Intern Update: Yazmin Sandoval

Yazmin Sandoval

Accounting, College of Business, Influence, and Information Analysis

City of Overland Park - Audit Assistant

Working as an Audit Assistant for the City of Overland has allowed me to get an insight into the audit sector of accounting and government. This opportunity has also helped me improve my critical thinking, leadership, independence and communication skills related to the workplace. As an Audit Assistant I also had the opportunity to travel to different city facilities such as the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead and the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens.

As an Audit Assistant my responsibilities were multiple and varied throughout the months. There are multiple schedules outlining specific tasks that should be completed before certain deadlines, depending on the different audit related areas. One of my main responsibilities were city Purchasing Cards. In order to audit purchasing card statements, on a monthly basis, a sample of 30 employee statements were tested to assure employees followed city regulations and limitations that included: making only city-related purchases (not personal), maintaining monthly and transaction amount limits, assuring transactions are tax exempt, maintaining all documentation, and more. Another responsibility related to Expenditure Ordinances, which consisted of costs related to contracts, large transactions related to construction, etc. and had a similar audit procedure to the Purchasing Cards. Assuring signatures of personnel assigned to each department/area were present were also an important component to test. A third responsibility consisted of Cash, or Petty Cash, audits. These audits were specifically for the different city facilities and each were audited four times a year by following the schedule and were done without previously notifying personnel. The procedures for these audits involved much more complex and involved research but also constant communication with the internal auditor to assure all information needed was given, as well as constant guidance.

Even though I am currently seeking a degree in accounting, the knowledge I have gained in school does not compare to the amount of knowledge and skills I’ve learned as an Audit Assistant. Having exposure to real work-related problems, events, tasks, and schedules have helped me feel more prepared for my future career job. I have learned how to manage my time while working on multiple projects at once all while staying on track to meet deadlines. My team skills have also improved because for several projects I worked closely with another college intern, Sookie, also interning as an audit assistant.

Overall this experience has exceeded my initial expectations. Of course, when I began this journey, I did not know what to expect since I had not dealt with audit previously. This position has set the bars high for what I will be looking for in my next career option. This is an internship I highly recommend because of the amount of exposure you receive related to the “real-world” and work in general. I plan on refocusing my future career plans to behold similar characteristics to what I have enjoyed during as an audit assistant in the past months but also to a career that will allow me to continue to grow my knowledge and skills.