Internships - Naveen Jindal School of Management

Student Name

Nga Phan

Degree

Management Science

Company

Centric Pipe, LLC

Courses Helped

ACCT 2301: INTRO FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING, ACCT 3311: ACCOUNTING COMMUNICATIONS, ACCT 3331: INTERMEDIATE FINANCIAL ACCT I, ACCT 6333: ADVANCED FINANCIAL REPORTING, ACCT 6334: AUDITING, ACCT 6335: ETHICS FOR PROF ACCOUNTANTS

Story

Internships are one of the best ways to gain work experience and build one’s professional network. During the fall semester of 2018, I had the opportunity to work with the Accounting team as an intern at Centric Pipe in Dallas, Texas. Centric Pipe is an American Petroleum Institute (API) certified manufacturer and supplier of Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG), Line Pipe and Connection. The company has 3 manufacturing facilities which are located in Bossier City, LA; Ore City, TX and Houston, TX. Centric Pipe utilizes a hybrid supply model combining domestic manufacturing with an international supply chain, allowing them to competitively provide a wide range of product lines to fulfill customers’ needs in today’s dynamic market. Their mission is to be the most customer centric organization within the pipe industry.

During my four-month internship at Centric Pipe, I learnt so much more than I had initially expected. As an Accounting intern, I learned to process invoices in Microsoft Dynamics NAV ERP system, assign multiple costs to inventory, schedule payments utilizing the 13-week cash flow model, monitor discount opportunities, calculate monthly sales tax and post payroll entries. I worked closely with the operation team to resolve any discrepancies and process invoices. Besides my regular responsibilities, I also had the opportunity to assist with our field exam by providing the auditors invoices and back up documents for their samples. Working in this position, I was required to multitask and meet numerous deadlines with close attention to details, which helped me develop the necessary skills as a working professional. This internship has given me a valuable hands-on experience and an opportunity to apply what I learnt at school into real life practice, which will allow me to grow even further in my career.

In addition to the remarkable experience, Centric Pipe has a fantastic work culture. We have happy hours every Friday, during which everyone can chat about their work and personal life with one another. We celebrate employees’ birthdays and anniversaries. On Halloween, we had so much fun dressing up and visiting the local haunted house. We did No-Shave November, a month-long campaign during which participants forgo shaving in order to raise cancer awareness. Last but not least, we will be participating in the BMW Dallas Marathon in December.

As the end of my internship is approaching, I would like to thank my supervisors, Jeff Plummer and Sunny Jin, and my colleagues, Jack Lang and Cassandra Stinson, for their continuous support during my internship. All of my ideas were appreciated and encouraged. My team entrusted me with many important tasks and gave me valuable feedbacks, which helped improve my technical as well as interpersonal skills. I am thrilled to continue my job as a Staff Accountant at Centric Pipe upon my graduation. I am confident that the knowledge I gained from this experience will help me advance my career in the future.

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