Internship Spotlight: Kristen McDaniels, Eide Bailly LLP

Kristen McDaniels '23 BSBA (Accounting) was a Tax Intern at Eide Bailly LLP in Phoenix, Arizona.

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

Applied on handshake, phone call with recruiter to discuss interest and schedule interview, interview with 2 partners and partner in charge of entire office, received phone call to accept position.

What was a typical day like?

Working on case studies about different tax credits, preparing individual tax returns in software.

What was your favorite part of the experience?

The people! Everyone was very welcoming and eager to meet the interns. We spent a lot of time doing firm bonding and volunteering which made the experience more personal.

If you worked on a big project, please describe it below:

We worked on case studies every week. We did research for clients on topics such as research and development credits, the employee retention credit, fixed asset planning, and cost segregation.

What did you find most challenging?

Learning the tax software. It is very specific and is definitely a large learning curve.

What did you learn?

Besides learning new software, I learned a lot about wealth and transition services from the partner in charge of that area. She was very knowledgeable and taught us a lot about trusts and estates, which we don't cover a lot in our tax class at UArizona.

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

I highly recommend choosing an internship based on interview experience. I interviewed with a lot of different accounting firms, but chose Eide Bailly because I felt so comfortable during the interview; it felt like I was talking to a friend. This translated to the workplace where I felt very comfortable and got along well with everyone I met.

How did Eller Prepare you for this experience?

I was very confident throughout the interview process due to interview prep from advisors at Eller. In the workplace, I applied a lot of BCOM 314 skills throughout answering client emails and writing case study analyses. Accounting knowledge is always good but knowledge of communication is equally as important. 

Did you feel supported by the company or organization you worked with? 

I felt extremely supported. As a firm, we did a volunteer event at Feed My Starving Children, did an escape room, and went to an arcade. The firm cared a lot about us getting to know their permanent employees and it heightened the experience.