Internship

Stokes and Company is an accounting firm established in 1999, with five offices across South Carolina and North Carolina (including Greenville, Travelers Rest, Gaffney, Spartanburg, and Columbus). The firm employs over 50 staff members and provides accounting services to thousands of small and medium-sized businesses. The company’s mission is to “make life easier for small business clients” and to contribute to the growth of the local community.

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Most of my work involved being assigned various tasks by my manager or asking other employees if they needed help with their projects. My manager’s name is Sandy Lamb, a senior accountant at the firm. I worked three days a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with full days on Monday and Friday and a half day on Wednesday.

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At the beginning of my internship, I shadowed four staff members to learn the basics of daily accounting operations. My main responsibility was performing bank reconciliations using QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop. This required checking that the journal entries created by accountants matched the transactions listed on bank statements. In addition to bank reconciliations, I also handled journal entries related to depreciation and payroll for various clients. During this time, I began QuickBooks Online training to become more comfortable navigating and understanding the software.

I worked with about 50 different clients, which was overwhelming at first. Because Stokes and Company serves small businesses, their clients range widely, from flower shops and landscaping companies to consulting firms. Each time I was assigned a new company, I reviewed several months of past transactions to determine which accounts each transaction should belong to. The only times I had to ask my manager for clarification were when company owners had used business credit cards for personal expenses, which were then categorized under the “Shareholder Distribution” account.

To access client bank statements and other documents, Stokes and Company uses Caseware, an organizational software system for properly storing and categorizing financial documents such as bank statements, payroll records, and tax asset details. Completed adjustment sheets and monthly reports prepared by accountants were also stored here. These files were accessible not only to accountants but also to CPAs who reviewed them for accuracy and approval. After a few weeks, I became confident enough to complete most tasks independently and only needed assistance when encountering rare cases where a transaction didn’t clearly fit into a specific account.

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During the last three weeks of my internship, I was in charge of the PT-100 Project, which involved scanning paper forms into digital files. The PT-100 form is used for reporting business personal property. Two large filing cabinets contained paper forms for over 300 clients, all of which needed to be uploaded to the company’s shared hard drive (called the “J-Drive”). For newer companies, scanning only required about 20 pages, but for long-established companies, the process could exceed 200 pages. The oldest PT-100 form I scanned was from 1989.

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I also gained more scanning experience through work with a flower shop client in Greenville. Each week, they sent deposit records, receipts from various vendors, and invoices or credit memos for flower and product purchases. I scanned these documents and saved them in the client’s folder on the J-Drive.

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One day, I was also asked to create a donor list for a nonprofit organization and enter it into a new website that tracked donor names, donation amounts, and donation frequency. Using this data, I generated thank-you letters in Microsoft Word that automatically filled in each donor’s name and donation details. I printed, signed, and mailed these letters individually. Although this was an uncommon task for me, it was interesting to learn how to use automation tools within a pre-made document template.

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Through using a variety of software and completing diverse tasks, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of an accountant’s daily work and develop skills that will be valuable in future professional roles.

While working at Stokes and Company, I developed a variety of skills that I can apply in my future career. For example, using QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop significantly improved my confidence and technical knowledge. Because these programs are used in nearly every area of accounting, I believe they are some of the most valuable tools I learned to use.

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I also deepened my understanding of Caseware, which helped me organize and prepare necessary documents efficiently. In addition to software skills, I learned the importance of digitizing and organizing paper documents. After spending time scanning over 300 PT-100 folders, I realized how much more efficient it is to have everything stored in one shared digital location that anyone can access when needed, rather than searching through physical filing cabinets.

Beyond accounting-specific skills, I also gained insight into American corporate culture. Before this internship, I wasn’t very familiar with the unique business culture in the United States. I learned how to communicate professionally yet casually with coworkers in a way that fits American office norms. I was fortunate to have a manager who understood that this was my first experience working in a corporate setting, she offered advice on professional dress codes for both business and casual days, as well as how to communicate effectively with colleagues.

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Previously, my experience had been limited to customer service, where conversations were usually casual and friendly rather than professional. Learning how to adapt to corporate communication styles was a new and valuable experience for me. Thanks to this internship, I now feel much more confident about future job interviews and about entering full-time employment after graduation.

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Most of the challenges I faced during the internship were manageable, but there were a few that left me feeling unsatisfied. The biggest issue was that as the internship went on, I often ran out of tasks to complete. During the first month, I had plenty of work, but once I finished those assignments, there were times when my manager simply didn’t have new tasks to give me.

Whenever that happened, I would message her or visit her office to ask if there was anything else I could do, but she often said there wasn’t. Since I wasn’t assigned to any specific clients, I sometimes found myself unsure of how to fill my time. I tried to continue QuickBooks training to make the most of my downtime, but once I finished the available lessons, I occasionally had no choice but to leave early. I knew it wouldn’t be appropriate to stay in the office without work to do.

This was one of the most frustrating parts of my internship because I truly wanted to keep learning and gaining experience. When my manager didn’t have time to assign new tasks, I couldn’t progress any further. During the last few weeks, I was told that my only responsibility would be scanning documents for the PT-100 project. While I was grateful to have something to do, I was also a little disappointed that I didn’t get to apply or expand on my accounting skills before finishing the internship.

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I understand that this is a common issue many interns face, wanting more opportunities to use their skills and grow professionally. I hope that in the future, as a full-time employee, I’ll be able to take on more consistent work and continue learning new skills that contribute to my career.

If I ever encounter a similar situation again, I want to be able to speak up for myself, to advocate for more tasks and take initiative in finding opportunities to challenge myself. I believe this ability to self-advocate will not only help me grow as an accountant but also make me a more balanced and proactive member of any team I join.

 

Through my time at Stokes and Company, I gained not only practical accounting skills but also a deeper understanding of American business culture and professional communication. I became confident using accounting software such as QuickBooks and Caseware, and I learned the importance of digital organization and document management. Through my interactions with my supervisor and coworkers, I also learned the value of flexibility, teamwork, and expressing myself clearly in a professional environment.

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Although there were challenges, such as occasionally not having enough assignments, these experiences taught me the importance of self-advocacy and actively seeking new opportunities for growth. I learned that not every task will be exciting, but each experience contributes to becoming a more adaptable and well-rounded professional.

Overall, my internship at Stokes and Company was an extremely valuable learning experience. It gave me the opportunity to apply my classroom knowledge in a real-world setting and build a strong foundation for my future career in accounting. I hope to continue using the skills I developed here and to keep growing both professionally and personally in my future endeavors.