Accounting Intern

Job Description

Accounting Intern | Wipfli

The Tone:
This is an in-person Accounting Intern position at Wipfli, a professional services firm where people are central to creating exceptional impact for clients. Wipfli values flexibility, fosters strong relationships, and supports individual career paths. This internship is designed to give students practical, hands-on experience by directly applying their educational knowledge to real-world accounting challenges. The role is vital in helping Wipfli deliver timely and accurate services to clients, either through tax preparation or audit support, while developing the intern’s professional skills and understanding of the industry.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship
• Type: Full-time or Part-time
• Location: In-person (Wipfli office or client sites)
• Pay: $28.50 hourly
• Mission: To utilize educational knowledge and experience to perform accounting-related responsibilities, supporting client engagements either in tax or audit.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Client Support: Respond to diverse client and firm associate requests, ensuring timely, accurate, positive, and professional communication to maintain strong relationships.
• Information Gathering: Systematically work with clients to gather all necessary financial information required for the accurate completion of various accounting and tax documents.
• Process Improvement: Actively identify and suggest opportunities to improve existing accounting and operational processes, aiming to enhance overall efficiency and effectiveness within the firm.
• Data Analysis & Recommendations: Utilize developing data analysis skills to uncover relevant information and patterns, providing foundational support for informed recommendations on client engagements.
• Core Accounting & Compliance: Engage in preparing individual, business, or fiduciary tax returns and projections, OR perform detailed audit, review, and compliance testing procedures in accordance with professional standards.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Accounting, with a required completion of a corporate or individual taxation class. This is an early career internship designed for students looking to gain practical experience in the accounting field.
• Experience: No prior professional work experience is explicitly required, but candidates should demonstrate above-average competency in accounting through their college GPA, preferably 3.0 or higher. Experience in utilizing relevant accounting software applications will be developed during the internship.
• Skills: Strong analytical capabilities to think independently and make sound decisions based on educational knowledge, excellent communication and interpersonal skills for effective interaction with clients and staff, and a proven ability to prioritize work, take initiative, and consistently meet deadlines.
• Bonus: Actively working towards the 150 credit hour requirement to be eligible to sit for the CPA exam upon graduation is preferred. Additional coursework in Data Analytics or Big Data would also be a valuable asset.