August 23, 2019
COB has one of the nation's top interns...
…and we have the proof.
Tyler Braxton Bayless-Edwards is a senior from Wake Forest, North Carolina. He is an accounting major.
He also is a student leader.
You can read more about his leadership in the Q&A below, but let’s say that a student accounting society trip to KPMG in Washington, D.C. – a trip organized by Bayless-Edwards – led to opportunities for other College accounting students.
Now, that’s leadership.
Dr. Linda Quick, accounting assistant professor in the College of Business, sums up Bayless-Edwards brilliantly. “Tyler is a standout student and has held leadership positions in the Student Accounting Society, Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) and the Pirate Tutoring Center. He has been an excellent representative of ECU and the department of accounting, and I am sure he will go on to a hugely successful career.”
That successful career in public accounting started this past summer. Wait. Let’s backtrack.
One could say Bayless-Edward’s accounting career started taking shape when, as a sophomore, he emailed KPMG’s recruiter, went to the company’s office and attended a local BAP meeting. This initiative of Bayless-Edward’s was then followed up with a drive up to KPMG’s Washington, D.C. office for an office visit and interview. It was there he received an offer from KPMG.
“Even among a highly talented and select group of young professionals who participated in our intern leadership program, Tyler differentiated himself as someone who is passionate about excellence, strategic in his thinking, and proactive about positioning himself today, for the leadership opportunities he’ll have tomorrow,” said Matt Johnson, principal (partner), US and America’s IT audit & assurance leader, KPMG.
“I look forward to continuing to work with Tyler, and learn from his perspectives as well,” added Johnson.
Bayless-Edwards’ career beginnings in public accounting continued this past summer at KPMG in Tysons Corner, Virginia (Washington, D.C.), where he was a federal audit intern. And while there, his work was noticed.
WayUp, the go-to platform for early-career professionals to search for jobs and internship opportunities, named Bayless-Edwards (spoiler alert) as the No. 8 intern in the country. According to WayUp’s website, the recognition “highlights the most ambitious, passionate, and talented interns in the country, and this year…more than 1,500 interns applied, and more than 39,000 public votes were cast.”
We spoke with Bayless-Edwards about his experience with KPMG, the College of Business, and importantly, why College of Business students should consider interning.
How would you describe your internship experience?
If I had to use one word to describe my internship experience, it would be amazing. I was able to build connections with so many amazing people within the firm, as well as learn more about the culture at KPMG. My connection with the D.C. office started well before my internship this summer. Last spring, I organized a trip for the ECU Student Accounting Society to have an office visit in the KPMG Washington D.C. office to help the ECU presence up there grow. We ended up having four students get offers after the trip, and it also opened the door for recruiting for more students from ECU.
How did you benefit from this experience?
This experience was beyond beneficial for my career and personal growth. I was able to gain so much knowledge about the Federal Audit practice and the audit process, in general. I also had the opportunity to network and build relationships with countless KPMG employees. After being selected as the No. 8 intern in the country, I began receiving emails and meeting requests from the leadership of the D.C. office and the entire firm. It was great feeling part of something bigger than just myself. The most exciting thing I gained from the internship is the National Partner-In-Charge of KPMG Advisory agreed to be my mentor throughout the rest of my time at ECU and my career. These connections are invaluable to both my career and personal growth.
How did the college prepare you for your internship?
I was in one of KPMG’s largest offices where there were interns from some of the most well-known schools across the country. Thanks to the College’s amazing professors, I felt as if I had been given just as good of an accounting knowledge-base, if not better, than every intern. Not only did they (professors) teach me the necessary accounting knowledge, they pushed the networking and soft-skills, which is what I truly believe helped me thrive this summer. I can’t thank our Accounting Department and College of Business enough for preparing me for my internship.
If someone is on the fence about whether they should intern or not, how would you pitch interning?
If someone is on the fence about whether they should do an internship, I 100% recommend doing one. It is an excellent opportunity to get insight as to if the company is one you would like to work for. Also, once you are a full-time employee, you have a slight advantage over others because you know the company’s culture and the people, and you’re familiar with the work. The worst that could happen is that you figure out what you don’t want – which isn’t a bad thing. People don’t realize how important it is to build your resume, but internships are something that can really set you apart from the pack.
Bayless Edwards will graduate with his BSBA in May of 2020. He plans to start his MSA in the fall of 2020.
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