The Grossman School of Business hosted the virtual Accounting Career Fair this fall semester giving students the chance to chat with representatives from regional and national accounting firms.
KPMG, PwC, and Johnson Lambert were just a handful of the firms in attendance; and although the coronavirus pandemic forced company representatives to stay off-campus, that didn’t stop them from meeting with, and evaluating, many talented UVM students.
The Grossman School of Business hosted the user-friendly experience via Microsoft Teams for students and employers. Students were able to review company profiles and position openings before attending the fair, prep their personal space, and even have notes handy just off the screen for their virtual meeting. Employers had the ability to virtually screen candidates, receive electronic resumes, and schedule interviews with students while also holding more informal ‘drop-in’ Q&A sessions.
“Overall, I enjoyed my experience at the fair and gathered a lot of good information,” said Grossman junior Elizabeth Wideawake. “Like many, I wished we could have had the fair in person, but everyone did a great job of making the virtual environment welcoming. I thought that the private interviews were a nice touch as it allowed for informal one-on-one time with individuals representing their firms.”
Master of Accountancy student Alaisha Lucia highlighted the ability to talk one-on-one with representatives as a positive of these virtual times, saying, “I got a better understanding of the job, company culture, and was able to ask questions directly. This allowed for thoughtful conversation without interruption or fighting to be noticed.”
The virtual career fair made it easy to meet a large number of quality candidates in a short period of time. “It was exciting to talk to students one-on-one in the fast-paced interview sessions; there is a lot you can learn about a person in 10 minutes!” reported Laura Macuga, account manager at Johnson Lambert LLP and ’14 UVM alum.
Grossman School of Business student Jacob Curtis ’22 echoed Laura’s feelings. “The individual chats helped me get comfortable with interviewing over the computer,” he said. “I’m sure this will be more common practice in the future so I’m glad I have experience in this setting.”
Though times are anything but normal right now, students look to adapt and take lessons from these challenges. “The number one thing the pandemic has taught us is adaptability is a key trait that everyone needs in the workplace,” said Madison Berry, employer engagement liaison in the Grossman School of Business, Center for Student Success. “Pivoting to an entirely new format was tricky, but the students and employers brought their best work and made it a huge success. I’m glad students were able to practice their virtual engagement and interview skills – opportunities for remote work and globally distributed firms are only going to grow from here.”
Grossman is proud to be developing business professionals of the future.
Organizations interested in registering for a future Career & Internship fair, should contact Madison Berry at Madison.Berry@uvm.edu.