Consumers Credit Union knows it can count on Kayla Poole.

Name

Kayla Poole

Hometown

Jackson, Michigan

Education

Western Michigan University (WMU)
Accounting and Aviation Management Double Major

Expected Graduation: Spring 2018

Position

Staff Auditor Intern at Consumers Credit Union

The Kickoff

When I first started my internship program, all the new hires began in a group together to do training and orientation. Then, we moved into different departments to learn specific skills. For continuing professional development, interns meet every week as a group with the HR Department. They have different people come in to talk about resume building, interviewing, and other skills. Consumers Credit Union wants to grow you as a person as much as possible.

Finding a Path

I started as an accounting intern, but also worked with the Risk Management Department and then the Collections Department for one day a week. This variety helped me decide what path I wanted to pursue. Now, I am in the Risk Management Department, which is very much related to accounting. We are in charge of all of the internal audits, all the retail audits, and loan audits. We’re checking for things like employee fraud and making sure that everything is accurate and well-represented.

A Day in the Life

On normal days, I have a lot of work to accomplish. On audit days, we go out to one of Consumers Credit Union’s 19 branches for an audit. On those days we come in a lot earlier than normal and meet at one of the offices. We get there before the branch’s team arrives to surprise them. We ask them questions, count cash, and look at their documents to make sure they’re all accurate and compliant. Then, we have a closing meeting with them and talk to the managers and our team returns to the office to write up a report.

Lessons Learned

Before I started, I didn’t know what field I wanted to get into. I think the most important thing that I got out of my internship was that I actually enjoy accounting—it helped me decide to make it my major. The experience has also taught me a lot about how to be a professional. I’m constantly writing reports and talking to my co-workers, my boss, and other managers. More than that, I’ve learned how important workplace culture is when it comes to choosing a company to work for.