This internship was supported in part by donations from alumni of the Department of Economics and Business.
Name of intern: Anastasia Atamanciuc
CEU department and program: Department of Economics and Business, MA in Economic Policy and Global Markets
Year of graduation: 2021
Name of internship host organization: WEDO DGTL
Name of unit you interned at organization: Finance and Accounting Department
Role: Intern (Remote Internship)
QUESTIONS:
What did you do during your internship? Can you describe a typical day at work?
During my internship, I completed various tasks, including accounting (administering payrolls, preparing tax returns and salaries, managing budget expenditures, working with financial statements), gathering and analyzing data, researching new markets, making presentations, and assisting in the implementation of a new project. My tasks varied from day to day as the internship was structured in blocks: accounting, data analysis, market research, and project launch. Usually, my day started with an online meeting with the whole team to discuss current objectives, achievements, and challenges, after which I was assigned different tasks through an online platform. Throughout the day, I had additional calls with my supervisor to discuss the progress of my work or any difficulties that I encountered. In general, it looked like a normal working day, except for the fact that I could sleep a little longer since I did not have to commute to work.
How did the internship help you implement your previous experience and your knowledge gained at CEU?
While I gained new knowledge and practical experience during my internship, I was also able to implement knowledge gained at CEU, specifically data gathering, cleaning, analysis, and visualization, as well as knowledge of macroeconomics and financial management. Furthermore, I was able to significantly contribute to the data analysis projects, as I was the only team member utilizing Python statistical software, which provides more advanced capacity than Excel.
What did you learn through this internship? How will this internship help you in your career?
Already before the internship, I wanted to pursue a career in one of the big consulting firms. At the same time, my previous applications to such companies did not make it past the CV screening step. After I finished my summer internship, I dove into intensive studying and temporarily took a break from the job-search. Right now, I am writing this interview after finishing an 8-hour working day at PwC as an Audit Intern! Due to the upgrade in my CV, and the practical knowledge gained during the internship, I am starting my career in the BIG-4. Even though it was my initial goal, I would not have believed it if someone had told me that already in six months, I would be so close to my dream. During the internship, I learned how to manage my day in a remote setting, as well as how to effectively communicate with other team members, solve difficult problems, and work independently. These skills helped me a lot recently. At PwC, I can apply the skills and time-management techniques that I learned during the summer internship and I am able to effectively work remotely. Moreover, the accounting skills and knowledge of local laws that I developed during the internship are also very useful in my current position.
What is your advice to current students who are thinking of doing an internship?
From my personal experience, I know for sure that choosing and applying for internships is a very long and stressful process. You may need to apply for around 100 positions to get a reply from one. However, if you feel like you want to give up after being rejected over and over again, you should ask yourself: What am I missing? What do I need to get an internship at the company of my dream? My path was not straight. To get an internship at PwC, I had to go through a 2-month long summer internship to acquire the skills and knowledge that were missing. Sometimes it is better to pick a smaller company with an emphasis on the development of its workers that will teach you a lot of things, rather than choosing a huge international company where you might end up sorting papers (though of course, this is not always the case).