JOIN AND PARTICIPATE IN ACCOUNTING CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS
- Participating in accounting clubs and organizations on campus is a great way to build relationships and learn more about accounting firms and their opportunities.
- These clubs hold information sessions with different firms where you’ll have time to learn more about careers in public accounting, recruiting tips, as well as each firm’s culture. This year, all sessions will be held virtually. We love to see students engaged with the content, who have their cameras on, and participate in the sessions. Though networking opportunities will look a little different in a virtual format, be sure to stick around after the session to connect with professionals, if possible.
- After attending an information session, promptly send a follow-up email to the professionals you spoke with. The note should include something relevant to the discussion or your conversation, which will show you were listening. Thank you notes should be free of all grammatical and spelling errors.
PREPARING YOUR RESUME
- Your resume is one of the best ways to show recruiters that you are qualified for a role at their firm. First, make sure you include your expected graduation month and year and your CPA eligibility date.
- Include your overall and accounting GPAs, or you could be automatically disqualified as GPAs are very important to firms.
- Your resume should include all relevant work experience from past to present. We love to see both leadership roles and jobs held during college listed.
- Your resume should be error-free. Have a friend or family member look it over to catch any errors
- Make a virtual appointment with your Career Center to ensure that your resume is spotless.
- Many firms hold office hours, where you will meet with a recruiter or firm member and have them review your resume. Take advantage of their professional advice and suggestions.
- Upload your updated resume to your Handshake profile for future networking opportunities.
- Update your Linkedin profile, so it reflects the same information as your resume. Linkedin is a great resource for virtually connecting and networking with industry professionals.
VIRTUAL MEET THE FIRMS
The majority of Meet the Firms events this academic year will be held on Handshake, an online career services platform, or an alternative virtual platform. Many campuses already use Handshake to schedule on-campus interviews, so this site may be familiar for many of you.
Virtual Meet the Firms mimics the in-person experience as closely as possible. Students will have the option to sign up for 30-minute group sessions or 10 minutes of 1:1 sessions with a professional or recruiter at different firms.
- First, you must register for the event. Make sure your Handshake profile is in tip-top shape since this will be the information shared with recruiters as you sign up for their sessions.
- Research
- Research the firms. Follow firms on LinkedIn and other social media platforms to get a better idea of their company culture. Glassdoor is a great resource, as well.
- Make a “must-see” list of five to seven firms, then research a few more firms that you want to schedule time with, if possible.
- Sign up for Sessions
- Sign-ups are first-come, first-serve, meaning that if firms are fully booked, you will be unable to sign-up for them.
- Strategize which firms you want to sign up to meet with. You will be able to make a more memorable connection with professionals during this uninterrupted time.
- Sign up for group sessions if you cannot sign up for an individual session or a firm on your second-tier list.
- Prepare for Conversations
- How will you introduce yourself? Think about what you want the professional to know about you.
- Prepare a few thoughtful questions for the professionals you’re about to meet, such as:
- Tell me about the type of clients/projects you’ve worked on?
- How frequently does an associate receive performance feedback?
- What makes someone successful at your firm?
- Proper Attire
- For Men: Business professional at HCVT means a neutral color suit with a pressed, collared dress shirt. It’s best to stick with dark colors and a clean pressed (long-sleeved) dress shirt. In a virtual recruiting season, it’s likely not necessary to wear suit pants as you will be sitting down the entire event; however, make sure your camera only shows your top half if you have chosen not to wear matching suit pant.
- For Women: Business professional can mean a blouse and a blazer or a conservative dress with a matching blazer. Female candidates need to remember to make sure their dress or skirt is not too tight and will be comfortable enough for a three-hour Meet the Firms event.
- Test your Computer and Wi-Fi Connections
- Video is required for participating in a Handshake virtual Meet the Firms event.
- Virtual Background
- A quiet location is ideal for helping you focus, and you and the representative can easily hear each other.
- Be cognizant of your background. You do not want to be known for having dirty dishes piled up behind you.
- Be Yourself
- Channel your nervous energy into enthusiasm and excitement.
- This is your time to make connections. Show them you are a confident and competent job seeker. Hold eye contact and avoid slouching. Limit hand gestures to a minimum, so you’re not blocking the camera.
- Stay Organized
- Through Handshake, all students will receive a list of the sessions they’ve completed. That said, make sure you ask for professionals’ contact information so that you can follow up with thank you notes.
- Create a spreadsheet, so the information is organized and accessible. It’s great to include notes from your conversation that you can use in the future. For example, if you’re both a Lakers fan, that’s something worth mentioning as you stay in touch.
- Thank you Notes
- Send emails to all the recruiters and professionals you spoke with and thank them for their time.
- Professionals will meet many students during a Meet the Firms event, so use this chance to refresh their memory, remind them why you are a promising candidate, why you’re interested in the company, and what value you can add to their firm.
- Apply
- Submit your resume and application for the position you’re most interested in by the designated deadline. HCVT requires students to complete an application through your school’s career center site or Handshake, as well as our job site.
- Stay in Touch
- In a virtual recruiting season, you will not be able to grab coffee with a recruiter on campus; however, you can still build meaningful relationships with recruiters and professionals online. Virtual coffee chats are a great way to do this.
- Reach out to alumni that work at the firm you’re interested in applying to and ask if they can hop on a brief call to learn more about him/her and their firm.
