Internship Spotlight: Caleb Smith, Arizona Department of Gaming

Caleb Smith is an Accounting major graduating in the fall of 2021.  This summer he interned as an Accounting Intern with the Arizona Department of Gaming in Phoenix, Arizona.

What was the process for getting this internship, job, or summer experience?

I applied through Handshake and got a phone call from them a week later. From there we setup an interview and then I interviewed! They let me know a week later that I had got the position.

What was a typical day like?

I would typically start work at 9:00 am. I would then check to see if I had any meetings to attend later. When I first started I was doing Accounts Payable, so I would process invoices and ensure that we would pay everyone on time (usually within 30 days) as well as make sure we pay early if the suppliers offered discounts. There were some trouble accounts that I had to work with the Assistant Controller to figure out, but that would normally be what I do until noon. I would then have lunch, and then after, the CFO would teach me how to do something new!

What was your favorite part of the experience?

Learning more about fund/government accounting was my favorite part. Beforehand, I was most used to accrual accounting, but it was fun learning modified accrual accounting.

What did you learn?

Overall I learned (and am still learning) how to do a bunch of accounting processes. I learned how to process internal exchange transfers, write and process cash receipts, create complex excel spreadsheets, create and run reports, and develop a useful executive dashboard.

How did Eller prepare you for this experience?

All of my accounting courses have helped A LOT. Debits and credits never fail! Never forget DEAD and CLER. Rob, Sherri, Katie, Shyam, and Jeremy prepared me well.