AUBURN INTERN PARTICIPATES IN GLOBAL ROTATION What can an overseas internship rotation do for an accounting student’s career aspirations? Just ask Birmingham native Lauren Burks, who spent a month-long rotation in Stockholm last winter working in audit for KPMG. “This experience made me a stronger candidate because it required me to adjust,” said Burks, who arrived in Sweden unfamiliar with the local customs, language, or people. “In any job, there will be challenges and unexpected circumstances, and now I know how to take those times and work efficiently to solve the problems at hand.” Burks, who recently earned her undergraduate degree in accounting and is currently enrolled in Auburn’s Master of Accountancy program, discussed differences and similarities US and overseas procedures. “Anywhere you go—an audit is an audit,” she said. “Two of the clients I worked on were American corporations that have a subsidiary in Sweden, so I used GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles used in financial reporting). I followed
Lauren (on left) is pictured in the KPMG Stockholm office with a fellow US intern from Philadelphia. the same basic procedures and used the same computer program, although an audit in the United States is a little more detailed. The only differences were the number and date formatting, different computer keyboards, and Swedish lunch and fika (coffee) breaks. Swedes love their coffee and make a big ordeal about taking a break throughout the day and the afternoon to talk, recharge, and network.” Aside from the Swedish coffee breaks and enjoying watching children run down the street in snowsuits, Burks sees many advantages for students to pursue
international internship rotations. “The corporate world is becoming smaller and smaller, and so many companies are international,” she added. “Auburn does such an incredible job of incorporating the internship into the curriculum and letting students get a glimpse of what busy season demands. It is very different to study for accounting— especially auditing—in theory and then see it firsthand. The internship itself was a learning experience and I loved seeing something different every day.”
Lauren, who had to invest in a much heavier coat for her time in Sweden, was able to explore Stockholm in her spare time. Fall 2018
The SOA Connection
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