Sydney Smith
Accounting - Starr-Mathews Agency, Inc.
How did you hear about your internship?
Networking, networking, networking! And don’t take for granted your parents’ contacts! The Mathews, who own Starr-Mathews, know my parents and came to my mom inquiring about my status as a student and plans after graduation. They hired me as a summer intern almost immediately! Be sure to consider all opportunities, no matter the location – especially during the summer; Starr-Mathews is based in my hometown, Calhoun, Georgia. During school, students tend to only search for internships around the Dahlonega/Dawsonville/Gainesville area. Check out your hometown opportunities too, especially if you’re interested in returning there after graduation!.
What has been the most valuable (or favorite) part of the experience?
When people think of accounting, they usually think of public accounting or CPAs. Working this summer at Starr-Mathews has been a wonderful opportunity to see the private realm of accounting, which we are not usually exposed to in class. I have really begun to see the variety of the opportunities in the accounting field. There are endless private companies that need in-house accountants!
How will this help you in the future?
YES! Because of the massive amounts of data that accounting generates, technology and data bases are very important. It has certainly been a different experience to see accounting on a computer screen rather than on paper. Also, since we don’t get to hear a lot about private accounting, this experience has been invaluable and will continue to be so when I begin speaking with accountants at job fairs this year and interviewing after graduation. I now have the experience to compare with other accountants’ every-day tasks.
