Wesley Clark ⋅ Charlotte, NC U.S. Army, Sergeant ⋅ 6 years served

If you're in an accounting program, debits and credits should be easy. The difficult part now is learning the specific process that you will be using on your assignments. I'm a consultant at another accounting firm btw. My advice, if you're faced with a complicated issue wth no sop's to guide you, let Microsoft word be your best friend. It's much better than handwritten notes and you'll need to take a lot of notes because you'll have a lot of information thrown at you fast. Be very specific and thorough and use screen shots as much as you can.

Jack Venable ⋅ Denver, CO Air Force Veteran, Financial Advisor ⋅ 19 years experience

Chris, thanks for your service! As someone who transitioned from military aviation to sales, I too had to learn that brevity in communication is not valued or even effective in all endeavors. While you may be older than the other interns, don't waste time thinking about that, because if you are then you're not focused on your job performance and listening to the needs of customers. They don't care what you know until they know that you care!

I recommend you get the CPA designation. If you are a CPA with effective communication skills, you will be a rare and sought after commodity.

June R Massoud ⋅ Burlington, VT School Boards/Teaching, Tutoring Business and Technical Business ⋅ 25 years experience

Well, my advice is, it's okay to be a high performer, but you need to pace yourself so you don't 'burn out'. Lots of people 'burn out' if they work too hard. This is not recommended. Pace yourself in your work. Work smart, instead of working fast.

Michael Schmidt ⋅ West Palm Beach, FL Seacoast Bank ⋅ 28 years experience

Looks like you have some good advice here. Besides the obvious work habits, degrees and designations go a long way in business. For my specialty, an MBA and a CFA designation advanced my career and kept me employed over many market cycles. For you, the CPA will make your career path much easier as it commands respect like your military service.

Michael Sabatell ⋅ Myrtle Beach, SC Big Picture Results LLC ⋅ 39 years experience

Hi Christopher,

Thanks for your service. As an older intern I would expect you to be much more mature than than the rest of the intern pool. While your peers may be on their phones most of the day, demonstrate a strong work ethic and avoid major distractions (but do enjoy the happy hours!)

Here are some thoughts on how to differentiate yourself:
- read everything, ask questions, point out items that appear to be issues
- never leave the office without asking the Boss if there is anything else that needs to be done
- talk during team meetings, offer your opinion (you may be surprised how your life skills have applicability in your new work environment)
- ask for informal feedback on your job performance midway through your internship. This will give you an opportunity to right any wrongs (if any). At a minimum it will provide you with some positive feedback to show you that your hard work is paying off.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Best of luck!
Mike

Stephanie Arnold ⋅ Lake Odessa, MI Cargill ⋅ 10 years experience

Hi Christopher,

First of all, congratulations on accepting an internship!! That's great news. The company I work for always has interns every year, and our expectations of them (regardless of age) always include being respectful to everybody whether they are a fellow intern or the president of the company, refraining from using bad language (it happens once in a while, but try not to say anything you wouldn't say in front of your grandparents, working hard on projects you are assigned to, asking questions when you need to, offering to help with anything you're able to, and dressing appropriately. If you're not sure how to dress for your first day, there is absolutely no shame in contacting HR or whomever presented you with the offer and asking. Our interns ask that all the time! Companies understand you are there to learn, so I would agree with Bill that you should definitely focus on appropriate communications and presenting yourself well. When in doubt, look/listen around and see what others are doing/saying and try to follow suit. I also would agree with Jay that networking and building camaraderie are key. Just be careful during "happy hour" events that you don't go overboard! Have fun, good luck, and let me know if there's anything I can help with!

- Stephanie

Bill Nobles ⋅ Basking Ridge, NJ Exxon ⋅ 30 years experience

Christopher, thank you for your service. One thing I would expect from an older, more experienced intern is sensitive communications. When you listen or speak always try to put yourself in the other person's shoes. In your position that other person will often be a customer where "direct and brash" communications will be inappropriate.

Jay Ahuja ⋅ Mc Lean, VA ⋅ 30 years experience

Christopher:
Studying for and passing the CPA exam would be a big plus as that will give you credibility with your peers and supervisors. Talk to your managers and find out where the firm has a greater need for (in terms of expertise needed) and offer to work on those client engagements. Once you can prove yourself as someone who can be relied upon to deliver quality work, other managers will seek you out.

Regarding adjusting with your peer group, suggest you go to the "Happy Hours" or any other events the firm has so you get to know your colleagues in a non-work setting. Building camaraderie and networking is key to your success. The Big 4 firms hire very smart people and they are trained to be accommodating and acceptable so I do not think the fact that you are a little older should pose any problems. Best of luck!