Internship Spotlight – Grace Dunn, The Walt Disney Company

Grace Dunn is an Accounting and MIS double major set to graduate in May 2020.  This summer she interned for The Walt Disney Company as a Segment Finance Reporting Intern in Glendale, California.

What was your favorite part of the experience?

My favorite part of the experience was truly getting to know the culture of The Walt Disney Company and my team. Relationship building and networking is very important to the company, and meeting with different people is very encouraged. I had the opportunity to meet with people both in and outside of accounting and finance during the work day on multiple occasions. It was great to learn about what people work on outside of my particular team and how all of the segments and roles are interconnected. I really enjoyed working with everyone on my team and had the opportunity to get to know leaders within the Studio segment as well.

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

I was on the Studio Segment Financial Reporting team and my main project was helping prepare various quarter close deliverables. When the fiscal quarter ends, the reporting teams are busy for the next three to four weeks preparing the financial statements to send to the corporate reporting team that prepares the 10Q and 10K etc. I prepared and analyzed different balance sheet schedules for both the Studio and DTCI segments. The biggest part of this close was integrating 20th Century Fox into the statements, as it was the first quarter they were reporting their results since the acquisition. It was very cool and interesting to be a part of this initial integration!

What did you find most challenging about your internship?

The most challenging part of my internship was learning SAP, their software system and being able to effectively use it when preparing my schedules. I also found that I was lacking in my Excel efficiency Excel which made things more challenging, but I can say that my skills definitely improved as I practiced them every day. My team was really great in training me and was always willing to help me which made the transition into the new system easier. I am looking forward to improving these skills in the future.

What advice do you have for other students looking for a similar internship?

My advice to students looking for a similar internship is to do your research and really practice for the interviews! I think it is very important to make sure you have a particular skill set or experience to talk about for each requirement or preferred requirement that the company has. If you can get past the interviews and be able to tell the interviewer why you want the job and why you’re a good fit, you will be set!

How did Eller prepare you for your internship?

Eller very much prepared me for the networking aspect of my internship. I felt super comfortable talking to different people that I had never met before, especially being able to talk about myself and my experiences (elevator pitch!). I think that my communication skills have really improved since being in Eller and I was able to put them to use during my internship.

Anything else you would like to share about your internship experience?

It was the most amazing experience as my dream of working for Disney came true! I am very excited because I accepted an offer to return post graduation!