Intern Spotlight: Jenny Klenken

Jenny Klenken, a 2015 graduate of Spencer High School, is an intern with Williams & Company, P.C. this summer. Her position is supported through the Spencer Area Jobs Trust Internship Program. Klenken will be a senior at the University of Northern Iowa in the fall where she studies accounting and finance. 

“It was kind of word of mouth in Spencer,” she admitted when asked how she found the position. “I was looking at internships in the Des Moines area and wasn’t finding what I was looking for. I was on the UNI job board one day, and this position came up. I could stay in Spencer and it was the perfect fit for what I wanted.”

Throughout her time this summer, Klenken has had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of accounting processes. Her day to day tasks include helping with tax returns, entering bank statements, or doing reviews for an audit. “Something new every day,” she said. All of these tasks are giving providing a deeper understanding of the profession. “It's more of the hands-on activities that I like. You can study something at school, but once you get here, it's about how to apply it which is what I have had the opportunity to work on this summer. Which is why I am excited to actually dive into it.”

Additionally, her internship has helped provide insight as to what she might like to do when she graduates in December. “As of right now, I am a double major, so I am trying to decide what to do with my career,” Klenken explained. “I’ve never worked in an accounting firm before, so I’m hoping after this summer, I can decide where I want to go after graduation.”

Her biggest piece of advice to others applying for internships was not to be afraid to look close to home, saying, “It’s okay to look in Spencer for internships. A lot of people at school go far away, but there are a lot of good opportunities here. At first, I didn’t really look into it, but it's been a great fit! You assume that there aren’t positions here, so you look other places. It’s nice that Williams and Company had an internship program up and running that I was able to apply for.”

About the Spencer Area Jobs Trust:

The Spencer Area Jobs Trust is a partnership between the city of Spencer and Spencer Municipal Utilities that provides existing employers with support and financial resources for internships. The purpose of the program is to connect talented students with existing employers in Clay County and to help employers recruit and retain skilled workers. Spencer Area Jobs Trust is an organization that consists of representatives from Spencer area businesses and the Iowa Lakes Corridor.