Trinity Xiong – Accounting Internship

This semester, I’ve had the opportunity to intern at LMS Tax & Accounting. Being in New Holland, PA, it is a convenient four-minute drive from the school. LMS Tax & Accounting is an accounting firm that offers services for personal taxes, business taxes, tax planning, payroll, and other accounting/wealth management. My mentor is Brian Lesher, a certified public accountant (CPA). He has shown and explained to me the procedures taken during tax season.

A typical day for me consists of adding up farm books with an adding machine, spreadsheet books in Excel, or entering data into their accounting software. With their software, I have filed W2s, 1099s, and 1040s. Interning has been a beneficial experience, and I highly recommend this internship to anyone interested in accounting or something similar that deals with numbers, finance, business, and data entry. At the office, I have my own desk with two monitors. As a bonus, they have a fancy coffee machine, which I use almost every day I’m there.

Having taken classes such as Accounting I and Accounting II, it has been cool to see ideas discussed in class come to life in a workplace setting. Though useful, the classroom can’t teach you certain things that an internship can. Interning allows you to see the process in action. For example, I could add up a book and pass it on to one of the accountants. They may use the calculations to confirm amounts when entering numbers into UltraTax, and then it is reviewed by another person. Each task leads to another, with more than one person viewing each project. Being in the environment alone has provided me with insight. For instance, observing how professionals take calls and have meetings with their clients puts emphasis on how important communication and building relationships are to their jobs.

After high school, I plan to get a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science, pass exams, and become an actuary. I came into this experience with an interest in actuarial science, which deals with using math and statistics to assess and minimize financial risk. Though it is not the same as accounting, getting to be in a real office work environment and gaining experience in Excel will translate into my future. Being an intern at LMS Tax & Accounting has confirmed that I would like an office job. Overall, this experience has helped me feel more prepared for my future career path. I am thankful to Brian and everyone else in the office for giving me this opportunity.