FAR-REACHING opportunities FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CAREER CHOICES

The Accounting Society and Beta Alpha Psi are professional student organizations that work to provide opportunities for students to learn about and get involved with the field of accounting beyond the classroom. Most universities have these societies, but what sets USD’s accounting organizations apart is the robust level of activity and opportunities that each provides.

“We average up to 20 presentations per semester, and the active interview process we have developed for USD students runs from early October to early November each fall and from mid-March to mid-April each spring,” said Professor Mark Judd.

The fall semester interview process begins well before recruiters show up on campus. Early in September, students plunge into Resumania, a guided journey toward creating a polished, professional summation of their education, experience, goals and interests. In mid-September, recruiter panels are formed to present an overview of the industry from an accounting firm’s perspective, and “Meet the Firms” occurs a week later to offer students an opportunity to meet, ask questions and get to know various firm representatives before on-campus interviews begin the first week of October. The same process repeats in the spring semester.

Professor Judd and fellow Professor John Prunty dedicate hundreds of hours outside the classroom to ensure that the USD Accounting Society and Beta Alpha Psi offer high quality, useful information and plenty of exposure to professionals from accounting firms, industry, government and non-profits.

Both professors see the professional presentations and recruiting preparation process as crucial to introducing students to a world of career possibilities and enhancing their career readiness. Recent presentations by firm representatives have included “Personal Branding,” “How to Give an Elevator Speech,” “International Business Etiquette”, “Forensic Accounting” and “Interview Preparation.”

Kylene Sim, who plans to graduate in 2023 with a bachelor of Accountancy, transferred to the USD Accountancy program from another private university a er hearing rave reviews from USD students. She was immediately impressed with the number and quality of presentations and events sponsored by both student accounting organizations.

“USD’s accounting program has the resources and faculty to help young accounting majors discover their paths while helping them prepare for and manage the recruiting process,” said Sim, who currently serves as the VP of Finance for Beta Alpha Psi and has already secured a job as an Audit Associate at RCM. “Through the Accounting Society and Beta Alpha Psi, I was able to connect with a wide variety of firms, discover other avenues besides public accounting and meet other accounting students. This experience provided me with valuable knowledge and has helped me elevate my professionalism.”

“Accounting offers students the greatest variety of careers in the world,” said Judd. “More than 80 percent of USD accounting students receive a job offer six months prior to graduation at an average annual starting salary of $70K.”

Many students obtain jobs well before graduation due to the relationships the department has built with firms and the caliber of students previously recruited from USD. Weekly events sponsored by the Accounting Society and Beta Alpha Psi provide insights on interviewing, personal and professional development, and internships and career possibilities. At each event, students not only learn from industry executives, they also have the opportunity to meet and network with them, which helps students build a professional network.

Some accounting undergraduates go on to graduate school to pursue Knauss School’s Master of Accountancy (MACC) or the highly-rated Master of Taxation (MTAX). Yet regardless of whether a student pursues a bachelor or master degree, at USD they can depend on plenty of exposure to potential employers prior to graduation.

“Our connections are vast, with approximately 45 companies participating in our recruiting program each semester. We want students to learn in the classroom, but it’s also important for them to learn from high-level professionals in the field of accounting, and the earlier in their academic careers the better,” said Prunty. He credits small classroom size and the faculty’s dedication to mentoring students as another key to preparing them for success in finding employment before graduation.

“The Accounting Department offers a highly laid-out path for career preparation,” said Judd. “If a student follows the path, they can expect to land an internship as early as their sophomore year.”

Classroom learning, combined with the latest accounting insights and connections made through the Accounting Society and Beta Alpha Psi, helps turn accounting students into polished professionals, ready for the world of opportunities that awaits them. At the Knauss School of Business, the path to successful job placement is well marked. All that remains is for each student to take the first step on the journey toward a rewarding career and a life well-lived.

QUINTIN BROWN ’14 (BA ACCOUNTING)

Many students find college to be a life-enriching experience that introduces them to diverse career options and sets the stage for future success. For Quintin Brown, attending USD was not only an enriching experience, but it was also a life-changing one that opened his eyes to possibilities he had never imagined.

Brown describes his upbringing as one from “the other side of the socio-economic spectrum.” He grew up in several neighborhoods of Los Angeles that were marked by poverty, graffiti and violence. Yet he graduated from high school as a much sought-a er football player and decided to spend his college career at USD. He was awestruck by the beautiful campus and, as he put it, “the people were so welcoming.”

Initially, Brown focused on pursuing a pre-med degree, but he also took some business classes. In an accounting class under Professor Mark Judd, he was encouraged to attend Sophomore Career Day where he heard a panel of professionals talk about all the career paths available in accounting.

“Everyone on that stage was pursuing great things in life, and I wanted to be like those people,” he said.

Brown changed majors immediately following the event. He was attracted to the potential that accounting offered for obtaining employment as soon as possible a er graduation. Brown did not have what he termed “a family financial safety net,” and he was concerned about his finances. To earn extra money, he provided personal training services and worked in the college computer lab in addition to juggling football and classes. All told, he had little free time, but it did not stop him from doing well in his accounting classes.

“I could keep up because I had great professors behind me. They practically held my hand from start to finish, molding me into a better student and a better person. Also, Professor Judd continually pushed us to attend the Accounting Society events, and I took his advice to heart.”

That advice paid off, even though Brown had to make a difficult decision to follow it on one occasion.

“It was during my senior football season, and to attend the Accounting Society event, I had to skip one of only three practices we had in between Saturday games. But I knew that the society events were where students met employers, so I decided to go.”

That one meeting put Brown on the road to the success he enjoys today. A partner from the accounting firm Considine & Considine met Brown at the event, then offered him a job shortly therea er. Brown secured employment more than six months prior to graduation.

Over a five-year period as an auditor with the firm, Brown established the reputation as “a person who could get the job done.” During those years, he also earned his CPA license.

By now, Brown was a married man, and he and his wife wanted to start a family. He decided to explore other opportunities that would require less traveling. Today, Brown works as a director for the Stapleton Group, a firm that provides services and solutions for troubled businesses. He has also become a Certified Insolvency & Restructuring Advisor (CIRA).

“While most of my current job does not involve accounting, I still use those skills to unravel the accounting for a distressed company. Saving a company requires creative solutions, and there are many forks in the road along the way, accounting issues being one of them.”

Bringing companies back from the brink of failure is what Brown calls his “innovation for good” that USD stresses to its students.

“USD wants you to be successful and do things the right way and help people. This is all rolled up into the compass that the professors instilled in me. I provide ethical solutions to resolve multi-million-dollar problems that help companies continue to turn a profit and allow employees to continue to put food on the table.”

Today, Brown regularly speaks at the venue that changed the trajectory of his life more than a decade ago: Sophomore Career Day. He shares his story with students and discusses the field of accounting as a career choice. Many students have contacted Brown a er Sophomore Career Day to tell him that his story motivated them to pursue an accounting degree.

“I want to encourage as many students as possible to consider accounting, because it can lead to success and a life well lived.”