What Being a Strong Intern Looks Like, and How to Attain a Full-Time Job Offer

Runiqua Bousquet graduated from the Zicklin School of Business in May 2025 with a Master of Science in Information Systems and a concentration in Cybersecurity. Throughout her graduate studies, she held internships at Forvis Mazars, CohnReznick, and Baker Tilly and received full-time offers from all three companies. Starting in August, Runiqua will work full-time at Baker Tilly.

If you currently have an internship or are looking for one, you may be wondering how to ensure your internship is a fulfilling experience and how to secure a full-time position afterward. You may have even attended career events in which seasoned professionals have shared tips on how to make the most of your internship. But what do these tips actually look like in practice? In a recent interview, Runiqua shared how she distinguished herself from other interns at places like CohnReznick, resulting in an extension and a full-time offer. Runiqua thus demonstrates what it takes to be a strong intern that companies find promising.

CohnReznick is an accounting firm that specializes in audit, tax, and advisory services that focuses on the public sector, the sciences, finance, real estate, and more. As an IT Audit Intern, Runiqua was responsible for managing the IT mailbox; communicating to clients the possible risks, threats, or vulnerabilities they may have in their systems; as well as helping her team wherever needed. Going into the internship in January of 2025, Runiqua’s goals were to learn more about IT audit and land a full-time offer. To accomplish these goals, she made sure to put her best foot forward throughout her time at CohnReznick.

From Runiqua’s perspective, a strong intern exhibits at least three characteristics: 

1. A Willingness to Learn. In an internship, you may not know everything and that’s okay. Ask questions and be easy to work with, Runiqua said. Companies are willing to teach you what you need to know. 

2. Effort. When being trained, show that you are trying to learn by taking notes, asking clarifying questions up front, and doing what you have been trained to do without constantly asking how to do it (that is, needing someone to show you how to do something over and over again after having been trained only conveys that you haven’t made the effort to learn). 

3. Ability to Communicate Effectively. Runiqua advises interns to speak up when they don’t understand something. It is better to get clarity in the beginning of your internship so that you would be able to contribute to your team more effectively and efficiently.

At CohnReznick, Runiqua exemplified these characteristics. She also went to the office four days a week even though she was only required to go in for three days. Doing so helped her to form and solidify relationships with people at the company and on her team. Additionally, Runiqua often spoke with her manager, who was also her internship coach, and her peers to understand the purposes behind her tasks. Going above and beyond not only resulted in the company extending Runiqua’s internship to April of 2025, but her performance also led to opportunities to attend events, meet with Baruch alumni working at CohnReznick, and speak with younger students hoping to work in the company.

When asked why being a strong intern was so important to her, Runiqua emphasized the power of one’s network: “Your network is important... just having those connections and keeping them open for the future.” She further explained that whether you do, or do not, want to continue working in the company you are interning in, genuine connections with people at the organization can lead to their advocacy for you in the future. Or, they may be able to connect you to opportunities more aligned with your interests and goals. “Someone always knows someone else in any industry,” Runiqua stated. That is why “it’s always important to put your best foot forward.”

With all this great experience from CohnReznick under her belt, Runiqua will work full-time at Baker Tilly as a Risk Advisory Consultant starting in August. She had, in fact, been offered this position after her internship there in summer 2024 and before her internship at CohnReznick. You might wonder, then, why she still searched for an internship after settling for a full-time role somewhere else. For Runiqua, an experience at CohnReznick was a must-have. She had applied to CohnReznick a year before but was unable to intern there that year due to scheduling conflicts. Since Runiqua was highly interested in the company, she applied for CohnReznick again. “I ended up reapplying for 2025 again because I really wanted to [work there.] I wanted the opportunity, and I didn’t want it to pass me by... I really did want to learn about the firm and get involved,” Runiqua explained.

To students searching for employment, Runiqua recommends that you take advantage of the Graduate Career Management Center (GCMC). “It’s important to show up for GCMC events,” she said. “By doing that, I met a lot of different people who work in the field that I’m interested in... I met someone who works at EY (Ernst & Young) and they’re in the same field, and I was able to ask them questions about their path and sitting for certifications.” Runiqua also used networking opportunities to learn something new about a company or new job position. She also emphasized the importance of maintaining connection with your network. That may look like a Zoom call once a month, a casual "how have you been?" message on LinkedIn, or even coffee chats. Overall, you must be willing to put yourself out there and reach out to your network regularly.To students who may feel discouraged, Runiqua encourages you to persevere: “It’s important to keep trying; you may not get [an internship] the first time and that’s okay.” After all, she didn’t get the CohnReznick internship the first time she applied but secured it the second time.

Finally, for those who wanted to know what making the most of an internship looks like, you have Runiqua as your role model. Demonstrate a willingness to learn, communicate your needs and questions up front, go beyond what is required of you, and get to know the people you work with. Your hard work would pay off one way or another – if not with a job offer, then with a network of people who will remember you, support you, and go out of their way to help you succeed.

About the author: Elizabeth Moy is a graduate student in the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences at Baruch College, pursuing an MA in Strategic Communication. She is also a College Assistant with the Zicklin Graduate Career Management Center.