Kitty is a student at The University of Warwick studying Maths, and is heading back to complete her integrated Masters after spending her summer completing an internship at PKF Smith Cooper. Here's how she found her experience and what she would recommend future interns do to prepare!

Why did you choose to complete a summer internship?

As a maths student in my penultimate year, I was keen to get some experience and start building an idea of what my future career could look like. Transaction Advisory Services had been a great fit for my background and skills, as we often work with financial statements, raw data, and lots of formulas! I’ve also been able to bring my existing knowledge of Python and problem-solving skills from my degree to think about more complex tasks.

What have been the most valuable skills you have learnt during your time at PKF Smith Cooper?

I started this internship with no experience in financial services, so I’ve learned a huge amount about accounting and finance practices. From day one, I was actively involved in client projects and the ability to learn on-the-go, putting new knowledge into practice, has been incredibly valuable. My Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint skills have also dramatically improved as the majority of our work is done in these applications.

How should students who are seeking an internship prepare for the experience?

Internships are about your ability to learn and develop. Being open to new challenges and demonstrating your interest in the role or sector are the most important qualities you can have. On a technical level, make sure you have at least basic competency with Excel, PowerPoint, and Word so you can learn new skills quickly. More generally, being comfortable using a Windows operating system will make navigating your work laptop a lot easier. Resilience is key to getting the most out of an internship – be open to challenges and willing to learn from situations where you are lacking in knowledge or experience.

Why would you recommend an internship to other students?

It goes without saying that finance is a competitive sector and being able to enter the workplace with existing skills puts you in a strong position to develop in your early career. The style of learning is very active, so new information is immediately used in practice, enabling stronger and more flexible understanding of those concepts.  

As an intern at PKF Smith Cooper, you have a multitude of contribute to active projects. Getting involved with a breadth of client projects and being able to make a tangible impact on outputs is deeply rewarding. 

Summarise your internship experience in three words!

Eye-opening, exciting, and rewarding!