Internship Spotlight: Krushi Bhakta, Protiviti

Krushi Bhakta BSBA ‘24 (Accounting) was an Internal Audit and Financial Advisory and Business Process Intern at Protiviti in Scottsdale, Arizona.

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

I met the recruiter at Meet the Firms after he emailed me. Following that I had an interview, there was a case study that I also had to prepare for the interview. After I accepted, a couple of months later the recruiter and the office director set up a couple of dinners with the other interns. These were super nice because we had a chance to connect prior to the internship and meet everyone.

What was a typical day like?

My day started out with checking emails and my calendar to plan my day. My job was to do SOX testing on the majority of my projects so I would get started on my assigned controls and work on that for the rest of the day with a few meetings/calls throughout the day. One of the projects was ACH/NACHA testing for a client. The testing for that would go by quicker since there were no workpapers to create so most days I finished early, met with my manager/main point of contact, and went on Percipio for further learning. This sounds boring but when I’m in the office with the other interns we have the best of the best time laughing and having lunch together.

What was your favorite part of the experience?

My favorite part was the office events. I miss them so much because I met so many people and laughed a lot with them. I think if I had to choose I would choose the Intern Challenge as my favorite. I met a ton of people and had the greatest time learning about Protiviti and the work while also having fun.

What did you find most challenging?

I think the most challenging part was towards the end of the internship. After finishing up a fun ach/nacha testing project I was put onto another sox testing project and I quickly found out that I don't enjoy internal audit as much as I hoped. I found it a bit challenging moving forward each day with the work because it just felt monotonous and I personally just couldn't find the work satisfaction that I was looking for.

What did you learn?

I learned more than I had originally thought I would. The most important thing I learned was that I don't like internal audit. This to me is important because I don't ever want to become trapped with a job I don't enjoy. I also learned what exactly Internal Audit entails. I've always wanted to know and experience it and I'm very happy and grateful that I got the opportunity to.

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

I think my biggest advice is to try and improve your resume and take part in leadership positions while having interests outside of Eller because it gets the attention of recruiters and makes you well-rounded. I think this is what helped me grow as a person and secure my internship. Also, my #1 advice is to get comfortable with being uncomfortable!