"You have so much time to figure it out!"
Every aunt and uncle, every "Happy graduation!" card, every conversation stated this detrimentally harmful sentence. For the majority of college-aged kids, this message demonstrates the self-actualizing nature of the college experience. For accounting majors, this tagline could break them.
Since Big 4 internship recruitment was pushed from sophomore spring to sophomore fall, Lehigh Accounting and Accounting Club have adapted accordingly to accommodate these changes, cramming recruiting and networking events to empower first-years and sophomores. Although Lehigh holds our hand and walks us through the process, the cognitive dissonance between the concept of "figuring yourself out" and snagging an internship that will lead to your first job is overwhelming to 18-year-olds. Luckily, Gianna Grillo, Multimedia Director of the Accounting Club, identified this issue and built The Accounting Accelerators Program to take 41 students from unprepared first-years to internship-ready accountants.
Sophomore Grillo built this program from scratch after reflecting on her experience in the accounting pathway: "I realized how early and up front all of recruiting is. You're applying as soon as you get in the door as a sophomore for an internship that will not be until two years later." She explained that her support system of mentors guided her through the process, and she felt passionate about paying it forward to students who may not have the same safety net she did. Grillo's mission was this: "How can we make sure that when it's recruiting time, everyone feels confident and prepared in their abilities? And no better way to start than in the spring of your first year. So when summer comes, and it's time to apply, you're ready, and you're confident. Hit the ground running."
Accounting Accelerators hosted four sessions. The program kicked off by "boiling it down" to the accounting basics and understanding how broad the industry is, from audit to forensic accounting. EY recruiter Amber Finch spoke to the students, offering the first networking opportunity in the program. The second session focused on the internship experience. Hearing from Lehigh students with various internship experiences, this session covered what big firm internships, small firm internships, and even winter internships will look like. The third session featured student ambassadors from Becker to discuss the CPA requirements and study tips. The last session focused on action steps: now what? What should your resume look like? How should I network? What is applying like? Students left this final session with a tailored resume, a certificate of completion, and confidence stepping into the recruitment process.
Accounting Accelerators taught 41 freshmen that they are worthy and ready for these opportunities: "Lehigh is an industry leader in accounting. Lehigh feeds the big four tons of accounting students. They want us. Yes. So how can we be prepared?" Riley Altman, a first-year accounting major, is a prime example of the impact this program made. She graduated from the program with newfound confidence and peace going into recruitment. Before Accounting Accelerators, she expressed how overwhelming it felt to be thrown into the process, being the oldest sibling and the only accountant in her family. "I felt like I was just in high school yesterday...Having Accounting Accelerators gave me a sense of security. Like, oh, I can do this. I'm ready for it now." Altman reflected on her experience and pointed out the second session, defining audit and tax, which left a lasting impact on her: "We actually had a slideshow presentation. It was like: 'If you are like this, or if you like patterns, then this is for you.'" The slideshow map is the reason Altman knows she wants to go into audit. "I would have just gone 50-50, thrown up a coin."
Just like that of the accountants, the future of Accounting Accelerators is bright. After diving in and bringing the idea to life in less than two months, Grillo thinks the program needs minor refining, including a student mentorship aspect. Grillo hopes that students will pay it forward and come back to the Accounting Club to mentor the next generation of Accounting Accelerator students. "I'm a huge person on 'pay it forward.' Don't forget where you came from." Hopefully, Grillo's passion for helping first-years will empower this class to help out in the future.
