students and
young professionals
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH YOUR
ACCOUNTING DEGREE?
Accounting professionals play a crucial role in managing the financial health and integrity of organizations. With an accounting degree, you open the door to a wide array of career opportunities across various sectors of the economy.
Whether you aspire to work in public accounting, corporate finance, government agencies, or even pursue entrepreneurial ventures, the skills and knowledge gained through a background in accounting provide a solid foundation for an engaging career. Whatever you choose to specialize in, your accounting degree equips you with the tools to thrive in a dynamic and ever-evolving business landscape.
NOT YOUR TRADITIONAL ACCOUNTANT
Here are just some of the careers you can pursue with an accounting degree:
- Tax accounting
- Auditing
- Forensic accounting
- Business consulting
- Entrepreneurship
- Business valuation
- Nonprofit management
- Certified Information Technology Professional
- Managerial accounting
- Business administration
- Financial examiner
- Data analyst
- Government accounting
- Corporate strategy and development
- Expert witness testimony
- Business owner
- Investment banker
- Actuary
- Financial software systems developer
- Estate planning
- ESG and sustainability accounting
- Financial analyst
- Payroll specialist
- Corporate strategy and development
- Financial journalism
- Sales manager
- Financial advisor
- Crypto accountant
- Financial technical writer
- CEO
- CFO
- …and so much more
STUDENT EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM
As a staff accountant on our collaborative team, you will start your career in a position that takes you beyond a traditional accounting role. This job is not about plugging in numbers; it is about fostering a deep understanding of our clients’ financial situations and goals, providing insightful guidance, and continually learning and growing in the ever-changing world of accounting.
Where We Begin
We meet you where you are in your studies and accounting knowledge. We first work with you to help you build a solid foundation and understanding of accounting – the building blocks of the business language. Think bookkeeping, financial statements, cash flow management, and payroll. We dig into the accounting that tells the story of the business.
While building your foundational expertise, we work on professional development and career goals. This includes mentorship, identifying your interests, developing soft skills, and providing opportunity and exposure to just some of the specialties you can do within accounting.
Where You Grow
You can continue to grow with us. We are a public accounting firm and have a wide range of specialties within our company that you can explore.
We are looking for the next generation of accountants and advisors to be part of our team. Our team utilizes their accounting knowledge and expertise to help our clients and make a positive impact through our work. Students at our firm are driven, career-focused, and committed. Students employed with us have the opportunity to move into a full-time position after graduation.
If you are willing to learn and want to continue to grow, getting your accounting degree and joining our team is only the beginning.
Student Experiences
Nina
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
What do you like about the staff accountant position?
- Flexibility
- Ample learning opportunities
- Opportunities for growth
- Family-like environment
What interesting things are you learning by working at the firm?
Hard Skills
- Income tax return preparation
- Amended income tax return preparation
- Sales tax return preparation
- Bookkeeping
- Financial statement preparation
- Business valuation
- Census preparation
Soft Skills
- Client communication skills – this not only includes learning to be more comfortable contacting clients, but learning how to advise clients, too.
- Remote teamwork & teambuilding.
- Time management & organization – this job enhances time management and organization skills because students, with the help of their mentors, are working on multiple projects with various due dates.
What is a "day in the life" like?
My typical day starts by logging onto our main Zoom meeting and some of the other applications I’ll be using throughout the day. Once a week, I meet with my mentor to review my workload. This keeps me on track to finish projects on time and ensure my workload is manageable. When I don’t meet with my mentor, I will quickly review my list of projects independently. Depending on the day, we might have a company meeting, some of which are led by the students. Outside of meetings, I will work through my list of projects, which can be anything from bookkeeping to preparing tax returns to helping with a business valuation. Depending on the difficulty of the project, I may be working independently or with a manager. If a manager has a meeting with a client that I do work for, I will oftentimes join in on those meetings.
What do you know now that you didn't know before starting?
There is an endless number of things that I have learned since starting at Insight. College classes will teach a lot about the fundamentals, but they don’t compare to what’s learned through experience.
Advice for students looking for employment:
The number one thing to consider for a student looking for a job is whether the company is willing to spend the time to train a student. Just because a company is hiring students doesn’t mean that they want to or have the capacity to train a student. In this case, students may be left with easy and meaningless work. With that being said, students should also have an idea of what type of work they will be doing at their job. It’s important to ask employers questions about the level of work available for students, and whether it’s meaningful and/or pushes students to learn more.
What else should a prospective student know about the firm and job?
When deciding next steps in life, such as post-grad and career choices, everyone at Insight is more than willing to discuss these choices with the students. I have had multiple discussions with several managers and other accountants about public vs. private accounting, grad school, taking the CPA/becoming a CPA, etc.
