Internship and Recruiting FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions:

The purpose of this web page is to provide some information on a variety of topics that may be of concern to students entering the interview process for either internship or full time positions.  If you have questions that are not addressed here, please feel free to contact Mr. Rose (jmrose4@kent.edu) and you may see your question (and answer) here in the future!

GPA?:  When I look at the individual employer requirements on the Career Services site they ask for a GPA. Is this my Overall GPA or Major GPA?

Answer: Major GPA.  For purposes of Meet the Accountants Night and completing the Student Information Form in the, which must be uploaded to the Career Services Experience Job & Internship Board, major GPA will include ACCT 23020 and 23021.

If there is an employer that you would like to pre-select with, but cannot because your Major GPA isn’t high enough, you should make it a point to speak with that employer at Meet the Accountants Night. Keep in mind that doing so is not a guarantee that you’ll be granted an invitation for an interview, but at least you can speak with the employer face to face and talk with them a little bit about your situation. You may or may not have a “circumstance” to explain regarding your Major GPA, but it will be helpful for you to express your interest in the employer and their position, even if your Major GPA does not meet their requirement. If they see potential in you – because you have researched their organization, you have a power greeting prepared, you are professionally dressed, etc. – then you could get an interview out of it.  You never know, but you need to shoot for it and see what happens.

Student Contact Information?:   Which contact information should I use on my resume and application forms?

Answer:  Remember that you are seeking a position as an accounting professional.  Thus, your contact information should reflect your professionalism.  Use your Kent State e-mail address (you can easily forward your mail from your KSU address to another service, but make sure that when you reply to any communication from a potential employer that you use your Kent address).  Although you may have been able to use your high school e-mail address (i.e., sungoddess22 or manofsteel16) so far at Kent, it is now time to work on your professional image!  Likewise, your contact phone number should have voice mail capability, AND, make sure that the message on your voice mail is also professional!  Think, in advance, about the impression that you want to make on your potential employer.  Don’t forget to remove any potentially embarrassing information or pictures from any websites (if you wouldn’t want your grandmother to see what you have posted, you certainly don’t want your potential employer to see it!!).  Finally, use the street address where you will most likely be able to receive mail quickly.  For most of you, that will be your campus address unless you are a commuter.

Type of Position?:   Should I be interviewing for an internship or a full time position?

Answer:  If you are a senior or a masters’ student, this can be a very difficult question. The State of Ohio requires that a candidate have 150 semester credit hours to take the CPA exam. Some public accounting firms and corporations are only concerned with a student taking 150 credit hours while others want their employees to have a masters’ degree to fulfill the 150 hour requirement. Since employers would normally interview in Fall for full time positions starting in following year (typically January or August/September time frame), if you will either complete your 150 credit hour requirements or your masters’ degree by the end of the Summer, you should probably be interviewing for a full time position in the Fall rather than an internship. However, if there are no open full time positions, you may want to consider another internship, as it could lead to a full time position.  If you are in this situation and are uncertain about what to do, you are strongly encouraged to talk to Mr. Rose.  Employers will indicate which type of candidates they are looking for.

Selecting Employers?:   How many employers should I “preselect” for the formal fall recruiting event conducted by Careers Services and the Department of Accounting?

Answer:  Yes!  Many employers “invite” more students to sign up than the number of interview slots they have set up. Usually, these employers will NOT open additional schedules to accommodate students who get shut out of interview slots. Be ready to access the system at 10:00 PM on Monday, October 1, 2012 if you have been invited to sign up for an interview.

Interview Time Slots?:  An employer has “invited” me to sign up for an interview.  Do I really need to sign up for an interview at exactly 10:00 PM on Monday, October 1, 2012?

Answer:  Yes!  Many employers “invite” more students to sign up than the number of interview slots they have set up. Usually, these employers will NOT open additional schedules to accommodate students who get shut out of interview slots. Be ready to access the system at 10:00 PM on Monday, October 1, 2012 if you have been invited to sign up for an interview.

Interview Time Conflicts with Class?:   I have been “invited” to sign up for an interview, but the only open interview slots are during my class times.  What should I do?

Answer:  Obviously, this is your call. However, if this is a position that you really want, sign up for the interview and then talk with your instructor about missing the class. If you are missing an accounting class, most accounting instructors are very understanding. Remember that if you don’t sign up for the interview, you probably will not get the internship.

Number of Interviews?:   I have been “invited” to sign up for interviews with 15 employers. Should I interview with all of them?

Answer:  Interviewing is an exhausting process. If you try to interview with all of those firms and companies, you can’t possibly spend the amount of time preparing for each of the interviews that you should. Research the companies and only interview with those that you think that you would actually like to work in. Also, remember that you still need to go to class and maintain that high GPA!  If you need help with an issue like this, please feel free to contact Mr. Rose, Career Services, or any of your accounting instructors.


Mock Interview?:   I have signed up for an interview, and I am very busy. Do I REALLY need to do a Mock Interview?

Answer:  We STRONGLY suggest that you go through a Mock Interview. I have never met anyone who didn’t need to practice their interviewing skills.

Mock Interview Dress?:   Okay, I signed up for a Mock Interview. Do I need to dress professionally?

Answer:  Absolutely. The Mock Interview is a practice interview, and a big part of the interview is your personal appearance.  Business professionals donate their time to interview students and they expect that the students are taking it seriously and want to learn from this process.

Professional Attire?:   What is “professional attire?”

Answer:  Refer to the section of this website devoted to professional attire (link on the left). If you have questions, ask Mr. Rose, Career Services, or your accounting instructor.