Life as an Intern during Unprecedented Times

When I first started the interview process for a summer 2020 internship, I had no idea what to expect. Being that most of my work experience was in construction, I knew that the atmosphere would be vastly different, among many other things. When I started interviewing with companies in the beginning of October 2019, however, I began to get more comfortable with formal interviews and sharing my experiences in an articulate way.  All of the companies I talked to seemed interesting and appealing, but one stood out among the others. Being that most of the companies structured their process in a very mechanical way, where an initial interview leads to a potential office interview and an internship offer after that, I was instantly intrigued when Schneider Downs sent an email invitation to a dinner at a local restaurant. This showed that they were interested in getting to know us before the formal interview, making the process more comfortable and interactive.

Following the initial interview and subsequent office interview at Schneider Downs, I knew I wanted to intern for the company. After accepting the offer at a morning coffee meeting with Tom Harvey, Schneider Downs’ Director of Human Resources, and Adam Goode, Audit Senior Manager, I was immediately looking forward to the experience of being a Tax Intern at Schneider Downs. However, that experience ended up being much different than the one I expected.

When I was notified that the internship was going to be shorter than originally planned and 100% remote, I was uncertain about how I would get to connect with people in the firm, on top of learning how to effectively perform my job. What I expected was completely blown out of the water. However, Microsoft Teams allowed for seamless face-to face interaction during my internship, and the assignment of “buddies,” or employee mentors, was extremely helpful both in terms of learning about the job and meeting a multitude of people within the firm. We were also assigned a shareholder buddy, who was available for any questions throughout the process. Everybody I talked to through “virtual coffees” was extremely down-to-earth and was open to any questions I had, illustrating the culture that was prevalent during the dinner and office visit in the fall. Additionally, I was able to experience a wide array of areas within Tax, getting to know different managers along the way. Overall, the “Big Thinking, Personal Focus” slogan was exhibited through unprecedented times that brought unprecedented circumstances, and I am exhilarated that I got to be a part of something that I will remember forever.