BEVERLY, Mass. – Endicott College is a pioneer in requiring comprehensive internship experiences in every program of study for undergraduate students. Endicott women's basketball senior guard Lexi Gellerman (West Hartford, Conn.), who is an accounting and marketing double major at Endicott, recently concluded her internship at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Here's a look into her internship experience.

1) Why PwC? 

I chose PwC because of the people that work there. I was deciding between RSM and PwC, both nationally known accounting firms that would be able to help me jump-start my career. I talked to Professor Lee and Professor Caruso to help me decide, but they both said I couldn't really go wrong. When it came down to it, I was able to talk to someone that grew up in the same town I did (West Hartford, CT) and is a Senior Associate at PwC in the Boston Office. She interned going into her senior year of college and said that she wouldn't change anything about her decision. She loved the people, work atmosphere, and culture of the firm. I would say that was my biggest impact for picking PwC. 

2) What was the process like to obtain your internship? 

To obtain my internship I applied during the fall semester of 2020 with the help of Professor Butler. A few weeks later, I was informed that I had two virtual interviews. Professor Butler and I worked together to prepare for them. I was interviewed by two partners and an associate in the firm. The interviews were about 30 minutes each, asking questions ranging from why I chose to major in accounting and marketing to background information about myself. There were definitely some challenging interview questions as well. Within a few days of my interviews, one of the partners called and offered me the internship! 

3) Describe your overall internship experience. 

My overall experience was definitely different than past experiences at PwC. This summer was fully virtual, so there was more downtime in the schedule than normal. Every week I was assigned to an associate to shadow for that week. I would go to virtual meetings with them or just watch the work they were doing through Google Meet. Sometimes, I was assigned small administrative tasks which gave me a small window to see what work life is like at PwC. Overall, I really enjoyed the internship experience! 

4) What have you learned from your internship? 

I was able to learn what an associate's daily work life looked like. Whether it was joining meetings with them, seeing the challenges they encountered throughout the day, or how they overcame each challenge, I was also able to learn that I enjoy working in public accounting. Coming into Endicott, I was not sure what I wanted to study. I thought about engineering, finance, marketing, and/or accounting. Throughout my internship experiences, I have been able to gain a better understanding of the civil engineering, commercial real estate, and accounting fields. With this PwC internship, I was able to learn and confirm that I want to continue my career in accounting. 

5) How will this internship help you in your career moving forward? 

Everyone on my team at PwC was super helpful and interested in how they can better my future at the firm. I think moving forward, this internship helped me make connections with people in the accounting field that I want to work in. At the end of my internship, I was fortunate enough to receive an offer for a full-time position at PwC once I graduate from Endicott. The connections I have made during my internship will allow for me to have a much smoother transition into working full-time at PwC.

NOTES

• 29% of Endicott students who graduated in 2019 and were employed full-time found their career through internship site or contact
• 90% of Endicott students who graduated in 2019 found employment related to their major

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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)