Fulfilling Work Experience Requirements

Q: I currently work for a company that I plan to continue working for once I have completed my accounting degree and sit for CPA Exam. I know I need work experience to sit for the exam and the company I work for wants to set up an internship program so I can get my required experience from them. What duties do I need to perform to fulfill my work experience requirement?

A: Your best bet to understanding what the requirements are to sit for the CPA Exam is to contact your CPA state society. They will fill you in on everything you need to know. All state societies, with the exception of Vermont, have Web sites where you can find this information.

You have an excellent opportunity to shape this internship around your career goals. You are working for this company now and intend on continuing with them. They have a lot invested in you and are probably open to your ideas. Prepare for this meeting by doing the following:

1. List your career goals. Since you are familiar with the company structure you know what options are available to meet these goals.
2. List the company's goals. How can you help the company meet these goals?
3. Ask yourself: What would I like to experiment with and what would I like to master?
4. Find out what the requirements are for sitting for the exam by calling your CPA state society or visiting their Web site.

Armed with this basic --yet thorough-- information, you'll be able to construct a program suited to your personal needs. It's quite a feat to be told you are to develop your own internship program. After all, an internship is about mentorship, and by asking you to develop this they are immediately placing you in a leadership role (great!). But don't think this means you are all alone, that the success is based on what you create. Tell them what you want and see how they respond. Be flexible.

I realize you are taking on this internship to fulfill a requirement -- this is the main objective of many interns. But my best advice is that you take this on to challenge yourself and expand your horizons.