Summer Internship: A Day in the Life of Shunyin Li
Master of Accountancy with a Speciation in Financial Reporting
Shunyin Li, MSA Student Specializing in Financial Reporting.
Hi everyone, my name is Shunyin Li and I'm an MSA student specializing in Financial Reporting. I will graduate in May 2022. This summer I am interning with Sempra Energy in the financial reporting department.
Last summer, I had a friend who interned with Sempra Energy. From his experience, I know that Sempra Energy is a company with a great culture that is inclusive, encouraging, supportive. Additionally, interns are assigned real work and gain invaluable experiences during the internship period. Since then, I’ve been looking for the opportunity to intern at Sempra Energy. At the virtual “Meet the Firms” recruiting event in September last year, I entered Sempra Energy's booth to learn more about the company and its requirements for interns. When Sempra Energy posted an internship position later last year at Handshake, I applied immediately. I got an interview in March this year and was thrilled to receive the offer.
I started my internship on June 1st. I am lucky to be in a team where everyone is brilliant and supportive. I have friendly co-workers and a helpful manager. Both of them have provided a lot of support to me. Other team members are also ready to help if I have any questions. I’ve been through many training sessions, including training of systems used, working processes, and tools used. The information was overwhelming initially, but through the training and hands-on practice, I can work on my assignments with more confidence now.
A day at Sempra Energy:
8:30 am - I start my day of work by checking new emails and then checking my to-do list that I update every day. It takes me a few minutes to add new tasks and delete completed ones.
9:00 am - I begin working on my assignments. I was assigned a few monthly tasks that include journal entries and balance sheet analysis. My manager and other co-workers have walked me through some of my assignments, so I know where to collect the information I need.
11:00 am - I have a Microsoft Teams call with one of my reviewers to discuss the workpaper I uploaded. Besides my manager, my reviewers are the people I contact the most in the team. After the call, I make notes of my reviewers' comments, so if I am assigned the same assignments next month, I will know where I should be more cautious. Finally, I clear my reviewers' comments and resubmit my work.
12:00 pm - This is the time I take my lunch break. I use the time to make a simple lunch for myself. At the same time to move my body and stretch.
1:00 pm - I prepare for my 10Q assignments (which is a report of financial performance), by studying prior workpaper, financial reports, or training materials. In July, the whole team will be busy with the Q2 10Q. We are doing some preparatory work now. It’s an excellent opportunity to participate in the preparation of Q2. At the same time, there’s a lot to learn. I need to get familiar with my job to be better prepared for the assignments in July.
3:00 pm - I work on one of my assignments that is also part of the 10Q. I have to say that 10Q is our top priority right now. 10Q is a big project. There’s a lot of work to be done, from drafting the proforma to the submission to SEC. The assignment I am working on now requires the knowledge of accounting research. I think it’s a good idea that I take an accounting research course next semester.
4:30 pm - Almost every day, my manager takes a moment to chat with me about my day. I take the opportunity to ask questions about what I may not yet understand at work. My manager always patiently answers any questions I have. I’ve learned a lot from him.
5:30 pm - It's time to log off. Before I log off, I check my to-do list to ensure that I have completed my task for the day. I also set reminders for things that need to be done the next day.
Time flies very fast. I have been on the team for four weeks. My feeling is that doing an internship virtually does present its challenges. For example, if we work in the same office, I can get an immediate answer if I have questions, which will make my work more efficient. That’s why I applied to go back to the office in July. In this virtual working environment, I think communication is critical. That’s also what my manager advised me. Internships are a valuable learning opportunity. I will take the opportunity to ask questions and learn as much as possible.
