Over the winter of 1998, I was fortunate enough to obtain an internship with Coopers and Lybrand, L.L.P. [see Editor's note] in Hartford, Connecticut.  This was undoubtedly one of the most educational experiences I have had related to my career at Providence College. During my brief two-week stay at Coopers I learned much about what it takes to be a CPA.

My internship began the week after Christmas and continued into the week after New Year's. This was one of their busier seasons and afforded me the opportunity to see the office working at a high level. My two weeks were split between the various departments at the Hartford office: Taxes, Computer Assurances, Healthcare, and Business Assurance (Audit).

The constant changing of departments made time pass quickly and helped to add a real world feel to the internship. Not only did I need to remember who everyone was but also where they were located. If I could not remember, I had to wander around the office or ask for help. This, unfortunately, wasted time and impeded work.

Perhaps the best part of the internship was the work. Because I changed departments almost constantly, I got to feel the pressure of quasi-deadlines. I loved this particular aspect of the internship because I felt it simulated real world events. One day I was working on a tax form when I was invited to lunch. Because lunch went longer than expected—my lunches often did as they also served as question and answer sessions—I had to work a little late to finish my tax return. When finished, however, I felt that I had actually accomplished something important, even if it was only one tax form.

I thought that the internship was a great experience. Not only did it allow me to see more of what a CPA does but it allowed me to build my experience in such environments. The brisk pace of the internship also helped give me an opportunity to see all the lines of business in which a CPA firm engages.

Editor's Note:  Coopers and Lybrand subsequently merged with PriceWaterhouse to become PriceWaterhouseCoopers.