OfferDrill.

Jobs › Sentry Insurance

Accounting Student Co-op 2027-2028

Sentry Insurance · Stevens Point, WI · Part time

Posted Sep 14, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

Apply at Sentry Insurance

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

This co-op has three tracks: Internal Audit, Treasury Services and Premium Tax Accounting, and Statutory and Income Tax Accounting. Which one pulls you most, and why?

What they are checking: Whether they have thought about the actual work in each track or just want any accounting job.

Tell me about a time you had to ask someone for information they weren't eager to give you. How did you get it?

What they are checking: Whether they can be persistent and respectful at once, which is most of what securing audit data takes.

Tell me about a mistake you made in a class project or job. How did you find it and what did you do?

What they are checking: Whether they own errors quickly, which matters when a mentor is trusting them with real financial work.

You'll work with a mentor and a manager all year. How do you like to get feedback, and how do you act on it?

What they are checking: Whether they will use the mentoring structure actively instead of waiting to be told what to do.

What would you do

You'd work full-time this summer and part-time during the fall and spring semesters. How would you balance a full UW-Stevens Point course load with part-time hours here?

What they are checking: Whether they can protect both school and work commitments when a busy week hits both at once.

You're helping a lead auditor and a department sends you data that doesn't tie to what you expected. What do you do next?

What they are checking: Whether they chase down a gap politely and thoroughly instead of guessing or quietly forcing numbers to match.

Walk me through how you'd document a business process you've never seen before, like how a payment gets approved and recorded.

What they are checking: Whether they know to ask who does what, when, and with what evidence, rather than just copying a procedure manual.

About the work

In plain terms, what is an internal control, and how would you test whether one is actually working?

What they are checking: Whether they understand that a control on paper and a control that operates are two different things.

What do you know about how statutory accounting for an insurance company differs from regular GAAP accounting?

What they are checking: Whether they have done basic homework on insurance finance or are walking in cold.

Premium tax is a tax insurers pay to states on the premiums they write. Why might a company writing in many states find that work detailed and error-prone?

What they are checking: Whether they can reason about multi-state compliance work even before they have learned the specific rules.

How comfortable are you in Excel? Tell me about the most involved spreadsheet you've built.

What they are checking: Whether their Excel skills are real enough to reconcile and analyze data without constant help.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Sentry Insurance from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Sentry Insurance.

Student finance opportunity across Internal Audit, Treasury Services & Premium Tax Accounting, and Statutory & Income Tax Accounting within Sentry. At Sentry, we are dedicated to cultivating home-grown talent across our organization. We have a unique opportunity for a UW-Stevens Point student to work part-time in the Sentry Finance (Accounting) department. We have three distinct opportunities available in: • Internal Audit • Treasury Services & Premium Tax Accounting • Statutory & Income Tax Accounting Each of these positions will work with a mentor and their manager to become familiar with Finance department responsibilities, Sentry's operations, and general aspects of the insurance industry. These positions are for the one-year period beginning Summer 2027 and continuing through the 2027/2028 school year. Students will work full-time during Summer 2027 and part-time during the Fall 2027 & Spring 2028 semesters. Full-time hours are also offered during other school breaks. What You’ll Do In the Internal Audit area, you will: • Assist the Lead auditor in the execution of audits including the development of audit programs and procedures to test control effectiveness • Communicate with internal departments and outside sources to secure complete and accurate data • Share results with the business area’s leadership team • Document and analyze business processes and data flows to identify areas of risk, question unusual items, suggest solutions and report results • Partner with external auditors to perform controls and substantive testing of financial data In the Treasury Services and Investment Accounting area, you will: • Learn about corporate banking and investment accounting • Assist on daily and monthly analysis of bank accounts, bank service charges, and other payment fees. • Assist with support, maintenance, and enhancement of banking and investment accounting processes and systems. • Complete year end external audit requests and sample data • Balance investment data to financial reporting schedules • Perform analysis of accounting and operational data, question unusual items, and document results. • Communicate with various internal departments to obtain and report analysis In Premium Tax Accounting, you’ll gain experience in preparing and analyzing state and local taxes. You will: • Prepare and analyze a variety of regulatory financial filings for state departments of revenue and insurance departments. • Review and submit journal entries. • Enter vouchers for payments of insurance department fees and taxes. • Perform analysis of financial data, question unusual items, and document results. • Work under the guidance of other associates on various projects and tasks. In Statutory Accounting, you’ll gain experience in preparing and analyzing financial statements. You will: • Prepare a variety of financial statement exhibits and reporting disclosures using financial reporting software. • Review and reconcile financial statements to general ledger data and appropriate data sources. • Obtain exposure working with audited financial statements and the audit process. • Complete other regulatory required reports and data submissions. • Work with the Statutory Reporting team on projects to enhance reporting efficiencies and other tasks. In the Income Tax Accounting area, you will: • Learn about corporate income tax filings and accounting for income taxes. • Assist with preparation of income tax returns. • Work with investment reporting information to interpret, analyze and summarize items needed for tax reporting. What it Takes To be eligible for this opportunity you must meet the following criteria: • Pursuing an undergraduate degree at UW-Stevens Point in Accounting or a related field • Planned graduation date between May 2028 and December 2029 • Obtain a minimum GPA of 3.50 • Available for 15-20 hours per week during the semester with the potential of up to 40 hours during summer or school breaks • Ability to work in a team atmosphere • Working towards CPA eligibility highly preferred • Sentry does not offer employment in this position to holders of F-1, J-1, and H-1 Visas for the purpose of obtaining practical experience. What You’ll Receive At Sentry, we believe your total rewards should include a lot more than just a paycheck. Here’s a look at how we support you inside and outside of work: • Flexibility that fits: Enjoy a hybrid work model with the option to work from home on Mondays and Fridays and collaborate in the office Tuesday through Thursday. • Work-life resources : Access extensive work-life resources designed to lend a helping hand whenever you need it. • Continuous growth: Keep your skills sharp and your career moving forward through education and development at Sentry University (SentryU). Why Join Sentry? At Sentry, we believe our people are the heart of our success. We’re proud to be recognized for both our strong growth and the culture we’ve built—recently ranking No. 529 on the 2026 Fortune 1000 (marking our first time in the top 600) and earning spots on Forbes’ lists for America’s Best Midsize Employers and Best Employers for New Grads, as well as Newsweek’s America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women and Diversity. These honors reflect our commitment to your professional satisfaction and growth. Building on a Legacy Our future is bright, but it’s anchored in a long history of stability. Since our founding in 1904, we’ve dedicated ourselves to helping businesses protect their futures. That trust has made us one of the largest and most financially stable mutual insurance companies in the U.S. We’re proud to have maintained an A+ rating from A.M. Best, the industry’s leading authority, for over 30 years. Your Career, Our Community Whether you’re working at our headquarters in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, or one of our many offices across the country, you’ll find a challenging and rewarding environment. Explore the Our Teams  tab on our Career Page to see the diverse career paths we offer, with a focus on ongoing development and professional growth. Ready to own your future? Join us at Sentry, opportunities await! Who You’ll Want to Contact Tha Xiong Associate Talent Acquisition Specialist Tha.Xiong@sentry.com Equal Employment Opportunity Sentry is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is our policy that there be no discrimination in employment based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, or sexual orientation.

Apply at Sentry Insurance