“So much better than ordinary career fairs” is how students Eddy Aiello and Yegor Nadvornyy enthusiastically describe the Ahead of the Game Accounting and Business Expo offered semi-annually at Florida International University (FIU). The spring expo, held January 27, 2012, drew 229 students, a 38 percent increase over the spring 2011 event. An increase in employers also occurred, with representatives from 29 highly-rated companies on hand to talk to the eager students.
Two student accounting organizations in the College of Business Administration—Beta Alpha Psi, the international accounting honor society, and ALPFA FIU/ALPFA Honor Society, for accounting, finance and business-related majors—host the expo.
“Word has spread that this expo is an exceptional opportunity for employers and for students seeking internships and job opportunities,” said Nadvornyy, president-elect of ALPFA FIU/ALPFA Honor Society.
He and Aiello organized the event, with guidance from Dawn Lazar (MS ’06), assistant director of accounting services in Career Management Services (CMS).
Only accounting, finance and management information systems (MIS) students may attend, after advance sign-up. They must have a 3.0 GPA or better, be registered with CMS and have an approved résumé. Attendees must be a junior or senior, working on a certificate or master’s degree, or have recent alumni status.
“Students easily approach employers, shaking hands and giving their ‘elevator speech,’ to tell what they have to offer,” said Aiello, Beta Alpha Psi president-elect. “This expo does not have long lines. It’s a more customized approach.”
The Ahead of the Game Accounting and Business Expo held in the fall, usually an even larger event, will be September 27, 2012.
Students meet with leading companies.
Gold Sponsors:
- Bank of America
- Deloitte
- Grant Thornton
Silver Sponsors:
- Alvarez & Marsal Taxand, LLC
- Cherry Bekaert & Holland
- Crowe Horwath
- KPMG
- Mallah Furman
- Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra (MBAF)
- Regions
Sponsors:
- BDO USA, LLP
- Becker Professional Education
- Berkowitz Dick Pollack & Brant
- Chick-fil-A
- CPA By Choice
- Ernst & Young
- FBI
- Goldstein Schechter Koch
- MarcumRachlin
- McGladery
- The Mergis Group
- Northwestern Mutual
- Ocariz, Garrastacho, Hevia & Mercer, LLP
- Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
- PricewaterhouseCoopers
- Progressive
- SEO
- Watson Pharmaceuticals
