“A Step Out of My Comfort Zone”: Peter Iselo Recounts His Positive Experience as an Intern at Vallit Advisors

The immeasurable value of completing internships throughout one’s college career is no secret. Real-world experiences help mold and shape students both personally and professionally. 

Recently, Peter Iselo, a college student, completed an internship with our team at Vallit Advisors where he supported the analysts, directors and managing members in business valuation, dispute and forensic accounting matters. Of the experience, Peter recounted that “pursuing and ultimately being granted the opportunity to work at Vallit Advisors, LLC was the best decision I made to this point in my collegiate career.”

In his testimonial, Peter expressed the common uneasiness that comes with internships that is often not discussed enough—the feeling of stepping out of your comfort zone as you enter the professional workplace for the first time. Peter stated that “although the ending outcome of my decision was extremely positive, the decision itself required much thought. It was unsettling to think if that, I was hired by Vallit, I would be gone for almost the whole winter break, in a city where I knew nobody, would live alone, and would be working 40 hours a week while taking a winter class. I feel this apprehensive feeling frightens many college students away from seeking work opportunities in real job settings before they graduate.”

Peter went on to say that, “although accepting this offer was a step out of my comfort zone, I learned priceless lessons about myself, working in the real world, and the fields of Business Valuation and Forensic Accounting. I would never have experienced any of this growth without the opportunity given to me by Vallit.”

This is an important lesson that students on all levels of their academic journeys can take away. While having a credible internship on your resume can pay dividends in one’s career path, they often come at the cost of having to move to a new city, leave friends and family, and, in many cases, complete additional courses and jobs on top of interning full-time. Peter brings up that, despite the initial discomfort of starting your first internship, the payoff is worth it in many personal and professional aspects. 

Peter also wisely brought up the importance of asking questions, communicating effectively, and not feeling the need to be perfect at everything at the start of one’s internship. This experience is a time for you to grow, make mistakes, and learn from them—it is like a “test run” that prepares you for entering the workplace after college. “I immediately felt comfortable asking questions about misunderstandings I had with Business Valuation templates and other excel functionalities,” Peter stated, “I did not feel pressure to be perfect at everything within my first week.”

Ultimately, it was a joy to work with Peter and watch him grow professionally at Vallit. We thank Peter for his candid testimonial that will hopefully provide valuable insight for other budding college students seeking internships in the financial, accounting and valuation industries—experiences that help them step out of their comfort zones.

Interested in a Vallit Advisors Internship?

At Vallit Advisors, we’re always looking for driven and passionate accounting and valuation students to gain experience at our firm. We regularly employ young professionals to complete summer, winter, and year-round internships in business valuation, forensic accounting, and dispute resolution. Our goal is to introduce between two and four interns a year to our practices at Vallit and assist them in their professional growth and development. Our internships are accommodating to class schedules and offer flexible availability for both in-person and virtual work. Learn more about our internship opportunities and get in touch by contacting us here.