At TL Squared, we believe in mentoring the next generation of accountants while offering them meaningful, hands-on experience. This summer, we welcomed Hailey Terwilliger, who joined us as an accounting intern. In this Q&A, she shares what she learned, what surprised her most about working at a boutique women-owned firm, and how this experience shaped her career goals.

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Can you provide a brief introduction about yourself?

Hi! I’m Hailey Terwilliger, TL²’s intern. I graduated from Contra Costa Christian Schools this past spring (Class of 2025). In September, I am headed off to study Business Administration at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

What does a typical day look like for you as an intern here?

I work Tuesday through Thursday, 8am – 4:30pm. Each day, I first set up my things at my desk. I then check my calendar for the day to see if I have any meetings with other team members. Often, team members chat with me asking if I am free to help them with various tasks. I work on many things throughout the day to help other team members not feel so overwhelmed with their workload.

What kind of projects or responsibilities have you had a chance to work on?

As an intern, I mainly worked on AP entries for various clients. I also did some bank reconciliations for a few clients. I helped with tasks for clients such as recreating balance sheets, rolling forward tax consideration check lists from prior years, organization/clean-up work, and I learned about filing various forms.

How would you describe the team culture at TL²?

With TL² being a smaller company, it is easier to get to know everyone. I was always greeted by the team in the morning, and they always asked if I had a good weekend. Whenever I had a question about a task, there would always be someone willing to talk me through it. I was always invited to company events such as getting lunch out and the team BBQ which demonstrates the welcoming nature of TL².

Was there anything that surprised you about working at an accounting firm?

I was surprised with the work I was able to do as an intern at TL². Interns at larger companies often don’t get to work with hands-on learning opportunities like I have. Before joining TL², I thought of an internship as just running to pick up coffee orders and making copies. However, after joining TL2, I was given tasks to complete that have developed my critical thinking and communication skills, which I can say I have when applying for a job in/after college.

What skills or knowledge have you gained since starting your internship?

Coming into this internship, I didn’t have much background in accounting. I am a couple months in, and I already feel like I have a strong start for my future business career. I learned how to complete tasks using Karbon, Ramp, Bill.com, QBO, Xero, Excel, and many more useful platforms that I had never used before.

What advice would you give to future interns at TL² or at other small firms?

1.       Ask as many questions as you need. It’s better to fully understand what you are doing and to take an extra minute to clarify something than to not understand it and waste time questioning yourself.

2.       Take notes. When training, a lot of information is thrown at you. You will have many questions, and most of the answers can be found in your notes.

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We thank Hailey for her time here at TL Squared and please shoot us an email if you want to know more about our internship programs!