Chicago CPA Firm Internships – Tax & Audit

Why an Accounting Internship at Mowery & Schoenfeld Stands Out

An internship at Mowery & Schoenfeld helps you get hands-on experience in all areas of public accounting, empowering you to choose a career path that’s right for you. As an M&S intern, you’ll learn about the firm’s service lines and work with clients in a variety of industries.

Our internships differ from Big 4 or other local accounting firm internships because we offer the best of both worlds: boutique-style mentorship with the resources of a large firm, a healthier work-life balance, and a supportive culture. As part of the program, you will be paired with a mentor and buddy to guide you and give you feedback. You’ll follow a transparent career path and take advantage of professional development programs that could lead to full-time positions within the firm, including the CPA Success Program that supports you as you prepare for the CPA exam.

You can also experience a dual internship, spending half your time with the tax team and half with audit and assurance — something not offered by many other firms.

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Jessica Curran
Jessica Curran >
Director of Recruiting

Campus Recruiting >
Internship Program: Spring 2027 Tax Internship >

Internship Tracks and Job Shadow Program

Choose from one of our four accounting internship opportunities:

  • Tax internships (spring and summer): As a tax intern, you’d tackle real-world tax projects, working alongside professionals during busy seasons. You’ll get a first-hand look at life as an accountant.
  • Audit and assurance (A&A) internships (spring, available during summer in some cases for returning students): These internships let you jump right in and help out on real audit projects. You’ll get hands-on experience with our audit and assurance team, building practical skills and getting a feel for what it’s like to work in this area.
  • Client advisory services (CAS) internships (summer only): You’ll get to roll up your sleeves and help clients with their accounting and business challenges, working on real client advisory and consulting projects.
  • Dual internships (summer only): Dual internships let you split your time between two key areas: tax and audit and assurance. This option gives you a well-rounded experience to help you confidently choose the right career path for you.

Internship eligibility

If you’re a junior or senior in college working toward your bachelor’s or master’s in accounting — and you’ve got at least a 3.0 GPA — you’re good to go for our internships. You should aim to be ready to sit for the CPA exam (or be CPA-eligible) by the time you graduate.

Job shadow program

 

If you’re a freshman or sophomore, you can get a real feel for what an accounting career is like with our two-day job shadow program every May. It’s a way to check out the firm, meet the team, and see if accounting is something you’d want to pursue. During the job shadow, you will:

  • Learn about career paths in public accounting.
  • Meet partners and leaders from across the firm.
  • Network over lunch with job shadow peers and recent graduates working at the firm.
  • Participate in a 30-minute one-on-one session with firm associates in A&A, Tax, and CAS.
  • Get resumé tips from our HR and recruiting experts.

What Interns Actually Do: Hands-On Work and Learning

Our interns do similar work to first-year associates, including tax compliance tasks, audit support, and write-ups, giving you a realistic view of a career as an accountant. You can expect to contribute to client-facing work, including reviews, fieldwork, compilations, tax preparation, and client-advisor teamwork. You’ll also receive training on the software and tools needed as a public accountant.

Our clients span diverse industries, including construction, real estate, manufacturing, and tech. This multi-industry exposure helps you build a stronger foundation than single-industry internships.

Path from Internship to Full-Time

A Mowery & Schoenfeld internship opens the door to a rewarding accounting career at our Firm. In 2025, nearly 75% of interns accepted full-time roles, demonstrating that interns enjoyed their experience and wanted to start their careers here.

We invest in your success through our CPA Success Program. This initiative helps you become CPA-licensed by putting together a personalized timeline, adjusting your schedule and workload so you can study (even during work hours), covering the costs of study programs and materials, and assisting you in navigating the CPA exam process. This type of support has led many former interns to start their careers here and choose to stay long term, becoming residents, associates, senior associates, managers, senior managers, and even partners.

Our Culture and Work Environment

Mowery & Schoenfeld is a mid-size firm with 200+ professionals. We’re big enough to work on interesting, challenging projects with a variety of clients but small enough to give you one-on-one guidance and direct access to our partners.

We’re also a great place to work. We’ve been recognized as one of the Best Firms to Work For and one of the Best Firms for Young Accountants by Accounting Today. Plus, we were also named the Best Medium-Sized Workplace in Chicago by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Our company values are growth, service, people and adaptability, and we prioritize work-life balance with our flexible, hybrid environment.

Beyond client services, we pride ourselves on our culture. Our team, including interns, gives back and connects with others through M&S Cares, our volunteer organization, and GLOW, Growth and Learning Opportunities for Women.

We host company events and outings throughout the year to have fun outside the office, too!

What M&S Looks for in Intern Candidates

If you’re enrolled in a four-year accounting program. interested in tax and audit, and committed to learning, you’d make a great intern!

We look for soft skills like teamwork, communication, adaptability, and a strong service mindset. Successful interns can collaborate, adapt, and act ethically.

How to Apply: Internship Timeline and Selection Process

To apply, submit your application on our website and be sure to talk to us at one of our campus recruiting events.

We invite candidates to our offices for interviews on pre-scheduled “Talent Days,” during the Fall and offer decisions are made within the following weeks. During the slower spring recruitment season, offer decisions, as applicable, will be made promptly after individual interviews.

Applications for the following year’s internships open in the fall. The application process begins in late August, with Talent Days in September and offers typically sent in October. Spring interns start working with us in January a full year later.

We start the selection process in November, and we’ll send details to confirmed attendees in April. The job shadow happens in May.

CAMPUS RECRUITING CALENDAR

Internship FAQs

How much are interns paid?

We offer competitive pay of $25-$35 per hour for interns.

Do interns get mentors?

Yes. We have a mentor and buddy system. You’ll also get feedback and guidance throughout your internship from partners, managers, and senior associates.

What is the work schedule for an accounting intern?

Spring interns (early January to mid-March/mid-April) work Monday through Friday for 40 hours per week. Summer interns (early June to early August) work Monday through Thursday at 32 hours per week.

We offer flexibility as you complete your education. The spring internship dates can be adjusted to your college schedule if needed. 

Many interns become full-time team members after their internships.

How is an internship different from job shadowing?

The job shadow is for college freshmen and sophomores who want to know what being an accountant is actually like. They spend a day meeting members of different teams and learning about our Firm. The internships are geared toward college juniors and seniors.

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