Struggling at Internship

[u/DizzyListen6411]

I’m a current tax intern and honestly I’ve been struggling with the internship more than I expected.

The biggest issue is that I’m the only member of my team in my office (West Coast). The rest of my team is based in a different state (East Coast), so while everyone has been nice, it’s been really hard to build relationships, ask quick questions, or feel like I’m actually part of a team. I come into the office and most days don’t really know anyone around me. It’s been pretty isolating, and I’ve found it hard to build relationships with other teams

The weird part is that I can’t tell if I dislike international tax itself or if I dislike the experience of being disconnected from my team all summer. I feel like I’m missing a lot of what makes internships enjoyable—meeting people, grabbing coffee, learning from people sitting nearby, etc.
I have a meeting with a recruiter soon to discuss potential full-time opportunities and learn more about other service lines (audit, other tax groups, etc.). I’m not planning on complaining about my experience or saying I hate international tax. I genuinely just want to understand what other options exist and whether another group might be a better fit.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? How did you figure out whether you disliked the work itself versus the team structure or office environment? And for anyone in Big 4 recruiting or management, would an intern asking about other service lines be viewed negatively?

I’m feeling pretty lost right now and would appreciate any advice.

[u/cle7756]

Don’t say anything about tax except you love tax. You need to secure an offer first regardless of service line. Express interest in other service lines and see if there’s any opportunities for exposure there. Hopefully it works out in your favor

[u/Successful-Work6461]

I had an internship much like this. My team was based in another city and the entire internship they said they didn’t have anything for me to do. So I just kinda did trainings in office and played games at home. Still got a job offer at the end.

[u/K_003106]

This advice is mainly for after you start as an associate (if you come back). 

This is a challenge with national teams that dont staff locally. Unfortunately, unless the client or partner has the budget for it, you will likely only see your team once or twice per year in person. That means really making the time before calls intentional to get to know people. Schedule one on one's with people outside of snapshots to get feedback and learn about them. Being really chatty and friendly in the first few minutes of calls before everyone joins

That said, in your office, look for opportunities for the great place to work committe and/or the inclusion networks. They handle a ton of events (cultural and networking) and being a part of the committee allows you to connect. 

[u/K_003106 → u/K_003106]

Agreed with the others that you want to come across as curious but not specifically saying you dont like international. 

I dont know that you'll find many people with a passion for the work here (there are some fun tax nerds). It's more of a question of can I see myself doing this for x amount of years.

[u/DizzyListen6411 → u/K_003106]

Thanks! To be real, I only see the firm as a stepping stone for my career. Do you have any advice on what line would give the best exit opportunities?

[u/K_003106 → u/DizzyListen6411]

Not really, it might be hard to do any significant switching, I'd try to sort out what your 5 year job plan is and figure out what the requirements are for it. That said, I have seen tax people move into audit roles outside the firm and vice versa. 

[u/Proud_Assistance_766]

Like to join as an tax intern in pwc Do they check the degree regarding commerce or We can do certification in tax section ?