Intra-Spection: What a Year on Intra Actually Teaches You | By Alissa O’Murchú

My internship didn’t start in a glass-walled office; it started in a first-year classroom.

I remember sitting with a handful of Business Studies students when our tutor asked if anyone had questions. Dreaming of blue skies and thirty-degree weather, I asked about Erasmus. She said the options were exciting, but added: “Professors see a clear difference in progression between students who complete Intra and those who don’t.”

I was sceptical. How much could a few months in an office really change?

Fast forward to third year, and I followed that advice, opting for a year-long internship in FS Audit at KPMG. Like many students on day one, I knew the opportunity was valuable, but that didn’t make the first few weeks any less intimidating. The terminology and pace felt alien; I spent weeks nodding along to acronyms like “ISA” and “materiality” while secretly googling them with my brightness turned down. Even figuring out where to sit in an open-plan office felt like a high-stakes test.

I remember speaking to another intern during our first month and wondering how we were going to survive a full year.

A year later, the shift in my confidence is something I never could have predicted. I assumed internships meant coffee runs or shredding paper, but that stereotype didn’t hold. I moved from quietly observing meetings to presenting audit work, contributing to subgroup discussions and working on-site at one of the world’s largest investment banks.

But that didn’t happen overnight.

Thanks to support from senior associates and regular check-ins with my performance manager, I learned that “taking initiative” isn’t a buzzword, it means asking the right questions and speaking up when you have a solution.

The workplace culture was the biggest surprise. Coming from a summer job in banking, I expected a sea of old-timers in grey suits. Instead, I found a vibrant, youthful community. One graduate on my team had studied Business Studies at DCU, completed Intra and recently finished his accounting exams with the firm. Seeing someone only a few years ahead who had followed the same path made the transition into professional life far less daunting.

Between go-karting, quiz nights, football blitzes and an a cappella rendition of Viva La Vida at intake night, the social side was just as memorable.

On a personal note, my parents are still unimpressed by the expensive taste I developed for steak and “boujee” restaurants.

Professionally, the exposure was invaluable. Auditing insurance and investment funds gave me a behind-the-scenes look at how global business actually operates, something no textbook can replicate.

Talking to peers, the sentiment is similar. One told me: “I realised accounting might not be the career for me, but I’d rather know that now than at 25. Plus, the communication skills I picked up are universal.”

The biggest takeaway for me? Confidence.

What once felt intimidating, approaching a manager for help or even speaking to clients, now feels natural.

For students considering Intra, grab the opportunity with both hands. Even if it doesn’t lead to a graduate role, discovering what you enjoy, or don’t, before graduation is priceless. You’ll leave with more than a line on your CV: connections, friendships, professional resilience and the confidence to hold your own in the real world.

Author: Alissa O’Murchú, Bachelor of Business Studies