This past summer, 15 BESTies completed internships with various companies. Here are some of their thoughts about their different experiences…
The first amazing BESTie we would like to feature is Travis Lieu, who was one of our 8 new recruits this past spring semester. Travis Lieu interned with Bank of Hawai'i, BEST’s Sole Diamond Sponsor, this past summer with the Controller's Department. Here he learned about the regulatory and financial reporting side of a publicly traded company and how to file various regulatory reports that consisted of the bank’s daily assets and liabilities to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Federal Reserve Bank (FRB). Here’s what he had to say about his experience at Bank of Hawai'i.
Q: Key takeaways from the internship?
A: A key takeaway from my experience here at Bank of Hawai'i would be that you should always be open to networking. Every development day, I would be within my cohort of 33 interns. I found it very beneficial to get to know every single one of my fellow interns.
Q: How did BEST prepare you for this internship?
A: BEST prepared me for this internship through providing various networking events such as Mock Interviews and Professional Interaction Night. Through these professional development workshops, I was able to network with professionals, strengthen my interviewing skills, and get a better grasp of the business community in Hawai'i.
Next, we interviewed Ashley Sim and Rachel Lu, who interned at N&K CPAs, one of our 2 Platinum Sponsors this upcoming semester. Ashley and Rachel are currently serving on the Executive Board as Vice President and Director of Finance respectively. At N&K CPAs, they went through a rotational program where they got to experience three different divisions at a public accounting firm: client advisory services, taxation, and audit. After their rotations, they spent more time in the audit division, where they gained valuable knowledge and firsthand experience with client engagements. Here is what they had to say about their experiences.
Q: How did BEST prepare you for this internship?
A: Through workshops, tours, and networking events, BEST taught me how to improve my soft skills, such as communication and teamwork. Internships are a chance for students to see what it's like to work in the field of their interest, so not having the hard skills to do the work is normal, but having foundational soft skills makes your time in a new environment a lot easier to navigate.
- Rachel Lu
Q: Any advice/last words?
A: Internships are a great opportunity for you to not only get your name out into the Hawaii business community, but also a great way to gain valuable skills and actual work experience in the field of your choosing. If you ever experience uncertainty about your future career path, internships can provide the clarity you need to discover your goals.
- Ashley Sim
We also interviewed two amazing BESTies, Kaedin Okimoto and Cobalt Zucker, who interned at Servco Pacific, one of BEST’s longtime supporters. At Servco, Kaedin worked for the Accounting & Financial Services department where he learned about the financial sides of the company through teams consisting of Inventory Costing/Retail, General Ledger, Corporate Reporting, and Accounts Payable/Receivable. Cobalt worked in the marketing department where he learned a lot about the different aspects of marketing and all the different pieces that go into creating a cohesive message from the advertisement to the imagery to the wording and to the website. Here’s what they had to say about their experiences.
Q: Key takeaways from the internship?
A: Apart from my learning experiences, my internship at Servco was personally a challenge for me. Being my first internship, this was my first experience of working in a corporate office. I quickly had to adapt to a new setting and undertake any tasks that my manager(s) had requested of me. Nonetheless, my time at Servco was memorable as I got to bond with my department and intern cohort; Servco truly does treat their employees like family. From talking with my department, I gained an insight on how I can make the most of my college experience and best prepare for my future career in accounting & finance!
- Kaedin Okimoto
Q: How did BEST prepare you for this internship?
A: BEST helped to prepare me for this internship by improving my resume, interviewing, and networking skills. The workshops and professional events definitely helped me to make my best impressions when applying and interviewing for the internship.
- Cobalt Zucker
