Internship Spotlight: Norhan Abdel- Gleil

Today's Internship Spotlight is on Norhan Abdel-Gleil, a Junior Accounting Major from Hamilton, NJ. This summer she had an internship at Johnson & Johnson’s Tax Center of Excellence (CoE) in Titusville, NJ; which she obtained by applying through HandShake.

Why did you choose to be a Rider business major?

"In high school, I was put into an accounting class and really felt comfortable with the material and course. I enjoyed the idea of being a business professional and all the career opportunities when it came to majoring in accounting. As for Rider, Dr. O’Reilly-Allen came to my accounting class in high school and gave a presentation on accounting and Rider University. After visiting the campus and learning more about the different opportunities and the internships available from the professors and students, I made the decision to attend Rider. The class sizes and location were also a huge plus for me."

What did you do in your internship?

"During my internship I worked with the pharmaceutical tax reporting team and worked on several quarterly reports and projects. My main projects as an intern included the quarter two close inter-company dividend calculations, account reconciliations, and provision to return analysis for J&J’s pharmaceutical sector. These projects taught me a lot about team collaboration, asking questions, SOx controls and regulations, organization, and tax reporting. Other projects I assisted with were a presentation to the finance and gross to net sales teams on J&J’s pharmaceutical sector and legal entities, SOx packages and reports, and compiling Excel files.

Outside of the office, I got to visit several other offices and attend training sessions. I got to take a tour of the Ethicon campus in Bridgewater, the Consumer campus in Skillman, and World Headquarters, as well as CEO Alex Gorsky’s office in New Brunswick. We also had an intern boot camp in the beginning of my internship and a few call-in sessions throughout my internship, in which we learned Excel shortcuts and skills, more about J&J’s culture, sectors, and history, as well as networking and philanthropies."

Did you feel prepared for your internship from your Rider experiences?

"I have never taken a tax course, or knew much about corporate tax before my internship, which was not a big deal. Outside of academics, my experiences at Rider definitely prepared me for the professional aspect of my internship. I felt prepared in the sense where I was confident to ask questions and make connections, have proper etiquette in a professional atmosphere, and stay on task and organized. Networking was a huge part of my internship as well, and even though this skill really improved throughout my internship, the events I attended at Rider prepared me for how to approach an individual and start up a conversation."

What are you doing outside of the classroom?

"Outside of the classroom, I work and am involved on campus. Currently, I am a subrogation associate at NJM Insurance Group in West Trenton, NJ, which I was actually able to get through Handshake. I also work at a Dunkin Donuts in my hometown on the weekends. On campus, I am a member of Alpha Phi Omega, Circle K, Habitat for Humanities, Beta Alpha Psi, and Accounting Society, and am a student panelist for the CBA Open Houses and Admitted Student Days, as well as a member of the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants. I have also participated in two case competitions teams at Rider, the Philadelphia IIA Spring Case Competition, which my team got 3rd place in overall schools, and the J&J Case Competition, which my team got 1st place in at Rider."

What are your career aspirations?

"My future plan is always changing, especially with all the different opportunities and career paths I get to see and experience. As of right now, I am on track to graduate a semester early in December 2019. I plan on starting to study for the CPA exam post graduation, and then go back to school to get my Master’s and obtain the extra credits necessary to get the CPA license. As for a job, I would love to work at a public accounting firm, either Big Four or mid-size, or apply for J&J’s TLDP program."