By MATT CHANDLER
mchandler@bizjournals.com | 716-541-1654

Mock trials, simulated corporate tax audits and other forms of classroom training have come a long way for students looking to make the transition from classroom to boardroom, but there's no replacement for old-fashioned, on-the-job training.

Long gone are the days when an intern wasn't much more than a glorified gofer - someone to fetch a cup of coffee, make copies or file stacks of outdated paperwork.

These days, internships are a two-way professional street, with employers gaining an extra set of hands and the employee getting an up-close look at the position they hope to have once school ends.

Terrie O'Brien is human resources manager at the accounting firm of Chiampou Travis Besaw & Kershner LLP. She said the Amherst-based firm has utilized interns "for as far back as we can remember" and that they supplement the current staff of 80.

"We have both summer interns and also busy-time interns," said O'Brien, referring to the tax season. "Last year, we had four busy-season interns and one full-time summer intern. This year, we have three part-time interns."

Far from simply making coffee and copies, interns are working alongside veteran CPAs and handling a steady number of clients, she said. And they have a good chance of staying on with the firm.

"From the staff we currently have, I would say about 85 percent of them interned with us," O'Brien said. "I think that when you have your feet wet a little bit before you start your full-time employment, you have a better chance to understand the office. And I think it gives you a leg up a bit."

We sat down with interns from the legal and accounting fields to discuss their experiences and get a sense of the value of internships in the modern market. These are individuals who are looking to parlay their summer internships into full-time futures.

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