A Sense of Belonging: My Internship at Schneider Downs

“What would you like to do for the rest of your life?” This is the question that students are trying to answer when they first begin their time in college. 

Like many others facing this question, there was a time when I could not give an answer. However, as I continued through college and learned more about my strengths, weaknesses and the type of work that was best suited to my personality, I decided to major in accounting and pursue a career in the field. I had heard about Schneider Downs through classmates and professors at the University of Pittsburgh, and I applied and was later accepted for a tax internship during the summer of 2023. 

I began my internship with three major goals in mind:

• Learn as much as possible about the profession and the skills that it takes to work in industry
• Make lasting connections with my peers and other staff
• Become part of a community that feels like family 

When I first heard about Schneider Downs through classmates and professors, one of the things I noticed was how often they talked about the atmosphere in the workplace and the friendliness of the employees. This was important to me when deciding where to intern because I was not looking for a stepping stone to my career, but rather a place that I could become a part of and where I could begin to build a career. On the first day of onboarding, I was excited and nervous, and I did not know what to expect. However, it soon became clear that not only would I be able to meet all the goals that I had set for the internship, but I had also found a place where I could begin to build my career. 

Having done no prior internship, and coming in with no experience in tax software, I was worried that I would fall behind and struggle to complete tax returns on my own. However, in the weeks that followed the onboarding training, my worry gradually faded away as I witnessed how willing the people at Schneider Downs were to help us; no matter how much time it took or how quickly we worked. 

The first of these examples involved a group of real estate returns that both myself and another intern had been assigned to prepare. Since these were our first returns to complete, we didn’t know where to begin. When we reached out to the reviewer for help, they immediately scheduled a meeting and met us in a conference room a short time later to guide us through the returns step-by-step. 

Another example of everybody’s willingness to help at Schneider Downs occurred when I began work on another tax return later that week. Not only did the previous preparer help to complete the return, but the shareholder who was signing off on it stopped by later that afternoon to help make final adjustments. Whether they have been there for one year or ten, whether they are an analyst or a shareholder, everyone at Schneider Downs is truly willing to give their all to help you. These experiences helped alleviate any apprehension that I had for the internship and created an environment for success for weeks to come. 

Throughout my internship at Schneider Downs, I was able to take the accounting knowledge that I gained at the University of Pittsburgh, apply it to real scenarios and learn what it means to practice tax accounting in industry. I was assigned a variety of projects, including preparing partnership and individual tax returns, writing responses to the IRS for notices of tax due, and entering fixed assets for car dealerships.

While I learned many important software, technical and accounting skills during my time at Schneider Downs, there was one skill that I learned that I feel is the most important, for both my career and for that of other students getting ready to take the same path. The most important skill that I learned during my time at Schneider Downs was the ability to ask the right questions. Coming out of college and into industry, there will always be techniques that are new and methods that one has never seen before. Instead of focusing on the question “What should I learn?” my internship taught me that the focus should be on the question “How should I learn?” This important lesson is one that I will continue to carry through my life, through my career and beyond. 

Overall, my internship experience at Schneider Downs has been full of learning, friendships and new experiences. I have met great people, made many friends and learned a lot about the field, and I did it all in an environment that is truly focused on giving its employees a personalized, welcoming time in the workplace. My internship at Schneider Downs has allowed me to plant the seeds of a career that I can be proud of, that I find fulfilling and that I can continue to build on for many years to come.

If someone were to ask me ten years from now “What is one thing that stuck out to you during your internship at Schneider Downs?” I would not answer with a specific experience or event, but rather with the feeling that I had throughout my entire time there. Schneider Downs left me with a feeling that people look for in every environment, for careers and internships alike. At Schneider Downs, I felt a sense of belonging that you cannot find anywhere else, and that truly made it feel like family. 

Start Your Career with Schneider Downs

You’ll find that it is our people who make Schneider Downs a special place to work. Personable and gifted, our diverse group of professionals includes some of the most respected professionals in their fields. To learn more about our open positions and internship programs, visit our careers page.