What projects did you work on?

During my time as an Adobe compliance intern, I worked on many different projects. Some of my main tasks included conducting analyses of expense report issues, reconciling expense reports with government pre-approvals in the online Conflict of Interest system, analyzing the legitimacy of flagged vendor transactions, and tracking and updating all compliance investigations in Adobe’s management software.

How did the work connect back to your courses?

The most relevant courses to my work at Adobe were business ethics, introduction to Excel, and organizational behavior. The introduction to Excel class helped me a lot because every project I worked on required Excel in some capacity. In addition, the business ethics course I took focused on topics like corporate social responsibility, government regulation in business, environmental issues, work life balance, etc. I had, of course, read about these issues, but seeing them in action was extremely important for me because it showed Adobe cares about its employees, community, and the environment just as much as its profit. 

What did you learn about how a large organization manages ethics?

The most important thing I learned was that in a large organization you have to be very proactive in compliance. Compliance can seem boring so you have come up with creative ways of marketing your message and making sure employees understand and are complying with company policies.

What surprised you about the work experience?

Honestly, I was surprised by how interesting compliance can be. I went in with a certain expectation of repetitive work but was pleasantly surprised by the different projects I got to work on. Being a compliance intern at Adobe has been one of the best internship experiences of my college career.

Highlight from the internship?

My favorite part about the internship was the people on my team and Adobe’s culture itself. After a few weeks at Adobe, I could easily see myself pursuing a full-time opportunity there. Adobe has a very open and inviting culture. All my coworkers on the compliance team were genuinely nice, intelligent people who wanted the best for me and helped me with any questions I had.

Biggest lesson learned?

The biggest lesson I learned was to take advantage of all opportunities you get. During the beginning of my junior year, I came across an email about the Ethics Center and its collaboration with different companies. I saw the Adobe internship info, and even though I had no prior experience in compliance, I took a chance and applied for the internship anyway. Taking advantage of this opportunity introduced me to a new field of work, and I can honestly say I can see myself working in compliance in the future as well.

What's next for you?

This internship helped me realize that Adobe is the type of company I could see myself at long-term. I’m excited to announce that I will be starting full time in Adobe’s financial rotation program in the fall.