On September 16, 2020, the Student Accounting Association held their annual Career Day, a career fair geared toward accounting majors. The SAA faculty advisor, Kim Anderson, and Jan Shellenbarge, from IUP's Career and Professional Development Center, worked together in organizing this event.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Career Day was held virtually for the first time in its over 30-year history, using Handshake.
The following 21 organizations participated: Baker Tilly, BDO USA, Becker; BKD CPAs & Advisers, CliftonLarsonAllen, G-Squared Partners, Herbein + Company, Inc, Maher Duessel, Maillie LLP, Northwestern Mutual, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs, Office of the Budget/Comptroller Operations, PNC; Robert Morris University, Schneider Downs, Snodgrass, Sisterson, Trout CPA, UMPC, University of South Carolina, and Wessel & Company.
The event was a success for the SAA, with several students in attendance at various recruiter sessions. The career fair offered both individual and group sessions with company recruiters where students could find out more information about future job opportunities and internships. The morning session of the career fair was only open to IUP students, and the afternoon session was open to both IUP students and students from nearby universities.
The SAA Career Day is always very popular among students, providing an opportunity for students to network, learn more about the accounting industry, discover jobs, and grow professionally. Sarah Crownover, SAA president, said, "The Accounting Career Day allowed me to speak with a firm that I hadn't previously heard much about. It turns out that they are located all over the country and, because of their size, all new hires are exposed to both tax and audit." Many accounting students who attended Creer Day were able to be exposed to and learn more about different accounting firms.
In a session with Schneider Downs, a company recruiter discussed the steps which should be taken to become a forensic and litigation specialist at their company. It is recommended that students who want to pursue a career in forensic accounting first gain experience in audit. Schneider Downs currently is accepting job applications for both audit and tax internships for summer 2021. During the internship, interns will have the opportunity to gain practical job experience by rotating through various accounting fields, including forensics.
In a session with BDO, a recruiter explained the culture of their company. Alexis Diehl, SAA mentoring chair, said the following about her session with BDO: "BDO prides themselves on their culture. Even through the COVID-19pandemic, employees still felt connected to each other by making an effort to stay in constant communication with their fellow peers. It seems like BDO would be a great place to work!" BDO is currently accepting applications for audit and tax internships for summer 2021 and 2022.
To fill out a job application for any of the companies, please visit the company's website or check Handshake for current job postings. Many recruiters will be offering interviews soon for summer and fall 2021.