Internship Proposal
Introduction
I did my internship in an engineering consultation firm in the USA. I was attached to the finance department. The engineering firm is different from other industries because it is involved in searching and giving services instead of dealing with products. The company is also involved in delivering solutions based on the current and occurring problems. While an intern, I was assigned the duty of financial analysis on competitor companies in the USA. Besides, I worked on project budgets for the enterprise.
On the various tasks assigned to me, I was able to gain hands-on skills in financial analysis. For instance, I had the chance to work with DCF and ROPI methods of financial analysis. At other instances, I was also engaged in the utilization of multiples and ratios. The above methods increased my confidence and passion for financial analysis because I can now comfortably solve issues requiring such expertise. Besides, I gained much experience on how to analyze finance, not only in the firm I was attached but also in other competitor firms.
Activities Carried Out
During my internship in the engineering consultation firm, I was involved in the discharge of the financial analysis of the following companies: Bechtel: Engineering, Construction & Project Management, Jacobs Engineering Group, Jarir Marketing Co. and Fluor – Global Engineering Construction Company.
Among the various tasks assigned to me was the analysis of the financial statements of various competitor firms. The work entailed taking into consideration data for the previous five years. During the analysis, besides using the financial methods earlier mentioned in the paper, I also had the opportunity to work with Microsoft Excel in comparing and analyzing ratios of competitor companies. The outcome of my analysis would be utilized by the company to project the trend for the coming five years and, perhaps, come up with coping strategies. .
I attended meetings to get a better view of how the team works on the various projects within the firm. The professionals within the financial department showed me previous projects that the firm had been employed on and explained deeply, which gave me much knowledge. After the explanations, I was able to work with them on a similar project successfully.
Lessons from the Internship
Strengths
Carrying out the internship in an engineering consultation firm has given me several advantages. First, it has increased my knowledge on how to analyze finance in not only the company but also other related companies. I carried out financial analysis in the financial department with minimum supervision. Strength in my internship is that I learned time management skills (Bosworth, 2016). Therefore, I performed various activities within the specified period. I was able to understand the various activities carried out in the financial department. Also, the firm has enabled me to interact and to connect with professionals within the financial department. I acquired skills on how to handle projects budgets in the engineering consultation firm.
Weaknesses
During my internship, I had deficiencies in my carrying out my work duties. First, I had difficulty in interacting with the financial department team at first, but with time, my communication with them improved tremendously. Being new in analyzing finance in real companies, it was not that easy. Nevertheless, due to practice and determination, I was able to understand how financial analysis is done. My confidence enabled me to assess projects budgets and to analyze other engineering consultation firms using recommended methods. Another weakness in my internship is that I was not involved in investigating all of the engineering firms because other businesses were a bit technical (Bosworth, 2016).
Conclusion
Based on the activities I was participating in the engineering consultation firm, it is evident that I have enhanced skills as a finance analyst. Working in this company has helped me greatly to apply what I learned in school. My internship in the engineering consultation firm, financial department has made me fulfill my set objectives before the start of the internship. The internship program has given relevance to my career as a finance analyst by equipping me with relevant skills, which relate to my field of study. Carrying out activities such as analyzing the finance of other engineering firms has offered me the opportunity to be more responsible in the financial department.
Besides, the internship in the company has enabled me to make contact with professionals within the financial department and to observe the positions that may interest me in the future. At the end of my internship program, I was provided with a recommendation letter, which will give me an added merit in looking for a job in a finance analysis field. I was also provided with a performance review by the firm, which shows my overall performance in the company. I gained much from the various activities I was involved in within the financial department, which has given me experience in my field of study on how to analyze finances in the future.
References
Bosworth K. (2016). The Strengths and Weaknesses of an Internship Experience. Hearst Newspapers, LLC. Retrieved from: http://work.chron.com/strengths-weaknesses-internship-experience-7184.html
