The six Denver area accounting firms came to campus last week to host interviews for qualifying accounting majors.
The interviews were for students looking to take part in paid full-time internships that will start the first week in January and commence around spring break of 2004. These internships are an important part of an accounting student’s career not only because they are used for resumes, but also because internships are an essential part of getting a job with the major accounting firms. In addition, they give students the opportunity to establish a relationship with their potential employers and even receive job offers long before they graduate. Amber Caldwell, a fifth year accounting student, participated in the internship program the winter of 2003.
“[It was] one of the best work related experiences I have on my resume,” said Caldwell. “I also got an offer for full-time employment when I graduate over a year before I finish school.”
Although the results of this year’s interviews are essentially the same, accounting students had to utilize a new process when signing up to meet with the firms. Last year’s informal application system was replaced with an online-based program that allowed firms to pre-select individuals they would like to interview.
Students logged onto the career center’s website using a slightly altered version of their banner ID and their birth year as a password and they uploaded their resumes. The accounting firms viewed the loaded resumes and pre-selected individuals they wanted to interview. These individuals were then contacted via e-mail with a list of interested companies. If they chose to take the interview, they would then have logged back onto the system to schedule an available time. Students such as accounting major Ben Davis, who utilized the site for interview applications this year, were pleased with the ease in which resumes uploaded and e-mail interviews were confirmed.
The benefits of the electronic system are seen on both sides of the interview process. A host from Price Waterhouse Coopers said they find it easier to make sure that students who are actually qualified for the internships are filling the time slots that are offered for interviews. This helps mitigate the issue of students arriving to the interview who don’t meet minimum requirements such their major or grade point average. This also minimizes a problem that was recurrent in the old system, where many students were put on a waiting list behind students who were less qualified for the interviews.
Accounting majors are not the only students that can utilize the services offered at the career center. DU students interested in internship opportunities or other career services can visit www.du.edu/career, stop by the Career Center at Driscoll South room 046 or call on-campus Extension 1-2150.
