Beyond Summer Help: Creating Impactful Internship Programs

A well-structured internship program does more than provide short-term help for a certified public accounting (CPA) firm—it serves as a long-term strategy for building relationships with students early, reducing recruiting costs, and opening doors to potential full-time hires.

“A strong internship program creates real value both now and down the line,” says Kelly McClellan, owner of INMITTO Consulting LLC and senior associate director and program manager of MBA Career Development at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. “It’s a great way to spot top talent early and see how someone works over several weeks, not just in a single interview.”

McClellan adds positive internship experiences can enhance a firm’s reputation on campus, helping to attract future candidates and potentially fuel a pipeline of talent growth.

ATTRACTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF TALENT

“Today’s college students are looking for more than resume builders—they want internships that offer real learning, a sense of belonging, and a clear path forward,” stresses Kristina Wright, senior director of career and professional development at the University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business.

Adding to that thought, because students have so many options available to them, Andy Kamphuis, CPA, shareholder and managing director of Vrakas CPAs + Advisors, says it’s critical that internships offer a unique experience. His firm, for example, offers a dual internship model that exposes students to both audit and tax work during the peak spring season. This affords the firm’s interns open-door access to shareholders, a chance to work on site with clients, participate in a mentorship program, and contribute to a range of projects across clients of varying sizes and complexities.

What’s more, “this generation wants and needs caring leadership,” Kamphuis notes. “Leaders should cultivate a clear understanding of what success looks like for an intern. They should hold regular one-on-one meetings, offer timely praise and constructive feedback, make an effort to build a relationship, and be genuinely invested in the intern’s growth. After all, the most common complaints we hear when speaking to students about their internship experiences are that their leaders were either too new or too busy for them.”

Kamphuis also notes the shift in student preferences in recent years, particularly in favor of summer internships and in-person experiences. In his experience, many students begin looking for internships as early as their freshman year of college, and some are even starting in high school.

CULTURE IS KEY

While gaining real-world experience is what matters most, Wright says students also consider flexibility and workplace culture when choosing internships: “While students appreciate the option to work remotely, they also value in-person experiences that allow them to build relationships, connect with mentors, and feel part of the company culture. They want to feel like they belong and that the company sees them as future colleagues, not just temporary help.”

Plante Moran, a national accounting and consulting firm, is widely recognized for its inclusive and supportive workplace culture. Tom Kinder, CPA, managing partner of the firm’s Chicago office, notes that this plays a key role in helping interns feel welcomed and quickly integrated into the team.

“Our interns are immersed in our ‘we care’ culture, receiving the same level of support and responsibility as new staff,” Kinder says. “We surround them with mentors and team partners who are genuinely invested in their growth.”

Kinder explains that this is a priority at Plante Moran because today’s accounting interns want more than technical training—they want to be in a place where they can grow and be supported.

“At Plante Moran, we build authentic relationships with our interns through one-on-one coffee chats, team lunches, and simply making time to listen,” Kinder says. “That sense of belonging creates a lasting impression.”

Further, Kamphuis shares that his firm’s culture emphasizes real-time feedback and fosters a “care-and-teach environment.” At his firm, interns receive guidance from multiple sources, including their managers and, in some cases, through formal class-style sessions with other interns.

FROM STUDENT TO STAFF: CREATING A SEAMLESS TRANSITION

One could argue that the mark of a successful internship program is ultimately determined by whether or not an intern chooses to keep the relationship with the firm long term—in other words, as a full-time employee.

Public accounting and consulting firm Warady & Davis LLP offers an audit, accounting, and tax internship program that’s highly regarded in the industry. In fact, over 90% of interns who are offered full-time roles accept and join the firm after graduation.

Leslie Flinn, the firm’s director of growth, explains that one of the reasons the firm sees such a successful hiring rate is because they expend the same effort hiring interns as they do with hiring full-time employees, noting that all interns are hired with the goal of extending a permanent offer at the conclusion of the experience: “We view interns as potential long-term team members and invest in them right from the beginning of the internship.”

Flinn also notes that it’s highly unusual for the firm to hire externally for roles below the five-year experience mark, as those positions are almost always filled internally: “Our primary objective is to grow talent from within and give opportunities to our existing team members whenever possible.”

One way that Warady & Davis does this is by ensuring that interns do the same work as first-year staff accountants. “We treat them just as if they’ve already graduated and passed their CPA exam,” Flinn says.

One component of the Warady & Davis program is a blended, full-scope internship that includes exposure to both audit and tax. Flinn says this structure is one of their most popular offerings because many times they’re talking to candidates in their sophomore or junior years, and at those stages, most of these students haven’t yet taken audit or tax classes.

“We feel that exposure to both areas creates stronger accountants,” Flinn says. “We also carefully tailor this internship experience to give interns exposure to different teams and industries, and they also get the opportunity to see a full scope engagement, from the initial audit to planning meetings, on-site field work, preparation of the tax return, and the final deliverables to the client.”

Flinn highlights feedback from interns has remained remarkably consistent over the last 25 years. Interns often report being given significantly more responsibility than they expected and more than their peers in other programs. They also highlight the breadth of experience they receive, noting that rather than being limited to one component of an audit, such as cash or receivables, they gain exposure to a wide range of tasks and client work.

In today’s competitive recruiting landscape, internship programs are more than an industry obligation, they’re a strategic tool firms can leverage to build a proprietary talent pipeline. When intentionally designed, internship programs provide students with meaningful, real-world experience, which enables firms to identify, develop, and create a pipeline of future firm leaders.

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