Real work, real learning.

Reflecting on Nelnet

What I've learned and how it will help me in the future.

Being my first accounting-focused internship, I have learned both the explicit and implicit knowledge of what it takes to be successful as an accountant.

Technically, I have appreciated putting the knowledge learned in the classroom into practice within a real public company. Topics shifted from conceptual to practical, further solidifying the concept. I learned about the internal processes of financial reporting (and the many components and people required to make it happen). Furthermore, as I am entering the workforce in a full-time public accounting role, I enjoyed observing client-auditor interactions from the other side. I will use these accounting-specific skills heavily in my future career as a tax accountant and as the sole founder responsible for my startup's financials.

Outside of the formal day-to-day responsibilities, I learned about the type of company culture and workplace where I can thrive. I enjoyed the freedom and flexibility that Nelnet gave me to work around my other commitments: school, involvements, and my company. It made me feel as if they cared about me personally, which, in turn, made me more motivated to deliver high-quality work for the company. These lessons were especially valuable as I was interviewing for full-time positions at other companies; I wanted to be part of a community that set me up for success.

Something that surprised me as I progressed through the internship was the applicability of my computer science background in a non-technology field. Although the official title of my internship was not software developer or data engineer, my team (and accounting generally) has similar priorities: efficiency, accuracy, and clarity. It was exciting to incorporate AI into my daily processes and to learn new Excel functions to automate repetitive tasks. Looking ahead, I want to take more risks in my future career to further incorporate artificial intelligence and technology generally into my workday, even if it has not traditionally been used.

Overall, my time as an intern at Nelnet has been incredibly rewarding. I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity and hope that my contributions provided even a small measure of the value that my team's guidance has added to my own professional growth.