Internship Spotlight: Hank Sherman, Moss Adams

Hank Sherman '22 BSBA (Accounting) was an Assurance Intern at Moss Adams in Phoenix, Arizona.

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

I started talking to the recruiting team about 2 years in advance and then interviewed about a year and a half before. I made my decision in about March of 2021 and then stayed in touch here and there with the recruiting team until the internship started.

What was a typical day like?

Early on, there wasn't much work to do. We went to California and Disneyland our first full week for their big firm-wide intern welcome event. The following week was 4th of July so we had the whole week off. When we came back, a lot of us were unassigned so we didn't have any relevant work to do. Finally, once I was assigned a client it was a lot of fun. I was able to drive to the client site and work there, so my day generally consisted of discussing best practice ways to operate with my manager and senior, then probably twice a day I would get a simple reconciliation task where I'm using client-provided support to tie out to the Trial Balance.

What was your favorite part of the experience?

My favorite part of the internship was probably the week we spent in Huntington Beach as an intern cohort. We were in a nice hotel and were able to meet our fellow interns and get to know them. At the same time, we were attending sessions hosted by different Moss Adams teams and learning about the company as well as some clients.

What did you find most challenging?

Getting acclimated to the vocabulary and technology they used. Their engagement system was a little outdated, so that slowed a lot of things down, but everybody was super helpful and encouraging.

What did you learn?

I learned a lot about people skills and navigating different office relationships. I had to balance being friends with my manager and senior with having to be professional and working with them. 

What advice do you have for other students looking for a similar experience, or advice for future students to be successful?

I cannot stress enough how important it is to make sure the people vibe matches with what you want. Everyone in my office was fun and outgoing and always down to joke around when appropriate, and that was super important to me in having an environment in which I wouldn't get bored.

How did Eller Prepare you for this experience?

I think just having a sense of professionalism was the biggest key. It's very easy to go in at a level of professionalism that is higher than necessary and adjust to the office culture instead of coming in at less than the appropriate level of professionalism and adjusting upwards. 

Did you feel supported by the company or organization you worked with? 
Absolutely. Everyone from the partners to the receptionist was there for whatever we needed and were always friendly.