How long have you been working at Insight?
- With the firm since January 2023
Ariel
Illinois State University
What do you like about the staff accountant position?
- Every day is different but similar.
- Flexibility of choosing my own hours.
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I like that the job is remote, but I do feel connected with everyone working at the firm.
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I like that the work I am receiving makes me feel as though I am learning something new.
What interesting things are you learning by working at the firm?
- Payroll
- Bookkeeping
- Financial statements
- Tax returns
- Sales tax
- Writing client emails
- How to ask questions if I am ever confused
What is a "day in the life" like?
On certain days in the morning, there are a couple meetings with the entire company on Zoom. The rest of the day is working on your independent projects. There are some days where I am training with someone all day (ex: payroll), but there are other days where I am working on projects by myself all day. It depends, and the day can be a mix of meetings, training, or projects. We are all on a Zoom call together every day, but we are mainly working independently.
What do you know now that you didn't know before starting?
- There is a lot of jargon used in accounting. You most likely already understand the concepts, but you just need to learn or remember the correct wording.
- You are not going to know everything when you start, and that is expected.
Advice for students looking for employment:
It never hurts to apply! You may be a better fit for the job than you think. If you are willing to learn, the student program is the perfect place to start.
What else should a prospective student know about the firm and job?
You will be meeting with people more when you first start because you need to train with them!
How long have you been working at Insight?
- With the firm since June 2024
Gomathy
University of Cincinnati
What do you like about the staff accountant position?
- Getting real work experience and seeing how what I learned in class applies to actual accounting tasks.
- It’s great to get help and advice from more experienced accountants, which helps me learn and grow in my career.
- Working on different projects and with various clients keeps the job interesting and helps me learn about different accounting areas.
What interesting things are you learning by working at the firm?
- It’s interesting to see how accounting software works and helps make financial work faster and more accurate
- I’m discovering how important it is to be detail-oriented to avoid mistakes and follow the right accounting rules.
What is a "day in the life" like?
- My day usually includes doing bookkeeping tasks like recording transactions and reconciling and learning from senior accountants.
- I spend time using accounting software and joining team meetings to discuss our workload.
- Each day has a mix of regular tasks like data entry and more detailed projects, such as helping with business valuations and creating workpapers.
What do you know now that you didn't know before starting?
- I have learned how important it is to manage my time well and handle several tasks at once, especially with tight deadlines.
- I didn’t realize how detailed financial documents need to be, and how important it is to be accurate with every part of the job.
Advice for students looking for employment:
- Try to get internships or part-time jobs to gain experience and learn how accounting works in real life.
- Build strong skills in organization and analysis, as these are key to managing financial information well.
- Connect with professionals in accounting and join relevant student groups to learn about job opportunities and industry trends.
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What else should a prospective student know about the firm and job?
- The firm likes to see initiative, so don’t be afraid to take on new tasks and learn more than just the basics.
- Be ready to learn and adapt to new accounting tools and practices; the firm provides training to help you get up to speed.
- Knowing the firm’s culture and what is expected, like the communication style, will help you fit in and do well in your role.
How long have you been working at Insight?
- With the firm since August 2023
Madilyn
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
What do you like about the staff accountant position?
- Having the opportunity to work while taking classes, so I have experience when I graduate.
- This position is flexible around my schedule.
- This position is made for students – the team expects you to have questions.
- The job doesn’t end at the end of the semester like many internships, so you have more time to develop your skills and knowledge.
What interesting things are you learning by working at the firm?
By working at Insight, I am learning how to interact with clients. You have the opportunity to sit in on client meetings, which played a role in teaching me how to approach client interactions, paired with emailing and talking to clients myself.
What is a "day in the life" like?
A typical day for me generally consists of working through any bookkeeping (i.e. bank reconciliations, accounts payable, accounts receivable), preparing financial statements, and preparing tax returns. The day also includes meeting with and getting help from managers and other staff members as needed.
What do you know now that you didn't know before starting?
When I started, I had no hands-on experience with accounting. Everything that I do now I have learned on the job.
Advice for students looking for employment:
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and be ready to learn! Everyone wants to help you.
What else should a prospective student know about the firm and job?
This job offers a great opportunity for anyone who wants to truly learn and not just mindlessly do grunt work.
How long have you been working at Insight?
- With the firm since May 2023
- Planning to accept a full-time position after graduation
Adaptable
You like doing something different every day. You swiftly adjust with change.
Accountable
You are there for your clients and teammates. You have integrity. You are self-driven.
Willing to Learn
You engage with your curiosity. You set aside your ego. You challenge yourself to go further.
Collaborative
You are a team player. You communicate well. You actively seek out working together.