Internships

Many Carthage business students work as interns at nearby companies during J-Term or summer break. These field placements give students career insights, a professional network, and valuable experience in a real work environment.

Ryan Koessl, '10

Major: Accounting
Internship: Deloitte

Carthage student Ryan Koessl, of Kenosha, spent the summer before his senior year working full time for Deloitte. He interned in Deloitte’s AERS department, working as an auditor for public utility and banking clients. He hopes his work leads to a full time job at the company’s Milwaukee office.

"Without an internship, companies will not even look at you, especially when you're going to a big-four firm such as Deloitte," Ryan said. "The experience that you learn from an internship goes above everything and looks really good when building your resume."

Ryan has built a relationship with Deloitte while studying accounting at Carthage. He said that companies recruit accounting majors much like professional sports teams recruit Division I athletes. "I was recruited by Deloitte the beginning of my sophomore year at Carthage," he said. In 2008, he was one of six students selected from 300 applicants to attend Deloitte's leadership conference in Arizona. That conference led to his recent internship.

"I did get assistance from Julie Dawson and Dave Brunn, who are accounting professors and advisors for the Carthage Accounting Association," Ryan said. "Without both Julie's and Dave's assistance, I don't think I would be in the position that I am today, sitting at a big-four firm representing a private college in Kenosha."

Ryan has learned many things since joining the Deloitte team. "I have learned how to deal with clients; how to give clients the 'Deloitte Experience'; how to interact with partners, senior managers and staff on different engagements," he said. "I think that the work I am doing this summer will be really helpful for me in the future because, unlike other internships, my managers are giving me work that first-year staff does."

Ryan is co-founder of the Carthage Mentor program, president of the Carthage Accounting Association, co-chair of Volunteer Income Tax Assistant (VITA), and treasurer of the College Democrats. He plans to attend the IMA Accounting Conference in St. Louis this year. After graduation, he plans to take the CPA exam to work as an auditor, hopefully in Deloitte's Milwaukee office. "After that, I plan on sitting for my Certified Fraud Examiner and becoming a forensic accountant," he said.

Learning on the Job

Ryan Koessl, '10

Carthage student Ryan Koessl spent the summer before his senior year working full time for Deloitte, working as an auditor for public utility and banking clients. Read more ...

Sara Niedzwiecki, '10

Sara Niedzwiecki spent her junior year J-Term interning at Jockey International in Kenosha. She was asked back for a full-time internship this summer. Read more ...

Kristen Jessup,'10

Kristen Jessup spent the summer interning at Midwest Airlines in Milwaukee. "I am lucky enough to be the only intern at the company, which exposes me to various departments and types of work." Read more ...

Andrew Brown, '10

Andrew Brown has been interning with Northwestern Mutual since fall of his junior year. Read more ...

Amanda Djurickovic,'10

Accounting major Amanda Djurickovic thought her internship with Jockey International was only for J-Term. It was a pleasant surprise when she was offered to stay the summer for a full-time internship. Read more ...