<p>I am in need of some advice and was hoping someone could help me out. </p>
<p>I am going to be a junior next year, majoring in Accounting & Finance and minoring in Spanish. I was planning on going to Spain for study abroad in the spring, but my advisor and some professors are saying it would be more worth it to stay at school and get an internship for the spring.</p>
<p>I really want to go to a leadership conference for one of the big 4s and have been told that pretty much if I don't get an internship in the spring and stay and network than I will pretty much have no chance of that... Does anyone have any advice? I wasn't aware how competitive the big 4 is until now.</p>
<p>The Big 4 is extremely competitive. Work experience is crucial in the world of accounting. If you can postpone your trip, it could help your job chances in the future. Then again, really depends on what you want to do with your life. Also, plan which of the big four you want to work for if you choose to go down that path.</p>
<p>The summer of junior year is the most important year of your college career for most finance/accounting students. Candidates who get an internship at the Big 4 their junior year typically end up receiving full time offers at the end of the summer. My recommendation is to spend your first semester as a junior gaining relevant experience at a small accounting firm or related field. This will put you in good position to go through the recruitment process for the coming summer. Check your campus calendar for when the Big 4 recruit at your school for summer internships.</p>
<p>Will you have 150 credits when you graduate or will you need to go on for a Master’s degree? You need 150 credits to become a CPA and the Big 4 won’t hire you as an intern until the summer before you will have the 150 credits. My S did an internship with his accounting firm the summer between graduating from undergrad and getting his MS in Accounting. </p>
<p>I’m not sure how it is for your school, but for me (NYU), KPMG recruits juniors during first semester. Provided you pass the interview, you’d have a summer internship offer lined up by the time Thanksgiving rolls around, so second semester would be stress-free. Look into it and see if KPMG has a similar recruiting policy for your school.</p>
<p>I would listen to your advisers and professors, they will certainly know more about how it works at your school than anyone here. And, notice how they are all saying the same thing? You can always visit Spain after you graduate and are making some decent $$$ with your new awesome job. Good luck.</p>