Students and their support system ask us, how can my student find an internship in accounting to start their careers? Our answer is simply this, "You have to meet the firms!" That's why at the beginning of every semester, Haile College of Business hosts "Meet the Firms" a career fair dedicated to one of our most popular and in demand majors, accounting.
An Accounting Student Speaks with a Recruiter at a Recent Meet the Firms Event
Meet the Firms brings over thirty companies to campus to meet our students, eager to take what they're learning in the classroom and apply it to a paid working experience. Over 100 students regularly attend. As this is a career fair for the accounting profession, the majority of the companies are CPA firms. However, Meet the Firms also attracts companies whose focus is retail, marketing, finance, and investing. We welcome companies like Western & Southern, Great American Insurance, Kroger, and Fifth Third Bank.
Luke Alwell, a freshman accounting major from California, KY, has already landed an internship in tax for the upcoming tax season. "I didn't know how many people would be looking to hire freshman, so I talked to to maybe ten or fifteen companies."
Much of the process of finding an internship relies in building relationships with future employers. Rylan Rhoton, a double major in accounting and entrepreneurship from Pendleton Co, KY, who is interning with Rudler, PSC said, "Rudler was a combination of Meet the Firms and Business Week that Rudler's president was at. I asked him some questions, and we ended up going to lunch... which I think secured my position there, but I met him at Meet the Firms."
Haile College's Center for Student Excellence help students prepare for the event by hosting a Career Cafe, where faculty, staff, and NKU Career Services instruct students on the proper way to dress, how to talk with potential employers, and even review their resumes before hand. Those who attend are given a branded Haile College padfolio to use for their search.
When asked why the Haile College of Business puts on the fair every year, Dr. Lee Kersting, chair of the accounting department said, "Meet the Firms provides students an opportunity to see a wide variety of job opportunities, from public accounting, private accounting, and companies that are a combination of finance and accounting where they have an opportunity to take the knowledge they've gained in the classroom and apply that in a real-world setting, to help prepare them for their professional careers."
If you are interested in pursuing a career in accounting, Haile College of Business offers an undergraduate major and a Master of Accountancy degree with several tracks based on interest.
