A Good Start

The same week they started classes as accounting majors, students spent a day exploring the wide range of career options open to accountants. Knowledgeable professionals, most of whom were UAlbany alumni, gave students a glimpse of their futures. One panel highlighted types of firms: Big Four, international, regional, local, risk consulting, and independent; another focused on the types of practices: audit, tax, enterprise risk, forensic and government, providing a substantial overview of the accounting field as it exists today.

Lisa Gonzalez, from the university office of Development & Alumni Relations and Deirdre Sweeney from the School of Business Office of Career Development coordinated the event, teaming up with the School of Business Office of Career Development, accounting fraternity Beta Alpha Psi, the Big Four and over 45 alumni, to meet a need identified by Accounting Chair Jagdish Gangolly: a formal orientation for undergraduate accounting students. Like the new Freshman Admit program, this orientation was designed to provide additional information for School of Business students so that they can make the most of their education.

The orientation introduced the incoming juniors to their numerous career options and to “life as an accountant” in the new millennium. The students had an opportunity to network with each other and well-established accounting professionals.

The over 200 in attendance made this a valuable experience for all. Accounting firms are reaching out to students earlier than ever before.  Many are interested in talking about internships and permanent positions during the fall of the students’ junior year, as soon as they’ve been accepted into the major.  This was a valuable first step in the process.

Here are the accounting professionals and UAlbany students who volunteered for Accounting Orientation for Juniors:
Speakers
Dan Black, Director, Americas Campus Recruiting, Ernst & Young LLP
Martin Biegelman, Director, Financial Integrity Unit, Microsoft Corporation
Moderators
Alex Fredericks ‘95, Senior Manager, Ernst & Young LLP
Tal Goldhamer ‘94, Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
Panelists
Angelo Annese, Senior Manager, Ernst & Young LLP
Thomas Greer ‘93, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Kevin Hedley ‘94, CPA, Hedley & Co., PLLC
Timothy Hedley’88, Partner, KPMG
Scott Levy ‘87, Partner, Grant Thornton LLP
Kevin McCoy ‘85, Managing Partner, Marvin & Company, P.C.  
Victor Petri ‘87, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers
David Ross ‘72, Managing Director, Protiviti, Inc.
Robert Urban‘95, Principal, UHY Advisors
George Warnock ‘79, Partner, Deloitte
Student volunteers from Beta Alpha Psi
Charles Bruen ‘08
Aleidy Diaz ’07, ‘08
Paul Gammarano ‘08
Tom Hansen ‘08
Andrew Harwood ’08
Jesse Krupski ‘08
Monique Nierman ‘08
Matt Visone ‘09