Liu Fengxin, Master of Professional Accounting (MPA), 2017 August Intake
I am a student in the SMU Master of Professional Accounting (MPA) programme and I come from China. Like the ones who study abroad, I was indecisive and did not know what I could do during my studies overseas. However, because of the career guidance I received from SMU, I had the opportunity to complete my 10-week internship in the financial hub – Singapore. Please allow me to thank my Programme Director Professor Wang Jiwei and my career mentor Ms. Eunice.
Internship in the Big Four – PwC
Every student who majors in Accounting knows what “Big Four” is, and everyone is looking to score an internship with one of the companies. Today, I shall share my first-hand experience as an intern with one of the Big Four - the PwC Singapore audit department. I need to emphasise the fact that we not only work hard, but we also play hard. J
#1: A great opportunity to communicate with others
During the internship at PwC, I had to brush up my spoken English. Auditing is not just about checking financial statements on the computer screen; we need to communicate with the seniors, managers and customers to ensure that we follow the correct instructions in order to improve work efficiency and reduce unnecessary errors. In addition to the discussions during working hours, we made use of our daily lunch hours to share about life, covering topics such as weather, travel, and of course, the challenges of accounting.
#2: Applying theory to work
I did not major in finance during my undergraduate days, neither did I have any relevant audit experience. This internship has enabled me to gain practical work experience in accounting. I am grateful that I was able to apply the accounting knowledge learned in class to my auditing work. Auditors need to be proficient in accounting standards and they need to accurately identify financial statements that do not meet the criteria.
#3: Friendship and wisdom
My colleagues at PwC came from different national and cultural backgrounds. For the first time, I tried to learn about their work and life and understand their culture. I also made friends with other accounting students from NTU, NUS and SMU. We often gathered to eat and share ideas, and we talked about everything under the sun. In addition to friendships, I am also grateful that I could learn from my senior. The senior who worked with me for two projects is very responsible and capable, and what impressed me most is her strong Excel skills (this can really improve efficiency and reduce OTs). By observing how she worked, I learned how to properly communicate with clients, and how to make audit working papers more convenient for manager review.
Internship to me is a very rewarding experience. I feel that I need to seriously improve my auditing skills – this is not only helpful to me during my internship, but also important if I were to pursue a career in finance in the future. Now, I need to study hard to improve my grades, and then think harder about what I want to do after graduation. Finally, I hope that everybody can follow your dreams and pursue your aspirations, whether you are applying for a school or an internship. You are also very welcome to join us in the MPA programme (it is really a good programme)!
Thank you for reading my exciting internship journey!