Inspired Ideas Podcast: Award-Winning Firm Shares their Internship Program "Secret Sauce"

In this episode, Renee Moelders sits down with Amanda Figarola and Keri Giacomelli of WilkinGuttenplan, a New Jersey-based mid-sized firm, to discuss their award-winning internship program (#1 in accounting and #2 for ALL INTERNSHIPS OVERALL!), as recognized by Vault.com. Amanda and Keri openly share what makes their program special and unique, including a firmwide and top-down commitment to the program, a focus on providing interns meaningful client work, one-size-fits-one management of interns, and a carefully engineered schedule of personal touches (with even more happening during the pandemic). This firm really loves their interns! As a bonus, learn how Keri and Amanda shifted to remote internships in the summer of 2020 and are continuing that approach for the Winter 2021 program, too.

About Our Guests:

Keri Giacomelli, Supervisor at WilkinGuttenplan, has been with the firm since 2015. She specializes in providing audit, reviews and compilation services for condominiums, and cooperative corporations. Keri also has extensive experience providing services to non-profits, such as synagogues and faith-based organizations . Prior to beginning work full-time with WilkinGuttenplan, Keri interned with the firm while in college.

Amanda Figarola, Human Resources Coordinator at WilkinGuttenplan, has been with the firm since 2019. She is a member of the HR team overseeing employee engagement, onboarding, and performance management of the staff. Amanda heads up the internship program for the firm, conducting the interview and hiring process for WG’s summer and winter programs. She coordinates the internship schedule and partakes in performance reviews with the individuals that are part of the program and current staff.

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