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At SMB, Internships Are More Than Coffee Runs

At SMB, we take a lot of pride in our internship program AND our interns. This isn’t a coffee-fetching experience we’re providing; we believe our program should be as beneficial for the intern as it is for SMB. We absolutely love helping them learn, grow, and apply the knowledge they’re getting in the classroom to real-world scenarios and clients. This experience is also a great opportunity for interns to see what public accounting looks like and SMB gets a chance to see if the interns are a good fit for a future with the firm — a win-win for all of us.

Currently there are three interns at SMB; you might remember Maxwell and Brenden who are still with us and heading into their third tax season at SMB. As school is in session once again we thought it’d be a great time to check in with Joel Barrientos, whose internship began in January 2022, to share a bit about his experience.

  • Joel, how long will your internship with SMB last?
    • My internship will last until I start with SMB full time next year.
  • Now that you’ve been with SMB for 8 months and working on real-world client work, have you had any big ah-ha moments?
    • I haven’t had any big ah-ha moments. Mainly I learn from one client and take that knowledge and apply it to another client, when it applies.
  • Has this internship and real work experience solidified this path for you?
    • This experience has solidified this path for me for the foreseeable future. I do see myself staying in the business environment, but I’m not sure if it’s always going to be under accounting.
  • Have you found you prefer specific accounting work or client types over another?
    • I prefer doing tax work over audits, and I’ve come to realize I like working on business tax returns over personal tax returns, but I’m glad to have been able to experience all of it!
  • What’s next for you after you complete your Masters in Accountancy?
    • I plan on completing my CPA exams along with my masters degree. I hope to have my CPA exams done by next August and the masters will be completed in May.
  • What do you like most about the SMB atmosphere and work culture?
    • I enjoy that everyone is easygoing and approachable. The Partners are all very knowledgeable and always willing to help us learn and understand more about what we are working on.
  • What’s your most memorable moment of your internship so far?
    • My most memorable moment at SMB so far is getting my own office. I think it’s pretty cool to be in my own space. It’s something that I had always envisioned/wanted to accomplish. It’s a rather small goal but it’s still a goal I’ve always had nonetheless.

Many thanks to Joel for taking time to share some highlights from his internship and thoughts on future plans. We’re so excited to watch him continue to grow in his career, and we’re thankful to have him on our team!