Accounting Society at Virginia Tech

Meeting Minutes

2011 Interest Meeting:

Almost 100 students attended this semester’s first Accounting Society meeting. Our excellent lineup of upcoming events was discussed by Nasser Mikdadi, the Society’s new president. Also involved in this first meeting were Scott Betterly (Vice President), Jennifer Wade (Treasurer), Steve Wernicki (Secretary) and Dr. Di Ross (Faculty Advisor). Over half of these students joined the Society as a result of the meeting, which concluded with Gumby’s Pizza for all.

KPMG Amazing Race:

Rather than giving a formal presentation this semester, KPMG hosted a scavenger hunt for members and friends of the Accounting Society and Beta Alpha Psi. Five teams of about 11 students each were given a clue to a location on campus, where a KPMG representative waited with a trivia question about accounting in general and KPMG in particular. Teams with correct answers were then provided with further clues to other locations and additional questions. This highly competitive and fun event concluded at Pamplin with prizes and Jimmy John's subs and cookies. The team hunt was an excellent change of pace and helped Society members get to know one another.

PwC Culinary Cook Off:

This event took place in Squires, with ten small kitchens set up in the Commonwealth Ballroom. Each station had its own professional chef who guided accounting major teams in preparing a chef-suggested dish from the array of provided ingredients. It was a race to the ingredients table, as each team located ingredients needed to work together to prepare their chosen dish in less than one exciting hour. Clearly, students enjoyed the challenge of this cooperative competition. Each finished dish was judged on taste, appearance, and how well it was marketed. During judging, teams got to enjoy their meals in comfort while they waited for winners to be announced. This event, in addition to a delicious meal, provided an opportunity to develop new skills and to network with PwC staff in a relaxed setting.

Ernst & Young Casino Night:

This event took place in a banquet room at The Inn at Virginia Tech. Casino night began with a brief networking session, along with refreshments. Then we were spoken to by a distinguished partner, Rob Arnall, who gave an informative presentation about how to handle yourself in a business manner, and how to succeed in the business world. Afterwards, there was an extended networking session that included an elaborate buffet, as well as casino games such as craps, blackjack, poker and roulette. It was a very relaxed setting that made it even easier to network with Ernst & Young employees.

Deloitte Panel and Networking Event:

The Deloitte group brought down a variety of empoyees, such as consultants, forensic accountants, and auditors. This was a joint event with the BIT club, since Deloitte actively seeks consultants. The panel was led by recruiter Beth Zellers, who got the students in attendance comfortable with the 6 employees. Questions answered included information about Deloitte University, the recruiting process, on the job training, internships, and lines of services. After the 30 minute discussion, there was a networking session as well as food from Jimmy John's.

Grant Thornton Event:

At our October 4, 2011 6:30 pm meeting, Grant recruiter Katherine Bosch introduced five other members of the firm participating in the session, including several VT alumni and a December 2011 graduate who recently interned at Grant. Duane Dobson, a director in Grant Thornton’s tax practice, gave members a brief overview of the firm, which is planning to double its revenue by 2015. We then learned more about effective networking, a set of skills that are valuable during both the job search process and during one’s career. Following supper, we quickly composed elevator speeches about ourselves and participated in a mock speed networking session outside Pamplin 1045, during which thirty Society members each spoke with three individuals in a row, each for three minutes. This lively experience then served as the basis for a discussion of challenges and rewards of short-term interactions. Both the content of the meeting and its interactive format were most appreciated by the Accounting Society.

DCAA Event:

On Tuesday, Oct. 18th in Pamplin 1045 at 7 p.m., Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) senior auditor Bebe Oh and branch manager Jeff Hetrick discussed their organization. Many Accounting Society members have interned there in the past, and about half of the employees in the regional DCAA office are VT alum.

In addition to the experience gained in internships and employment with DCAA, workload and benefits are appealing. Mandatory work weeks are limited to 40 hour weeks, although voluntary overtime is compensated accordingly. Salaries and raises follow governmental annual promotion schedules. Students can be offered full time employment without having to go through the federal application process once they have completed 320 DCAA internship hours (one
summer) if a 3.5 GPA is maintained. Otherwise, 640 internship hours (one summer and working during breaks, or two summers) would qualify for this streamlined hiring process.

Full time positions can be viewed and applied for using the US Government jobs web site (www.USAJOBS.gov). Our meeting concluded with pizza and the opportunity to network with DCAA representatives, including senior auditor Marie Godwin.

KPMG International Opportunities Event:

On Tuesday, 11/1/11, KPMG came to speak with the Accounting Society regarding their international work opportunities. The event took place in Pamplin 1045 at 7pm. It began with Sal's pizza, and some networking with the recruiter, Maria Anderson, along with some of the other employees from KPMG. Then, their presentation started. It was given by Daniel Atkinson. He spent 3 years working in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He spoke about how to go abroad to work, some of the difficulties he faced abroad, and how you know the time is right. After his presentation, Kaley Hanson, an intern from last summer, spoke about her international internship in London. Afterwards, the two opened it for questions. Following the Q&A, there was more time for students to network with the KPMG employees.

2012 Interest Meeting:
About 100 students attended this semester’s first Accounting Society meeting. Our excellent lineup of upcoming events was discussed by Scott Simmons, the Society’s new president. Also involved in this first meeting were Nasser Mikdadi, Kevin Righi (Vice Presidents), Jennifer Wade (Treasurer), Steve Wernicki (Secretary) and Lynn Almond (Faculty Advisor). Many of the students in attendance will be expected to join the accounting society. The meeting continued with a presentation from KPMG recruiter Maria Anderson. She discussed a wide variety of the opportunities KPMG has for ACIS students at Virginia Tech, including global opportunities, internship opportunities, full time opportunities and externship opportunities. The meeting concluded with food from Jimmy John's, and networking time with KPMG professionals.

EY Game Night

Ernst and Young held a Game Night was held on September 11th in the Inn at Virginia Tech. This was a fun filled event that began with a buffet of meatballs, fried chicken, and many other finger foods. Next, we were put into teams and played many different games, ranging from trivia, to coloring t-shirts, to physical activities like trying to land a frisbee in a hoop.

PwC Culinary Cook Off:

This event took place in Owens Banquet Hall on September 12, with nine small kitchens set up. Each station had its own professional chef who guided accounting major teams in preparing a chef-suggested dish from the array of provided ingredients. It was a race to the ingredients table, as each team located ingredients needed to work together to prepare their chosen dish in less than one exciting hour. Clearly, students enjoyed the challenge of this cooperative competition. Each finished dish was judged on taste, appearance, and how well it was marketed. During judging, teams got to enjoy their meals in comfort while they waited for winners to be announced. This event, in addition to a delicious meal, provided an opportunity to develop new skills and to network with PwC staff in a relaxed setting.

Deloitte Resume Workshop 9/18/2012

Keiter 10/09/2012

Becker 10/16/2012

BrownEdwards 10/23/2012

DCAA 11/06/2012

Grant Thornton 11/14/2012