Over the summer, Hill completed his second accounting internship, this time at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), a prestigious firm from the “Big Four.” The Big Four is a nickname for the four largest accounting firms in the world, as measured by revenue – Deloitte, Ernst & Young (EY), KPMG and PwC.

“My professor would constantly tell us about the Big Four, and every semester I applied to all the firms from the Big Four,” Hill said. “My first internship, which was two years ago, I interned with Deloitte. So, this time, I interned with PwC.

“I had a choice between two internships – PwC and another firm. I chose this company because it has prestige behind the name. I’ve already had one of the largest firms on my resume and I thought it would be even better if I did my internship at another large accounting firm,” he said.

Hill thought he would get the most accounting experience and exposure if he interned at two of the biggest firms in the world. At the PwC internship, Hill worked as a “Start intern.”

The Start internship is just the first step in PwC's internship experience. Following successful completion of a Start internship and maintaining academic standing, students are eligible for an “Advance internship” offer for the subsequent year. 

During the internship, Hill explored different branches of the accounting sector, including the consulting branch, tax branch and auditing branch. He was able to assess each one to see which one he liked the most and was also provided with structural programs to guide him along the way. 

“I think I made the right decision because I learned a lot of information within that month and a half,” Hill said. “I knew nothing about the software they used. They used a software called ‘Astro,’ and I got to learn a little bit more about Tablo, which is kind of like Excel.

“I got a chance to do some data analytics work and we worked as a team on an audit and made a consultant strategy plan for a nonprofit,” he said.

Hill got real-life experience as an accounting intern and worked with legitimate organizations by helping them with financial statements.  

“It helped me get more comfortable in an office setting and a corporate setting, and it also helped me understand what information I’ll actually need to use when I graduate,” he said. “I actually got to see what I’m learning in school and how that will apply to what I’ll be doing in the future.”

Before doing his internships, Hill thought that if he just kept a 4.0 or 3.9 GPA and did well in class then he would be ready to start his career. He did not realize how important they were and how much experience he could receive from them.

Once he completed his internship at Deloitte, he realized he had a lot more to learn about the world of accounting.

“After my first internship, during my sophomore year, I was terrified, I was confused – I had only taken two accounting classes, so I didn’t know what I was doing. But the second internship that I recently finished, I found that I was a lot more comfortable,” Hill said. “I was actually more willing to learn and more inclined to ask questions because everything looked so familiar.

“Once you start doing internships, then you’re going to start seeing why you’re actually going to school. It’s all going to make sense. It’s not just for the money – it’ll help you in the long run,” he said.

Even though Hill got paid $30 an hour during his internship at PwC, he was ultimately happy just to receive the experience. Because of his high performance, he received a return offer to complete a second internship at PwC next summer.

Now that Hill has familiarized himself with the technology and accounting professionals at the firm, he knows that when next year comes around, he will be a step ahead.

“The main thing that this internship gave me was confidence, specifically with how I will be navigating throughout my professional life. I also networked with a lot of people who were telling me a lot of different attributes and perks to working at the company,” he said. “So, I’ve gotten a lot of insight from a company I didn’t know much about, and now I’m thinking about working there.”



During his next PwC internship, he will come in as an Advance intern working for the tax branch. After he completes the Advance internship, Hill may be offered a full-time position at PwC.