Interning at an Accounting Firm

Chris Piech is active in the accountant student organization GAAP and serves on the Student Advisory Council.
Chris Piech is active in the accountant student organization GAAP and serves on the Student Advisory Council.


Chris Piech is an accounting student in his senior year. In summer 2013, he interned at the accounting firm BDO, formerly Mikunda Cottrell. Chris has accepted a job offer from BDO and after he graduates in May 2014 he will be working as an audit accountant.

I decided to go for my accounting degree because I wanted a career. Accounting is the backbone of any business and there are high employment rates for accounting graduates.

I wanted to intern with BDO to find out if public accounting at a larger firm was the right fit for me. There is a lot of travel involved with auditing for such a firm, but that was one of the benefits! Getting to see different areas of Alaska is very exciting.



I was treated as a professional during my internship process. I was expected to perform at a high level, but was able to ask for help when I needed it. I was put on several audits and treated as part of the team, which meant the world to me.

Chris hiked to the Flattop while interning at BDO in Anchorage.
Chris hiked to the Flattop while interning at BDO in Anchorage.


My advice for all you students seeking internship experience is…GET INVOLVED! Out of all my years with the Â鶹¹ÙÍø Fairbanks, getting involved with the School of Management these last two years has helped me in so many ways. Sometimes you just need to step out of your comfort zone and attend networking events or join a student organization.

The best thing about my internship was actually performing the type of work I would be expected to do as a new hire and experience the company’s work environment. I absolutely loved my time at the Anchorage office of BDO USA and was given assistance whenever I asked for some. Oh, and getting a job offer before graduating is a great feeling as well!