Training Ground
McCombs Students Get Real-World
Experience in Summer Internships
After final tests are conquered and apartment leases
end, many students disperse all over the globe to spend
their summer testing the skills and theories they’ve
learned in class. These internships serve as a
supplement to students’ McCombs education, and for many,
help them try out possible career paths. While
undergraduates have been required to complete an
internship before graduation since 2000, students get
much more out of the experience than just course credit.
Here, five McCombs undergraduate and graduate students
share what they discovered about the companies,
industries and themselves during summer 2006.
Barrett Sundberg, MPA '07
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Intern
Austin, Texas
My internship started at the top! The Texas Commission
on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the state agency
regulating Texas’ environment, works in a five-building
complex overlooking Austin. The Chief Auditor’s Office,
my home last summer, sits atop the tallest of the five
buildings overlooking I-35 and Braker Lane.
The CAO is more than the office that provides internal auditing for commissioners. It is a carefully run audit shop of 18 people that gave substantial responsibility to its summer intern.
I first served at TCEQ last spring during a class project in Dean Urton Anderson’s internal auditing (Management Auditing and Control) course. During that project, the sponsoring auditor recommended me to TCEQ’s Chief Auditor Steve Goodson, who was facing a couple of challenges: One was being in charge of a department that until recently had been two entirely separate operations. Both departments had separate policy manuals from earlier days, and my job would be to draft a combined document to replace them.
The other problem surprised me.
Though both groups are professional operations in a high-profile agency, the department is in the process of switching for the first time to electronic work papers instead of actual paper documents. In addition to reconciling procedures between work teams, I rewrote the procedures to reflect the shift to electronic work papers.
In the process, I learned the craft of auditing in much more detail than an ordinary internship would make possible. Because Goodson knew that I could not bring the experience of someone inside the shop, I was able to access auditors at every level of the department to answer questions. Staff auditors, supervisors and Goodson himself reviewed my draft repeatedly. Examining it from so many angles was a uniquely educational experience. I gained an understanding of the audit process, which would normally take much longer to acquire.
In the end, I provided an unexpected benefit. Both of the old manuals were about 200 pages long. After achieving the right level of detail for the document’s new purpose, using references efficiently, and letting TeamMate (the electronic work paper program) be the repository of procedures where appropriate, the new manual turned out to be less than 30 pages.
Meeting the TCEQ audit crew has been professionally beneficial as well as personally enjoyable. Before my internship, I had already planned to work in government because of a personal addiction to public service. The staff gave me useful insight through their personal experiences, and the chief auditor has been very helpful in providing recommendations as well as suggestions about my career direction.
In fact, his introduction led to the employment offer that I have now—a good offer that I am keeping in reserve temporarily while seeking a similar job at a higher level of government. In any case, my internship at TCEQ was more than a strong addition to my résumé. It was also a very rewarding educational experience.
Leslie Elliott, MBA '07
Booz Allen Hamilton Intern
Dallas, Texas
As a prospective MBA student, I was drawn to McCombs’
focus on challenging academic work and emphasis on
teamwork. After experiencing this, I sought an
internship in a similar environment. I accepted a
position as a summer associate with Booz Allen Hamilton
and began my venture into the world of management
consulting.
The summer introduced me to how challenging, interesting and stimulating the work of consulting can be. It also reinforced the importance of ensuring my fit with the people and the culture of the firm (especially when we would be spending more than 12 hours a day together!). And after working with some of the world’s most frequent travelers, I now know how to pick the best seat on an airplane and maximize hotel points.
My project this summer was to assist our client in developing a potential merger and acquisition strategy. The team screened three targets by looking for the value and synergies that could be captured and then analyzed the strategic fit and alignment of each of the targets. Throughout my experience I was given a clear and valuable work stream that impacted the bottom line. In the short nine weeks of my internship, I contributed to a strategy that could impact and change the future of a $10 billion company. Having no experience in the industry, or in mergers and acquisitions, the work stretched and challenged me.
What I learned from my project was a valuable takeaway—but so was my experience with the firm. Throughout the summer the entire firm did an amazing job of integrating all of the interns. Specifically, my project team truly welcomed me and made me feel like part of the team.
I always felt like I had the resources I needed, and my colleagues were happy to guide me through any questions I had. I know that working with my team contributed in large part to making my summer an amazing experience. On my last day, while catching my flight home, I didn’t feel relief that my summer internship (and extended interview) was over, but rather reluctance in leaving a valued job and colleagues.
