| If you are an accounting | | | | won’t pay you for taking a co-op or |
| student, you picked the right field of business! | | | | internship because they know you are receiving |
| Especially now a days when the economy is | | | | college credits by working for them. All |
| struggling, unemployment it rising, and it is getting | | | | accounting firms who are hiring students as soon |
| harder and harder to find a job. Compared to all | | | | as they graduate from college usually require that |
| the other business fields, accounting has the most | | | | their prospective employees have completed |
| job availability, and the best job security. It has | | | | either a co-op or internship during school. If you |
| the best job availability because there is much | | | | graduate in accounting without having completed a |
| more work for accountants since the Sarbeans | | | | co-op or internship, you are at a severe |
| Oxley Act, which requires publicly traded | | | | disadvantage to those who have completed a |
| corporations to file much more reports and | | | | co-op or internship. |
| paperwork to the SEC. The Sarbeans Oxley Act | | | | Employers usually require their |
| was passed in 2001 after the Enron scam, and | | | | prospects to have completed a co-op or |
| requires more filings from public companies to | | | | internship because when taking a co-op or |
| make sure they are not committing fraud of any | | | | internship while still in school, you can really get a |
| kind that could affect its employees and | | | | grasp on how an accounting firm works and how |
| shareholders. If you are graduating now with a | | | | they earn their money. Co-ops and internships |
| degree in finance, good luck to you! Finance | | | | break students in and eliminate the rustiness |
| majors are struggling because of the failing | | | | first-time accountants face when they first enter |
| economy and it is much harder for a finance | | | | the field. Usually three to six months into taking |
| major to find a job fresh out of college then it is | | | | a co-op or internship with an accounting firm, a |
| an accounting major. | | | | light bulb goes off in the student’s head, and |
| If you are just entering college, | | | | they gain great knowledge and understanding |
| and would like to pursue a career in business, you | | | | about what they are doing and how an accounting |
| should definitely choose the accounting major. If | | | | firm works. Then, when an accounting student |
| you are an accounting major, you can do work in | | | | graduates and starts working in the real world, |
| any other field of business including finance, | | | | this “rust” is gone because they already |
| because a knowledge in accounting gives you a | | | | have worked for an accounting firm and |
| much more diverse business education. | | | | understand what is going on. Compared to an |
| Employers in Marketing, Finance, Economics, and | | | | accounting student who hasn’t completed an |
| Business will definitely hire an accounting major | | | | internship or co-op, a student who has completed |
| because they know accounting majors have such | | | | an internship or co-op is more effective and |
| a diverse knowledge of the business world. This | | | | quicker and more accurate when they first start |
| does not work the other way around however! | | | | working. Employers don’t want to have to |
| For example, if you are a major in marketing, you | | | | deal with students who haven’t taken a co-op |
| won’t be able to get a job doing accounting, | | | | or internship because they are “rusty” |
| which then limits your job search when you are | | | | when they first start and are less efficient than |
| ready to graduate. | | | | students who have taken a co-op or internship. |
| Now that you have decided | | | | So if you are just entering |
| you want to be an accounting major in college, | | | | college and would like to enter the business field, |
| the entire world of business is at your fingertips! | | | | do yourself a favor and choose accounting! Even |
| The key to getting a good job in accounting, and | | | | if you graduate in accounting and decide it |
| having a leg up on other accounting majors, is | | | | isn’t what you want to do with your life, you |
| taking a co-op or internship. An internship allows | | | | can still enter any other business field. Also, if |
| you to work part-time for an accounting firm | | | | you want to have a significant advantage over |
| while still taking classes. You can earn college | | | | other accounting students, take a co-op or |
| credits for taking an internship, and you will get | | | | internship during your junior or senior year. Many |
| credit usually for one class by taking an | | | | times the firm you took the co-op or internship |
| internship. A co-op allows you to work full-time | | | | with will extend a job offer to you for when you |
| for an accounting firm, preferably during tax | | | | graduate school. Then you can feel confident |
| season, where you do not take classes and are | | | | when you go back to college, and you won’t |
| committed to the accounting firm for an entire | | | | have to worry about finding a job and competing |
| semester. The good thing is that both | | | | with other students from your school! Good |
| internships and co-ops in accounting are almost | | | | Luck! |
| always paid positions! Other majors usually | | | | |