October 7, 2021
In turn with Ashlyn Watkins
Ashlyn Watkins, a senior accounting major from Stantonsburg, North Carolina, will graduate in December 2021. She will join her parents as ECU alumni, but her experience with the university and the College of Business will not end there. She plans to start her MSA program in January 2022.
“I could not have done this without the help of the dedicated accounting professors and the accounting department at ECU,” said Watkins.
She’s had three internship experiences while at the COB, and her most recent internship with Deloitte resulted in a full-time job offer.
How did you learn about this internship opportunity? What were your responsibilities?
I first heard of this internship from Dr. Doug Schneider, who sends out multiple internships and job opportunities. It felt like a shot in the dark applying to Deloitte from ECU, but I was blessed to receive the phone call. They offered me an internship on the spot for summer 2021. I was shocked because I had only completed one round of interviews, but they wanted me to become a part of the Deloitte team, so I was accepted very early. My responsibilities varied day to day. I was involved with two different clients during the span of my virtual internship. One client was with a life sciences company and another with an agricultural distributions company. I was responsible for rolling forward numbers from previous quarters on important deliverables, scheduling and attending meetings with clients about audit planning, audit planning for year-end deliverables, and much more.
How have you applied what you learned in your classwork to this position?
The No. 1 factor that helped me in my internship was auditing knowledge from ACCT 4631- Internal Auditing.
What was the most challenging thing you experienced during your internship, and how did what you learned in the COB help you overcome it?
The most challenging aspect of this internship was that it was virtual. I was so afraid that I would not know how to interact with the Deloitte professionals and clients. Luckily, the Accounting Department and the COB constantly discuss virtual etiquette. Whenever I was nervous to talk to a senior manager or a client, I remember the countless presentations that were talked about on how to navigate this new way of communication.
How did you apply what you learned in BUSI 1200, BUSI 2200, BUSI 3200 or BUSI 4200 to your internship?
One of the major items discussed, especially in BUSI 2200, was teamwork and the life cycle of a team. I was on two engagement teams throughout my internship; Deloitte values a team player and team-building skills. In BUSI 4200, we discussed those skills and how to turn our weaknesses into strengths in the professional environment.
What has this internship taught you about responsibility?
This internship taught me the weight of responsibility for my performance, teamwork and deliverables. For example, one of my responsibilities was completing review notes, among other tasks, and if they were not completed on time, our dates had to be pushed back, which would negatively impact the team. Being responsible taught me to stay on top of the items that I was assigned and to plan accordingly to meet my deadlines.
I quickly realized I had to pull my weight, and no one should have to do my work but for me. Of course, I have a great team that answered all my questions constantly, but it was my responsibility to ask and clarify my objectives. I applied this mindset to everything that was asked of me throughout this internship.
How will this internship benefit you?
Thankfully, I have received and accepted a full-time offer with Deloitte to work as an audit associate. I will begin working with them in 2023.
This internship has benefited my professional career and personal life. Some things were taught that I apply to everything. I will always carry this experience no matter where I go in my professional career.
Why would you recommend a business student take advantage of an internship opportunity?
I would recommend any internship, job shadowing, and/or mentoring experience because you never know where it might lead you. I never thought that working in the accounting department of a small business in Greenville, NC, would lead me to accept a full-time job offer from the top accounting firm in the world.
Every opportunity you have, JUMP! Always remember to look back and thank those who encouraged and pushed you to become who you are today!