Naomi Klavan was a pre-health student until she met Professor Devorah Ehrlich on the subway one morning. Professor Ehrlich encouraged Naomi to take an accounting class and since then, she hasn’t turned back. In an effort to land her first-choice summer internship at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Naomi submitted an online application, a paper application, and met with a representative of PwC at Touro’s college-wide career fair this past spring. “I was curious to see what the ‘Big 4’ would be like,” she said. “PwC has internships during the summer and winter seasons that can potentially lead to a job, so they really invest in training their interns and clarifying expectations. I knew I would get a real feel for the profession.” During her internship she worked as a tax real estate intern preparing and editing work papers and preparing tax returns for corporations, partnerships, and a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT).

What were the most memorable experiences you had during the summer?

“For three days, we volunteered with the GO project and helped tutor 6th/7th graders in budgeting at a summer school in the Village. It was really rewarding connecting one-on-one with the students. I also called the state controller's office about a notice and helped resolve it. Once I witnessed a four-million-dollar deal!”

Did anything surprise you?

“My internship challenged my notions about the accounting world. I thought accounting would be independent work in a quiet environment. But at PwC everyone was really outgoing and friendly and the environment was incredibly social. PwC has a team-based culture so you receive instructions as a team and work together.”

What’s some advice for aspiring LCW accounting majors?

“Recruiters want to see you that you participate in things outside of the accounting world, so participate in extracurricular activities. Also, perfect your excel skills!”

Who are your role models?

“Religious women who work in the accounting or business world and successfully manage a healthy work-life balance. After a few years, there’s a lot of flexibility within this career, except for busy season—which for real estate tax means a crazy August and September, and of course March-April!”