your long-term plan. You ultimately want to come away from the internship with more skills and experiences, specifically ones that will help move your career forward.

Have a clear idea of what you hope to achieve in the internship and how you’ll go about it. List your intentions and goals and make a detailed plan to keep you on track, include a way to measure progress (another key accountant quality), from a simple tick list to scheduled supervisor feedback. Consult ACCA’s Career Navigator for insights into skills, career paths and competencies, you could use it to form your internship plan.

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Your goals might be working on specific skills, for example, technical accounting tasks or interpersonal skills and networking, or gaining exposure to certain situations or people, for example, client-side work if an accountancy practice, or working alongside data analysts, auditors, or finance business partners.

The office environment

This may be your first time in an office, and while not wildly strange places, they might seem very unfamiliar, with their own etiquette and nuances. You need to conduct yourself in a professional manner, which ultimately means being respectful of others. 

Depending on the organisation, accountants might spend time in a client office, so you need to be ultra-professional. In general, accountants are very busy people, but there are certain times of the year, for example, around financial year, when finance teams are flat out. Showing understanding of such situations by being helpful and supportive will go a long way to impressing people.

How you speak with friends and family is probably not how you should talk in an office. This doesn’t mean you should be mute or not be yourself, but clear polite communication is key, so no swearing or slang for starters. Listen out for accounting and finance terminology you may or may not already know, and don’t be afraid to use it or ask for clarification if you don’t understand something.

Finally, good respectful behaviour will go a long way to fitting in. Be attentive during meetings, which means putting your phone on silent and not fidgeting. If you eat at your desk, don’t make a ‘meal’ out of it – avoid smelly food, don’t be too loud or messy.

This may all sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how feedback on interns can often focus on poor office behaviour. Once you’ve been there a while and learnt the ropes, made some acquaintances, you can perhaps relax a little, but always remember, it’s not a social situation, it’s a workplace.

First day admin

You want to turn up on your first day ready, raring to go and unflustered, so make sure nothing gets in the way of this. Have all the little questions answered: dress code; working hours; if you need to bring identification or have any paperwork filled in advance; if other interns are working there, can you contact them; any admin around education credits you might be eligible for.

Know how to get to the office, which may be in an unfamiliar city from temporary accommodation. Make sure you have accommodation organised if this is the case, close to the office, if possible, if not, then be extra aware of your transport connections.

Basically, don’t be afraid to ask questions before your first day, it’s best to turn up focussed and ready to work.