From College to the Real World: Start Early

When it comes to getting their toes into the waters of the real world, the sooner college students start, the better. Bentley College Sophomore Leadership Program is an example of an effort to facilitate the transition from student to professional, early on:

Mostly designed for students interested in accounting, finance, and information technology, a number of noteworthy employers like the Big Four accounting firms (Deloitte, Ernst &Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and KPMG) actively recruit the best and brightest students from all over the country to spend a couple days with them, acquiring leadership skills for success while also networking with firm employees.

Do these programs work?

Many students and recruiters say the difference can be these leadership programs which not only introduce you to a firm, but help you make networking connections that could potentially result in an internship offer at the end of the three days. Of course, not taking part or being accepted into a program does not mean that an internship with that firm isn't possible. However, it is just the little things like this that help you to stand out and get noticed.

Big Four accounting summer leadership programs inevitably pay off for sophomores [The Vanguard]