Fort Belvoir, Va. –
Kailyn Bryant joined DCAA as an intern in June 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her experience was unique, and her entire onboarding process took place virtually. Typically, two weeklong in-person training welcomes new auditors and interns at the Defense Contract Audit Institute (DCAI) in Atlanta, Ga. Kailyn shares, “It was different. I never got to go to Atlanta. After onboarding I was in the office to get my supplies and started learning and working on audit applications remotely.”
Throughout the summer, Kailyn interned 40 hours a week, majority of the time she participated in trainings and worked on incurred cost audits and audit packages. Once her final year of school started, she shifted to a part-time internship to balance her schoolwork. “The flexibility from DCAA really helped, I didn’t have to go into the office and I easily shifted my schedule as needed so there was no impact on my schoolwork.”
In addition to a unique internship experience, Kailyn had a unique transition to a full-time auditor after she graduated. When interns transition to auditors, they are typically placed in the same office. However, at the end of Kailyn’s internship, the office she had come to know was fully staffed. Instead of working at the mobile office where she interned handling multiple contracts, she was placed at a Corporate Audit Directorate (CAD) where the workload focuses on a single large-scale contract. “My job as a full-time auditor was so different from my internship but I always had amazing supervisors who made sure I had everything I needed to learn the work.”
Reflecting on her internship and transition to a full-time auditor, Kailyn shares some final advice, “I recommend interns advocate for a good coach who does the same type of work and who has the same types of goals and learning. I had a couple different coaches before I found my perfect match. I also recommend patience and curiosity, ask questions and don’t be overwhelmed when you don’t know how to do everything. Finally, I recommend advocating for yourself. There’s a lot going on in the office and other people in the office don’t know you have questions unless you tell them.”