Graduates of the School of Accountancy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have a new advantage in the job market. A new program called Accounting Junior Days provides students with the opportunity to examine career opportunities and connect with potential employers.

The program was developed through the efforts of Dr. Aaron Crabtree, director of the School of Accountancy. He wanted to get college juniors thinking about their part in the job market search.

“Accounting recruiting used to begin the senior year and then it moved to the spring of the junior year,” Crabtree said. “Now it’s moved to the fall of the junior year, so it can be startling to students. We want them to understand the power they have in the process. If they are good students at the School of Accountancy, they are in a great position to get a job.”

Accounting Junior Days is divided into three seminars. The first one makes students aware of internships, the Beta Alpha Psi student organization and the master’s program. The second seminar brings in accounting professionals, including a panel of primarily young alumni to answer questions about career paths and tell students about opportunities in the audit and tax fields. The final seminar focuses on crafting an effective résumé and cover letter, as well as emphasizing the do’s and don’ts of social media.

“The seminars are focused on the next step of their life which they have may not have thought much about. The first application comes up fast on September 10, so it can smack students in the face when they realize all the job interviews are going to occur in the next month-and-a-half. I hear a lot of students say they didn’t know this was coming up, so I wanted everyone in our junior level classes to come to these sessions,” he said.

Crabtree believes if students are successful in the classroom, they will not only succeed in the job market, but they will be able to choose a job that fits them best.

“Nationally the market for accountants has been tremendous the last 15 years. Our students don’t have to take the first job that’s offered. They are in a great position to get a job and need to understand the process so they walk into it with their eyes wide open.”

The School of Accountancy has an outstanding reputation which is another big advantage for students.

“Nebraska has a great reputation among all the firms and corporations so they recruit us heavily. Years ago students might have been actively seeking out a job but now firms are actively seeking out our students. It helps that our graduates have been successful, so there is a good reputation our current students can both piggyback on and uphold for the next generation,” Crabtree said.

Facebook Photo Album of Seminars

Accounting Junior Days Seminar 1 Presenters

MPA Students – Armando Becerril '14, Brian Klintworth '15, Lindsay McElhose '14 and Sara Novotny '15
Deb Cosgrove, Associate Professor of Practice

Accounting Junior Days Seminar 2 Presenters
 
Ivette Reick – Ak-Sar-Ben, The Institute of Internal Auditors
Crystal Rundell '08 – Cabelas
Perry Severson – Pinnacle Band
Dan Sweetwood – Nebraska State Board of Public Accountancy
Michael Arens '11 – HBE Becker Meyer Love
Lukas Bomar '09 – Kiewit
Deb Dahlke – UNL Office of Internal Audit
Holly Dorathy '04, '05 – Northern Natural Gas, Junior School of Accountancy Advisory Board
Travis Holl '12, '13 – KPMG
Joel Jacox '12, '13 – BKD
Jacki Jacox '09, '10 – Seim Johnson, Junior School of Accountancy Advisory Board
Jason Schnack '10 – Yahoo!
 
Accounting Junior Days Seminar 3 Presenters
 
Bryan Slone – Executive in Residence/Professor of Practice Published: September 15, 2015