How To Break Into Accounting And Consulting (Before Youre Even A Junior)

How To Break Into Accounting And Consulting (Before Youre Even A Junior)How To Break Into The Accounting And Consulting IndustryBefore Youre Even A JuniorThe junior-year internship is an essentialstepping stone between accounting student and fully employed accountingprofessional, but getting that internship has become more competitive thanever. One great way to secure that offer foryourselfand way ahead of timeis to attend a summer early-identificationsession with a prestigious firm.Heres how an early-ID fest like the Breakthrough Program at CohnReznicka national leader in accounting, tax, and consulting and Top 10 Most Prestigious Firms list honoreecan help you get a jumpstart on your career, before you even enter your junior year.The First Step Secure An Invitation And Prepare For The EventBefore you can begin the process of securingyour internship, you have to secure an invitation to an early-ID veranstaltung. You canapply online through a career platform like WayUp or meet a Cohn ReznickRecruiter at an on-campus career fair.Last year, between May and July, CohnReznickheld events in Atlanta Baltimore Boston Bethesda, MD Hartford, CT NewYork San Diego Roseland, NJ Long Island Los Angeles Chicago and WoodlandHills, CAso there are plenty of options depending on where you live.Once thats done, youll need to prepare forthe event itself. So, prepare some answers for basic accounting career questions and do yourhomework on the firms history and values. Network With Senior Leaders, Learn About The Industry, And Get An Internship OfferHigh-tech learning sessions are just one part of the breakthrough experience.The actual Breakthrough Program event is madeup of various learning, networking, and working opportunities. Youll hear fromsenior leaders at the firmpossibly including the CEOabout the state of theindustry, lessons they wish they knew early on in their career, and the valuesthat make the firm what it is.Youll also have the opportunity to put yourskills and knowl edge to work in business case scenarios and activities designedto bring out your best qualities. These are important tests both of youraccounting acumen and your ability to work with others in a collaborative andrespectful waya key tenet of CohnReznicks values.Finally, through fun networking events andoutings like baseball games, escape rooms and rooftop dinners, youll meetleaders, current CohnReznick employees, and people who may become peers in theCohnReznick internship program (or maybe just friends). If you listened well, worked hard, and made agood impression throughout the two-day event, you should receive an internshipoffer for the following winter or summer within a few days.The Early-ID AdvantageNetwork with future leadersjust like youBesides the obvious professional advantage ofmeeting senior leaders at a firm before even starting your internship, one ofthe biggest advantages of securing your offer before the school year begins isthat youll be free to focus on your studies and personal development. While your peers are stressing about thedozens of internship applications they have to submit, youll be squared awayand able to focus on the content of your actual accounting classes. Plus, withsome of that extra time, you can learn about and practice with accountingtechnologies, like data visualization and wrangling tools. Thesetechnologies are used in most top-tier accounting firms and are hard to getexperience with while youre still in school.And, of course, you can relax until its time to bring it at your internship. Hows that for an advantage?Interested in getting your own head start? Apply for an invitation to a Breakthrough Program event at CohnReznick on WayUp