Auditing my co-op experience as an international student
Amrita Muralidharan (she/her) is a second-year Arts and Business student, majoring in economics. She takes us through her co-op journey from the perspective of an international student who discovered new passions during her work term.
Amrita's co-op journey:
Work term one: As an internal audit intern at the Ontario Internal Audit Division with the Ontario Government, Amrita’s role focused on strategic analysis and risk management. She also worked with data, creating and maintaining various Excel sheets to track tasks.
Q&A with Amrita:
What challenges did you face as an international co-op student?
“One big challenge I faced was being unsure if I would be good at this job. As an economics major, I was concerned about working in auditing, but I was eager to learn. I wanted to observe how the provincial sector and government works, so I took the job despite my concerns.”
“There are more things to consider when you’re an international co-op student - finances, moving, accommodation and the stress of managing it all. As soon as I landed the job, I had to decide whether I wanted to move to Toronto or commute from Waterloo. I messaged hundreds of people and just hoped I wouldn’t get scammed because it’s important to be careful while looking for a place to live in a city you know nothing about.”
"Moving again and again is incredibly taxing. I found a carpool app and moved all my stuff to Toronto, but once I got there, I had no idea where anything was. My roommate was very kind and showed me around the city.”
What projects have you been part of during your work term?
“At the beginning of the term, we were told to pick three competencies that we wanted to develop throughout the term. Our tasks were then aligned with those competencies so we could work on them.”
“One of the projects I was involved with was tracking all our audits and making sure they were happening within the set time frame. As a result, I would sit in on briefings with senior members and create notes documenting their main comments for everyone.”
“Another competency I wanted to work on was communication. The hierarchies and lines of communication in a governmental organization can be tricky, especially for a university student who hasn’t worked in a similar space before. I worked on creating a SharePoint blog where I posted updates about the workplace that people across the ministry can access.”
“I also worked on a data-heavy project which ensured that the auditing processes and work of the ministries were up to certain standards. I had to learn how to use Power BI for this project, which helped me advance my knowledge further.”
How do you feel now as compared to when you first started co-op?
“More confident in my skills and being able to apply them to different fields of work. I’m also more appreciative of co-op because it allowed me to experience working in auditing. I would’ve never imagined working in this field because it’s so far removed from what I’m studying and thought I wanted to do. However, now I’m thinking of getting a Chartered Professional Accountant designation like other people at work. I’m also open to exploring more fields related to auditing and accounting because I understand my capabilities and skills better.”
What advice do you have for other students?
“Just apply to the job - even if you’re not sure. Apply to as many postings as possible and don’t get discouraged even if you’re in the later cycles. It’s just a lot of trial and error.”
“Present yourself in the best way possible during interviews. Even if you don’t have the technical skills, the interviewers want someone open to learning and communicating. Show them what you bring to the organization and your willingness to work hard!”
What’s next for you?
“I’m exploring my options and seeing what I’m interested in. I’m researching how many hours’ worth of experience I need in specific accounting fields to be eligible for exams. I also want to try exploring the private sector and work in a more finance-centric role in my future co-op terms. My main goal is to see what’s best for me and suits my needs and wants.