Annual Summer Leadership Program Spotlights a Bright Future for Accounting
College students and new graduates joined us for an all-day look at both what to expect from the job market and how to spot a great opportunity.
That first summer after college graduation, the world may feel wide open. There’s a lot to celebrate, especially when you’ve earned your degree and can set out on your own.
We love meeting people at this point in their lives. That’s why SBF holds our annual Summer Leadership Program, now in its fifth year. On June 13, we brought new grads and accounting students from the University of South Florida and the University of Tampa into our newly renovated office in St. Petersburg for a day of talks with staff, conversations about what makes a good workplace and fun activities that reveal what life is really like at a non-Big Four firm.
Led by Joe Fullerton, our senior tax manager, and Jessica Espaillat, our chief people officer, participants got a firsthand look at where they might fit in the world of accounting. While teamwork, growth and client service are core to our mission at SBF — and, we believe, anywhere an early-career accountant might end up — we also emphasized the importance of balance in our work and our lives.
No matter what subfield or specialty attracts you, figuring out how to keep yourself fulfilled will, in turn, lead you to better performance for your clients.
After an office tour, we sat down to discuss career trajectories with all the SBF partners, plus principal, a nearly 20-year veteran of our tax department. Following a catered lunch, some current and former SBF interns (including some employees who started off as interns!) shared their experiences in the working world.
Speaker George Alexander attends the University of Tampa and works as an intern in our audit department. “Presenting at this year’s SLP was eye-opening, because I was able to verbalize my experience at SBF so far,” he said. “Doing that allowed me to realize how much I’ve learned while working here.”
SBF associate Joe Cottone made a strong case for pursuing opportunities at SBF — he attended our 2021 SLP before joining the audit department as an intern. “In those five months, I was able to gain more knowledge and experience than I could have asked for,” he said. “The audit managers here allowed me to work in multiple industries, in various types of engagements.” When he accepted a full-time job at SBF, he described the transition as “seamless,” speaking to how deeply interns at the firm integrate with real-world work and clients.
The job hunt was on every participant’s mind, no matter how close they were to graduation. One of the most perennially popular portions of our Summer Leadership Program is identifying personal strengths and how you can utilize those strengths in the workplace. We also held a resume-building exercise where we shared tips and methods for creating effective resumes.
During this session, the students broke out into groups to exchange comments and feedback on each other’s resumes, after which we discussed key takeaways as a group.
Staff and participants both capped off the day with a scavenger hunt, where students worked through clues directing them around the office to find and finish a puzzle. The winners received gold medals, but everyone present, from participants to SBF employees, benefitted from spending time with and learning from each other.
“I learned a lot from the SLP!” said current USF St. Petersburg student Emma. “It gave me more insight on how accounting can go beyond just audit and tax, especially on the responsibility of working in accounting, as well as how a healthy work environment drives work ethic.”
Emilia, who attends the University of Tampa, agreed. “This experience gave me a more in-depth understanding of accounting as a career,” she said. “I loved seeing how much SBF values their employees and how the firm gives back to the community. The program was so engaging, inspiring and informational. I am very appreciative of the chance to attend.”
