About Expert


Key Topics
Question: Personal Reflection Paper on Internship Experience
I did an internship in the functional area of personal accounting in a small taxation firm. Personal Accounting is an important area that caters to the clients’ personal needs. The individuals within the firm are assigned to the various clients to manage their personal accounting needs. I have deep interest in supporting individuals with their finances and, therefore, I wanted to understand that how this is being done through this firm on such a large scale. Moreover, I realized that simply managing the personal accounts and keeping the clients satisfied are almost two different things as it requires extra effort from the organization. In this ‘Personal Reflection Paper’, my internship experiences will be discussed, and the learning that I received from this internship will also be discussed.
There were many things that I enjoyed in my internship, but some specific aspects were most enjoyable like:
I enjoyed being a part of the personal account division in the firm. There was some intervention that was being implemented in the company during my internship and I was made a part of it. The intervention was in the form of implementation of automated centralized data system for managing the personal finance of the individual clients. The purpose was to secure the data sets in a centralized form and streamline the processing. I observed the implementation phase and how people cope with the personal account clients’ demands when the changes are being introduced.
I met senior management team of the firm and gained some insights from the experience that had accumulated from the years of experience in the industry. Some of the major elements pertains to handling the tough PA accounts and effectively manage the entire elements of PA ranging from minor to major.
I also enjoyed the tasks that were assigned to me. At some instances, I had to handle the various paper works related to the personal accounts of the individual clients and help the company effectively transition from the semi-paper based system to the highly integrated online system. Moreover, I also indulged in handling some clients.
There are various projects in the company that I worked on, roles I played, and the people I worked with. Mentioned below are the things (factors) that made the internship journey enjoyable:
I was given an interesting project on the effectiveness of the personal account department in handling the clients of the firm. The topic assigned to me was decided on the mutual agreement with the mentor within the firm. As topic was interesting, I enjoyed working on the same and it helped open different learning opportunities for me. My study reached to the conclusion that more than 80% of the clients of the firm are satisfied with the behavior and the ability of the assigned individuals to manage their personal accounts.
The people under and with whom I worked with were very supportive, and they gave me very appreciable guidance in reference to various workings of the company. These supports helped me learn continuously.
I was working with the personal account division which was undergoing technological change. Therefore, I played dual role. On one hand where I helped the company in transition (indirectly), on the other I also worked on individual tasks assigned to me.
Mentioned below are the aspects that made the internship less enjoyable:
Information gathering from all the associated staffs on individual basis
Challenging office politics that even touched an intern like me
Extraneous communication channel
Mentioned below are the factors that made these aspects less enjoyable:
I did not like the way some of the staffs were less cooperative with me when I tried to approach them for some information.
Some of the office politics made me confront minor challenges, particularly in information gathering.
I had to follow long communication chain for even minor activity that made the internship challenging.
Mentioned below are the changes that could have made these aspects more enjoyable and rewarding:
The communication system of the company could have been more flat. This could have reduced the barrier to communication, particularly for new employees.
There should have been internal portal from where the information related to personal account activities could have been accessed to reduce the dependency on the employees (as they already handled numerous tasks per day and could not afford handling an intern)
Mentioned below is the learning that I received from this internship:
I learned how to manage the personal account clients ranging from ‘easy to handle’ to ‘moderately challenging’ clients.
The implementation of the automated and centralized process support effective personal account clients as they allow easy information access to all the associated stakeholders.
The experience of the personal account employees play pivotal role in handling the clients effectively.
I came to know the things that are imperative to run a taxation firm and effectively manage the vast array of clients coming from different facets of life. Moreover, my self-evaluation depicted my shortcomings, so I need to overcome them to be successful in any organization.
Main Things Learned or Skills Developed During Internship
I developed understanding of the practical aspects of the personal account processes in the organization.
I learned that practical aspects of handling personal account is more challenging than interpreting the same on theoretical grounds.
Surprises, Good or Not so Good, During my Internship Experience
I was astounded to see the level of biasedness, politics, and communication challenges in the organization.
My overall experience in this internship has been very good. I have learned many things during the internship. I applied my theoretical concepts practically, and I came to know the real problems that come when a business or a company is handled. I have also learned how to overcome these challenges. After this internship, I have developed my skills and I appreciate that I made good effort in grasping wisdom of some of the smart individuals from the industry.