Helena Paulos is an undergraduate Accounting major who will graduate in the spring of 2015. To help get her ready for post-graduation life, she’s working this summer on an internship at Overstock.com. She took the time to answer a few questions from Brianna Koucos, senior career counselor in the Undergraduate Career Management Center, about her experience:

1. What is something new that you learned through your internship?

Helena: Working on the SEC Reporting Team at Overstock.com has really reiterated the importance and usefulness of timelines and task lists in the accounting field. With a role as vital as SEC filing, having the ability to keep up with deadlines and complete tasks in a timely manner is key. There are various moving parts in the filing department that all rely on each other, and if one person doesn’t complete their task on time or forgets to finalize a document, it can throw the whole filing process off.

2. What are you most proud of in your internship so far?

Helena: What I am most proud of from my internship experience is that anyone can go on the SEC website and search “company filings” for Overstock.com and there are documents posted that I worked on, and even a couple that I personally filed.

3. Do you have any advice for potential interns?

Helena: My advice would be to apply for any internship position that interests you, even if you feel as though you don’t have the resume or skills that the company is necessarily looking for. If you are going to class, enjoying the curriculum, and are motivated to succeed, employers can sense it. All that matters is that you are eager to learn and willing to work hard.

4. What have you enjoyed the most about your experience with Overstock.com?

Helena: I’ve really enjoyed having the opportunity to work in a corporate office setting. Overstock.com is one of the best companies to work for and I am definitely open to a possible return down the road after having this experience. Working within a corporate accounting team has been both motivating and a source of growth for me. I have enjoyed and appreciated how my boss really took on the mentor role and took any opportunity to teach me something new. We sit down every week and meet about my progress as an intern and the quality of my work. This has helped me to understand my capabilities in the accounting field and the opportunities that are available with an accounting degree.