Top 3 Tips to Making the Most out of your Big 4 Internship

An internship with the Big 4 is without a doubt the best way to learn about the Big 4 firms. Not only do you gain a glimpse of life as a Big 4 associate, but you all but guarantee yourself an offer for a full-time position. As I noted recently in the 2009 Big 4 Hiring Outlook, the Big 4 typically present offers for full-time positions to 85% to 93% of interns. Unless you do something unbelievably stupid or are just plain unprofessional, there is a very good chance that the internship will be just the first step in a long career with the Big 4.

Here are my top 3 tips to making the most our of your internship experience.

3. Ask questions, ask questions and ask more questions!

One of the most amazing parts about being an intern is that the expectations placed on you far lower than those placed on full-time staff. It is assumed that you are still in school, or just completing your degree, and that you have little to no previous audit/tax experience. Take advantage of this! The more you ask, the more you learn. In most cases your team will be more than happy to oblige. Learning as much as you can while “just an intern” will benefit you greatly when you begin your official “full-time” career.

2. Start Studying for the CPA Exam

While you may be tempted to put it off, now is the best time to start studying for the CPA exam. Getting a head start on your studying is an excellent way to give yourself a competitive advantage over your peers and impress your leaders. While you may feel that you are busy now, you will only get busier. Don’t put this off. You don’t need to go crazy. A good goal would be to master the content for one of the more difficult parts of the exam during your internship. Set up a study plan and do a little each week. You may even be allowed to study in the office if you have some down time.

1. Be Social, but don’t be “That Guy (or Girl)”

Internships typically take place during the summer months. This is a great time to work for the Big 4. Busy season is over, the breakneck pace has relaxed and the Big 4 staff turn their attention to balancing their life outside of work. For many Big 4 employees, there is a fine line between their at work life and their personal life. The nature of the work, and the bonds forged during busy season, means that a great deal of socializing is done during the summer months. Golf outings, happy hours, soft ball leagues, etc. These activities can be a great way to bond with your future co-workers.

The one major pitfall of these fun times is that alcohol is almost always available - in large quantities. While there is nothing wrong with this, per se, as an intern you must be extremely careful not to go too far. While your new friends and teammates will be excited to have a good time and get to know you, you could easily make the leap from someone they take seriously to someone they view as mere entertainment.

In each of my years with PwC there was at least one intern that tried WAY too hard to stand out from the crowd and be everyone’s best friend. He was the life of every happy hour, Mr. Softball and the first to take off on a Friday to go golfing. While these individuals perceived themselves as building a vast network of friends and allies, they were actually eroding their own stock as a smart employee. At the end of the summer these poor guys (and girls) were in store for a rude awakening when they did not receive an offer.

For more tips on actually landing the interview, please visit: Big4Guru.com