Public accounting is not the only path to a lucrative career with an accounting degree. I went from undergrad to a Fortune 50 company to a regional public accounting firm. I don’t want to give away my specialty but in general I do business consulting on the types of things that mid-size companies need but cannot afford a full time employee to do and that the Big 4 cannot teach their new hires. I encourage accounting students to interview with all sorts of employers and have one firm internship and one industry internship before they pick a path. Just keep building leadership, project management, and research skills and an accounting student will find employment.