College Experiences That Helped an Internal Auditor at Compass Diversified Succeed

When I was in high school and attending college, I had to work to help pay for my education. I did have an internship opportunity as a junior at the university, which was great. But before that, I was trying to figure out how to earn money and have the most flexibility.

During the school year, I didn't want to work during the week. I tried to work as much as possible on the weekends. During summers, I wanted something where I could work more to maximize my earnings.

I ended up accidentally getting a job at a hotel. This sounds odd because I had worked in restaurants, and the hotel had several. They hired me for their restaurants, and because they liked me and saw me as a hard worker, they had me cover several of their restaurants, from their deli to their fancier restaurant.

I always tried to build relationships and show that I was a hard worker interested in helping the company. This led to working in maintenance during the summers, where they needed someone to cut the grass and help with the pool, along with other outdoor tasks. I had skills in that area as well.

When school started again, they still had me doing some maintenance work on the weekends, so I was able to maximize my earnings there too. Eventually, they realized I was studying accounting, and the general manager suggested I work at the front desk instead of in maintenance.

They then had me working at the front desk, and there were many hours available. During the summer, when they heard I wanted to be an auditor, I got the job as a night auditor. This wasn't exactly being the auditor I am now, but I was the only person at the hotel from about 11 PM to 6 AM.

I was responsible for the entire hotel. I had to close out the books for the restaurants, the banquet, the bar, and everything else. All the rooms had to be closed out daily, and I recorded the accounting transactions.

It's a bit of a long answer, but when it came time for my internship interviews, which were limited to 30 minutes each, I made sure to talk about my experience at the hotel. I explained why I worked there, but I also wanted to share that I had a diverse skill set.

I could work in the restaurants, in maintenance, at the front desk, and interact with customers in various ways. I was seen as a positive influence at the hotel, and they kept giving me increasing responsibilities. I was the only employee working at night and was responsible for everyone's safety and any potential situation.

I was only 20 years old when doing this. I wanted to stress in interviews that I could be flexible and hardworking, and that I was all in if I worked for a company. I was fortunate to receive several internship offers, and I took the one I really wanted.

I worked hard there, and they offered me a job at the end of my internship, which I accepted. Now, there seem to be more opportunities for those with an accounting background who want to be auditors, work at public accounting firms, or in any business needing accountants.

Working summer shifts is always a good idea; they are always looking for help. People go on vacation, and companies want to identify potential hires early on to see if they are a good fit. By the time you graduate, you might have a definite offer.

This is a great opportunity because you meet the people you'll be working with. It's also a chance for them to "test drive" you and see if you're a good fit. My advice is to take advantage of any accounting or audit opportunities available through your school. Good luck.