It is hard to believe that I am already more than halfway though my time at McCombs. Reflecting upon my experiences, I consider my internship to be an integral part of my education here. My internship was a great opportunity to apply the first year of my education while experiencing a new industry. The experience deepened my business acumen and provided personal insight into my future career plans.
Vincent Turner, MBA '07
Yahoo Intern
Sunnyvale, California
Several months of internship hunting finally paid off in
early May when I landed a promising position with Yahoo!
in Sunnyvale, Calif. I had been hired strictly through
phone interviews—not only had the recruiters never met
me but I had never seen the office, or for that matter,
Northern California.
I wrapped up finals, loaded up my Honda and started the scenic but excruciatingly long drive. I arrived a week early, and by sheer luck I was able to find living accommodations without signing over my first-born child.
Orientation came with a few surprises. For instance, Yahoo! has no dress code, and I was shocked to learn that computer engineers dress even worse than I do. I was really impressed with Yahoo!’s campus, which is situated on the tip of the South Bay, complete with a cafeteria, gym, basketball court, bocce ball court, foosball tables and all the purple and yellow furniture you can stand.
My specific position was on Yahoo!’s Financial Systems team, a specialized group that develops and supports the information systems needed to accommodate Yahoo!’s internal and external financial reporting needs. My primary project was an internal consulting opportunity, which was what drew me to the position in the first place. After graduation I plan to pursue management consulting or corporate strategy work.
Yahoo! has experienced rapid growth (both organic and non-organic) over the years and has accumulated a massive amount of data and multiple reporting systems. I undertook a project to analyze the state of the systems and find potential gaps. Then I developed recommendations to streamline the processes and the systems involved.
This project was a great experience because I played the role of a consultant (except much cheaper), interviewing more than a dozen people and synthesizing massive amounts of information into a concrete and actionable strategy, which I then presented to management.
The summer also included a number of networking and recreational opportunities with Yahoo!’s senior management and the other interns. Yahoo!’s CFO Sue Decker hosted an informal session with the finance interns (about five of us). This was a unique opportunity to hear the secrets of success of one of the youngest and most prominent CFOs in the country. I also had the opportunity to have a beer with David Filo, one of the two founders of Yahoo!. He was the first technical visionary for the company (and appeared to still be wearing the same pair of sneakers he had when he started the company in 1994).
Overall, I had a great experience—the opportunity to work on a meaningful project with a great team at one of the most innovative companies in the world. Although it feels great to be back in Austin and at McCombs, my internship last summer was definitely an experience I will never forget!
Barrett Sundberg, MPA '07
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Intern
Austin, Texas
My internship started at the top! The Texas Commission
on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the state agency
regulating Texas’ environment, works in a five-building
complex overlooking Austin. The Chief Auditor’s Office,
my home last summer, sits atop the tallest of the five
buildings overlooking I-35 and Braker Lane. The CAO is more than the office that provides internal auditing for commissioners. It is a carefully run audit shop of 18 people that gave substantial responsibility to its summer intern.
I first served at TCEQ last spring during a class project in Dean Urton Anderson’s internal auditing (Management Auditing and Control) course. During that project, the sponsoring auditor recommended me to TCEQ’s Chief Auditor Steve Goodson, who was facing a couple of challenges: One was being in charge of a department that until recently had been two entirely separate operations. Both departments had separate policy manuals from earlier days, and my job would be to draft a combined document to replace them.
The other problem surprised me.
Though both groups are professional operations in a high-profile agency, the department is in the process of switching for the first time to electronic work papers instead of actual paper documents. In addition to reconciling procedures between work teams, I rewrote the procedures to reflect the shift to electronic work papers.
In the process, I learned the craft of auditing in much more detail than an ordinary internship would make possible. Because Goodson knew that I could not bring the experience of someone inside the shop, I was able to access auditors at every level of the department to answer questions. Staff auditors, supervisors and Goodson himself reviewed my draft repeatedly. Examining it from so many angles was a uniquely educational experience. I gained an understanding of the audit process, which would normally take much longer to acquire.
In the end, I provided an unexpected benefit. Both of the old manuals were about 200 pages long. After achieving the right level of detail for the document’s new purpose, using references efficiently, and letting TeamMate (the electronic work paper program) be the repository of procedures where appropriate, the new manual turned out to be less than 30 pages.
Meeting the TCEQ audit crew has been professionally beneficial as well as personally enjoyable. Before my internship, I had already planned to work in government because of a personal addiction to public service. The staff gave me useful insight through their personal experiences, and the chief auditor has been very helpful in providing recommendations as well as suggestions about my career direction.
