WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.360 A general finance background would be good. 2 00:00:02.360 --> 00:00:04.320 'Cause if you do that you're still gonna take 3 00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:07.250 your basic accounting classes. 4 00:00:07.250 --> 00:00:09.460 line:15% If you have a basic foundation of accounting 5 00:00:09.460 --> 00:00:11.610 line:15% you'll be okay because you can learn things on the job. 6 00:00:11.610 --> 00:00:13.210 line:15% You can learn from your seniors. 7 00:00:14.070 --> 00:00:15.140 line:15% So that's not really the issue, 8 00:00:15.140 --> 00:00:17.730 line:15% as long as you can quickly pick things up. 9 00:00:17.730 --> 00:00:19.890 line:15% I think having a finance background really helped me 10 00:00:19.890 --> 00:00:21.080 because of just being able 11 00:00:21.080 --> 00:00:24.100 to understand the financial statements from the get-go. 12 00:00:24.100 --> 00:00:27.360 line:15% Understand what goes into making the financial statements 13 00:00:27.360 --> 00:00:30.340 line:15% and the elements of each line on there. 14 00:00:30.340 --> 00:00:34.210 line:15% So for me, I think finance was really important 15 00:00:34.210 --> 00:00:36.513 to be able to do well in this accounting job. 16 00:00:37.481 --> 00:00:39.700 Really just depends on your interests, too. 17 00:00:39.700 --> 00:00:41.680 If you wanna be focused on accounting, 18 00:00:41.680 --> 00:00:43.177 which I was for my Master's program, 19 00:00:43.177 --> 00:00:45.410 it will help you a lot to get into public accounting, 20 00:00:45.410 --> 00:00:47.590 especially if you wanna do tax. 21 00:00:47.590 --> 00:00:50.100 But for me, who is more interested in audit, 22 00:00:50.100 --> 00:00:52.940 the corporate finance background was extremely useful. 23 00:00:52.940 --> 00:00:54.970 Accounting companies love internships, 24 00:00:54.970 --> 00:00:56.741 especially summer intern programs. 25 00:00:56.741 --> 00:00:58.530 We have it as well at CohnReznick, 26 00:00:58.530 --> 00:01:00.550 line:15% and that, I think, is the best way 27 00:01:00.550 --> 00:01:02.085 line:15% to get your foot in the door, 28 00:01:02.085 --> 00:01:03.010 line:15% because not only are you gonna get good experience, 29 00:01:03.010 --> 00:01:04.880 line:15% but you're gonna meet everybody in the office. 30 00:01:04.880 --> 00:01:07.100 line:15% When it's time to apply for the full-time job 31 00:01:07.100 --> 00:01:09.130 line:15% everybody's gonna already know who you are. 32 00:01:09.130 --> 00:01:11.150 line:15% And just like most things in business, 33 00:01:11.150 --> 00:01:12.470 it's all about relationships. 34 00:01:12.470 --> 00:01:15.080 It's, people need to know you, people need to trust you, 35 00:01:15.080 --> 00:01:16.930 because you can learn these things pretty quickly. 36 00:01:16.930 --> 00:01:19.690 It's not the most technical profession 37 00:01:19.690 --> 00:01:21.300 compared to like medicine or something like that. 38 00:01:21.300 --> 00:01:24.170 So really people just need to know that you're smart, 39 00:01:24.170 --> 00:01:26.270 that you're willing to learn, that they can train you, 40 00:01:26.270 --> 00:01:29.730 and that they would want to work with you. 41 00:01:29.730 --> 00:01:31.770 So summer internships are great. 42 00:01:31.770 --> 00:01:33.770 Alumni networks are incredible. 43 00:01:33.770 --> 00:01:35.780 Just, they'll set you up with anybody 44 00:01:35.780 --> 00:01:37.290 to have coffee with them or lunch with them. 45 00:01:37.290 --> 00:01:39.860 You can talk to them, get your foot in the door that way. 46 00:01:39.860 --> 00:01:40.910 One of the most important things, 47 00:01:40.910 --> 00:01:42.560 and maybe one of the biggest pieces of advice 48 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:43.520 that I could give a student 49 00:01:43.520 --> 00:01:46.055 line:15% is how important self improvement is 50 00:01:46.055 --> 00:01:49.070 line:15% and self motivation and being proactive. 51 00:01:49.070 --> 00:01:50.900 line:15% If I see on a resume that somebody 52 00:01:50.900 --> 00:01:52.870 line:15% is applying for accounting 53 00:01:52.870 --> 00:01:54.680 line:15% and is interested in an accounting position, 54 00:01:54.680 --> 00:01:56.900 and this person has gone out of his or her way 55 00:01:56.900 --> 00:01:59.210 to take maybe some extra Excel classes 56 00:01:59.210 --> 00:02:02.270 to become extra proficient in Excel or QuickBooks 57 00:02:02.270 --> 00:02:03.930 or something related to that, 58 00:02:03.930 --> 00:02:05.440 then that really tells me that this person 59 00:02:05.440 --> 00:02:07.510 is actually really serious about what they're doing. 60 00:02:07.510 --> 00:02:09.660 They might have an actual passion about it.