Internship Spotlight: DeAnna DiNapoli

Today's blog post is offered by a Fordham Career Ambassador for the Office of Career Services.

We constantly hear about the importance of networking and creating professional connections…but does it actually work? This week we caught up with DeAnna DiNapoli who talked to us about her internship at MPL Communications as well as the importance of networking and how it has greatly enhanced her professional experience thus far.  DeAnna is pursuing a Major in Public Accounting with a Minor in Business Law and Ethics. She plans on pursuing a MS in Tax at Fordham to graduate in 2013.

DeAnna is an accounting intern at MPL Communications where she works anywhere from 8-12 hours per week.  Her responsibilities range from scanning and saving statements and important documents, to drawing up cover letters, researching, running excel spreadsheets and performing work in Great Plains, an accounting computer program.  She has been working with this company for a year and a half.  DeAnna explained that this internship has been extremely beneficial, teaching her how to successfully function in a very demanding environment.  She works under the CFO who was trained at Ernst and Young and is very particular with regard to how she wants work done.  DeAnna explained that she not only learned about her future field of work but also skills applicable to any experience.  She learned the importance of double checking work, consistency and most importantly how asking questions when you don’t understand something is the most critical thing you can do.  It also was a great way to hone her excel and computer skills.

DeAnna obtained this internship through her use of networking skills. DeAnna is a member of the cheerleading team at Fordham and a girl on her team was an intern at MPL. Through this connection, DeAnna was able to begin her intern experience at MPL.  DeAnna explained that networking helped her obtain her first internship as well and that any connection you may have whether it is with a family member, professor or fellow teammate is helpful.  She also mentioned the Fordham Alumni Network as a great tool in creating connections and gaining a job.

Next summer, DeAnna will be taking part in the PricewaterhouseCooper Summer Internship Program that she hopes will turn into a full time opportunity.  DeAnna explained that her time at MPL proved to be a great topic of discussion in all the interviews she has been on and has provided her an insight into what working for the one of the Big Four may be like.  Upon moving on from MPL, DeAnna has yet another handful of connections to fall back upon for future professional opportunities. 

Do you find these topics interesting? Have you ever thought about writing a blog? If so, join our team! Please send any interests, inquiries, or articles to Cassie Sklarz at sklarz@fordham.edu. We'd love to hear from you!