Beta Alpha Psi hosts Big 4 Forum for students interested in accounting to network with Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers
The Big 4 forum
Today, 6-8 p.m.
Ackerman Grand Ballroom
By Jonathan Bernstein
Feb. 7, 2011 12:47 a.m.
After he processed the effects of the 2007 Great Recession, Wen Gu decided to pursue a career as an accountant.
Gu, a fourth-year business economics student, said he enjoys overcoming challenges and solving problems to better the economy.
“Everyday you take on new challenges,” Gu said. “You need to (educate) yourself all the time.”
With that mind-set, Gu decided to join Beta Alpha Psi, an honorary organization with the objective of encouraging and giving recognition to scholastic and professional excellence in the business information field.
Tonight, in an effort to introduce students to recruiters and professionals from all divisions of the accounting world, Beta Alpha Psi will be hosting The Big 4 Forum.
The Big 4 is made up of Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers, the four largest international accountancy and professional services firms.
Julie Sakaguchi, president of Beta Alpha Psi, said she hopes to make the forum an annual conference for the firms since it is the best opportunity to network.
According to Gu, these businesses want to see that students are able to communicate with them properly and effectively rather than focusing solely on GPA for recruitment.
Gu added that the event is an opportunity for the businesses to learn about individual students’ experiences on campus and their extracurricular activities that will make each more competitive as applicants for internships and careers.
“(The forum) is a really good way for students to get exposure to networking with professionals,” said Lovina Chen, Beta Alpha Psi vice president of compliance.
Furthermore, the forum is the only event before leadership conference recruitments that every company in the Big 4 will attend.
Conferences and possible internships provide undergraduates with work experience through on-the-job training as well as technical and business-oriented education.
Although the event was originally scheduled for January, it was postponed until February, when Beta Alpha Psi shifted its focus toward second-year recruiting as opposed to working with students further along in their undergraduate studies.
Although recruitment for this year is closed, Sakaguchi said she hopes to give second-year students more time to research internships for next year’s recruitment.
Even for non-second-year students, the forum is still a great opportunity to become familiar with the firms and the representatives in attendance, Sakaguchi said.
She added that it is never too early to start researching internship opportunities. The forum is just one step in this process, as it gives students the opportunity to interact face-to-face with professionals who have worked for these companies for 20 or more years.
