What does a CIPA IPAA do?
The CIPA is fueled by the efforts and expertise of student intelligent process automation interns (IPA-I’s) and student workers, Intelligent Process Automation Analysts (IPAA’s). IPAAs develop automations, analyze processes, support research projects and earn the experience and skills that employers need to transform tomorrow’s business landscape. Our students are on the forefront of the digital job satisfaction revolution, driving American businesses toward reduced tedium, improved collaboration and innovation. If you are a student who enjoys learning through technology, creating in a digital environment and acquiring the skills needed to lead in the future of work, ask us about how CIPA can be a part of your education.
Curious what CIPA IPAAs have to say about their experience?
Bethany Faford, Accounting ’19, MSA ’21, Founding Research Intern
RPA has helped me to further my career in accounting. When I started at AAFCPAs in June 2019, I was given the opportunity to pitch the idea of RPA to the Managing Partner, Carla McCall. From this successful meeting, we formed a group with the CFO, CIO, and a Business Process Improvement Specialist where we formed ideas on processes that we could automate at the firm. After almost 2 years, we were able to automate processes in fields such as audit. These automated processes have allowed Senior Accountants, such as me, to focus more on analyzing client accounts and preparing financial statements rather than having our time being taken up by mundane tasks. These opportunities have allowed me to branch out into the firm and join a task force where we are currently implementing the new leasing standard for our clients through an automated tool, Trullion. Due to the success, I have experienced in my field, I would recommend the Center for Intelligence Process Automation at Nichols College to any student that is looking to excel in their future endeavors.
Amber Nadeau, Accounting ’21, MSA ’22
I went into the IPA Internship wondering how it related to the field of accounting and left with a great experience that I would recommend to anyone who has an interest in technology. Building automations is challenging yet rewarding. There is a huge learning curve with getting to know the program, but it is knowledge that you will take with you wherever you go. Building a successful bot gave me such a high level of satisfaction that I wanted to keep learning more and building more complex bots. The program took me out of my comfort zone, forcing me to think outside of the box to come up with solutions that I didn’t even know existed. The internship not only gave me hands on experience with building bots but provided me the opportunity to work with and interact with industry experts. The internship helped with both my career and education by providing problem-solving and communication skills. It made me realize the great potential of the RPA world and how evolving technology can be a great thing for all.
Dylan McMerriman, Accounting ‘22
“Working as an Intelligent Process Automation Intern was definitely a challenge. It was the kind of challenge you look forward to conquering and that gives you a sense of accomplishment. The internship started out with learning how to use the NICE program. Things such as transferring data from pdfs to excel or even creating a callout were a challenge at first. Over time as I worked more with the software, I was able to get a better grasp of it. My favorite projects were the ones that allowed us total freedom. These projects helped me explore the system better and become familiar with many aspects of the NICE system. My final project was creating an accounts receivable automation that would send customized emails to customers based on when their bill was due. This project helped me both learn the system but also taught me just how automation can be used in so many aspects of a business. Throughout the internship I learned a lot about how important automation is because it can be used to finish many tasks in a matter of seconds. This internship helped me gain many connections on LinkedIn and has given me some valuable experience in automation before I have even entered the accounting industry. It was a great experience to learn how to use a program such as NICE and to get involved in an up-and-coming industry that will change the world for the better.”
Alicia Hunks, Accounting ’21, MSA ’22
“My experience with RPA helped me to get an internship based off of the basic background and understanding I had after working in it. Being able to understand a variety of different processes allows me to have a deeper understanding of what is being done with data and the results. This was seen as an asset to the position. Working with RPA is an undertaking that many fear, so having this opportunity shows future employees that you are resilient and open to learning whatever it maybe. Overall, working in RPA helped me to build on essential skills that are valuable in many different internships all across the industry.”
