Finance Intern Review

My role involved working in 3 lines of businesses - Motion Pictures, Home Entertainment, and Stageplays. I worked in Studio accounting within Controllership. My job consisted of completing reconciliations, posting journals for accruals, reclasses, allocations, assisting with audit, downloading reports from SAP and FOH systems, processing merchandise sales, monitoring movement within the bank, organising and leading quarter close issue meetings for the team, and communicating with regional finance teams, the wider business, and other stakeholders

The nature of the role meant that you were treated as any other employee. This resulted in me greatly building on my time management skills. It also taught me how to prioritise my tasks, alongside maintaining expectations with managers and supervisors. I was encouraged to be more proactive and reach out to team members more. In addition to this, my role allowed me to build on my communication skills, whether it was within the team or with other stakeholders

Yes - you are treated as any other employee. As a result, no one is constantly asking about your progress with tasks - you are left responsible with your own workload. You are encouraged to work through problems to the best of your ability before asking for solutions with senior members. Your opinion is also valid and heard, since you contribute a lot to the team. You take part in team update calls, where the team can listen to you and your updates with your work.

Upon joining, the previous intern did a handover week with me. This included on-the-job training and introducing me to the company and its timelines. After the handover week, I always felt comfortable reaching out to other team members and my supervisor if I had any issues. They were always willing to help when I was stuck, whether that was with the nature of the task I was doing, or any technical issues. Throughout the internship, you are always asked if you're keeping up well with the workload, and if you need any support.

The culture felt very Disney - magical and kind. My team members felt more like family. Everyone is just very kind and supportive of each other. There are also many events that take place in the office - whether it be quiz nights, the Disney characters showing up in the office, or workshops, or even small things like free cupcakes on a random Tuesday. Everyone works hard, and at the same time, they're always up for a chat or a stroll to the canteen for a break.

Overall, I really enjoyed my placement. I was looking to see if a career in Accounting was what I wanted, and I think doing this placement allowed me to confirm that this was indeed what I wanted to do. I met lots of amazing and talented people here. The exposure I got doing this role is amazing, and it made me grow in many ways. Academically, I was able to double down on my accounting knowledge.

Yes

I realised that there were two main things that they look out for in interns - academic knowledge, as well as compatibility with the team. If you are applying with the company, one thing that will help make you stand out is a warm and fun personality. Apart from that, it is important to note that this is a very hands-on role. You are very involved with the team and its processes. Try and market yourself in interviews as someone who is disciplined with work, but who is also fun and easy to chat to.