In fact, his introduction led to the employment offer that I have now—a good offer that I am keeping in reserve temporarily while seeking a similar job at a higher level of government. In any case, my internship at TCEQ was more than a strong addition to my résumé. It was also a very rewarding educational experience.
Leslie Elliott, MBA '07
Booz Allen Hamilton Intern
Dallas, Texas
As a prospective MBA student, I was drawn to McCombs’
focus on challenging academic work and emphasis on
teamwork. After experiencing this, I sought an
internship in a similar environment. I accepted a
position as a summer associate with Booz Allen Hamilton
and began my venture into the world of management
consulting. The summer introduced me to how challenging, interesting and stimulating the work of consulting can be. It also reinforced the importance of ensuring my fit with the people and the culture of the firm (especially when we would be spending more than 12 hours a day together!). And after working with some of the world’s most frequent travelers, I now know how to pick the best seat on an airplane and maximize hotel points.
My project this summer was to assist our client in developing a potential merger and acquisition strategy. The team screened three targets by looking for the value and synergies that could be captured and then analyzed the strategic fit and alignment of each of the targets. Throughout my experience I was given a clear and valuable work stream that impacted the bottom line. In the short nine weeks of my internship, I contributed to a strategy that could impact and change the future of a $10 billion company. Having no experience in the industry, or in mergers and acquisitions, the work stretched and challenged me.
What I learned from my project was a valuable takeaway—but so was my experience with the firm. Throughout the summer the entire firm did an amazing job of integrating all of the interns. Specifically, my project team truly welcomed me and made me feel like part of the team.
I always felt like I had the resources I needed, and my colleagues were happy to guide me through any questions I had. I know that working with my team contributed in large part to making my summer an amazing experience. On my last day, while catching my flight home, I didn’t feel relief that my summer internship (and extended interview) was over, but rather reluctance in leaving a valued job and colleagues.
It is hard to believe that I am already more than halfway though my time at McCombs. Reflecting upon my experiences, I consider my internship to be an integral part of my education here. My internship was a great opportunity to apply the first year of my education while experiencing a new industry. The experience deepened my business acumen and provided personal insight into my future career plans.
Vincent Turner, MBA '07
Yahoo Intern
Sunnyvale, California
Several months of internship hunting finally paid off in
early May when I landed a promising position with Yahoo!
in Sunnyvale, Calif. I had been hired strictly through
phone interviews—not only had the recruiters never met
me but I had never seen the office, or for that matter,
Northern California. I wrapped up finals, loaded up my Honda and started the scenic but excruciatingly long drive. I arrived a week early, and by sheer luck I was able to find living accommodations without signing over my first-born child.
Orientation came with a few surprises. For instance, Yahoo! has no dress code, and I was shocked to learn that computer engineers dress even worse than I do. I was really impressed with Yahoo!’s campus, which is situated on the tip of the South Bay, complete with a cafeteria, gym, basketball court, bocce ball court, foosball tables and all the purple and yellow furniture you can stand.
My specific position was on Yahoo!’s Financial Systems team, a specialized group that develops and supports the information systems needed to accommodate Yahoo!’s internal and external financial reporting needs. My primary project was an internal consulting opportunity, which was what drew me to the position in the first place. After graduation I plan to pursue management consulting or corporate strategy work.
Yahoo! has experienced rapid growth (both organic and non-organic) over the years and has accumulated a massive amount of data and multiple reporting systems. I undertook a project to analyze the state of the systems and find potential gaps. Then I developed recommendations to streamline the processes and the systems involved.
This project was a great experience because I played the role of a consultant (except much cheaper), interviewing more than a dozen people and synthesizing massive amounts of information into a concrete and actionable strategy, which I then presented to management.
The summer also included a number of networking and recreational opportunities with Yahoo!’s senior management and the other interns. Yahoo!’s CFO Sue Decker hosted an informal session with the finance interns (about five of us). This was a unique opportunity to hear the secrets of success of one of the youngest and most prominent CFOs in the country. I also had the opportunity to have a beer with David Filo, one of the two founders of Yahoo!. He was the first technical visionary for the company (and appeared to still be wearing the same pair of sneakers he had when he started the company in 1994).
Overall, I had a great experience—the opportunity to work on a meaningful project with a great team at one of the most innovative companies in the world. Although it feels great to be back in Austin and at McCombs, my internship last summer was definitely an experience I will never forget!
