Most college graduates know that internships provide an advantage when pursuing their first post-college job. What they may not realize is just how beneficial this experience can be. Fifty percent of chief financial officers (CFOs) polled recently said, aside from functional knowledge, internships influence their hiring decision most when evaluating entry-level accounting and finance candidates. This response was cited more frequently than referrals (24 percent), college alma mater (8 percent) or grade point average (5 percent).

The survey was developed by Accountemps, the world's first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from more than 1,400 CFOs from a stratified random sample of U.S. companies with more than 20 employees.

CFOs were asked, "When evaluating an entry-level accounting or finance job candidate, aside from his or her functional knowledge, which of the following influences your decision most?" Their responses:

  Internship experience                                               50%
  Referral from trusted contact or employee                           24%
  College or university attended                                       8%
  Grade point average                                                  5%
  Extracurricular activities                                           2%
  Work experience/previous experience                                  1%
  Character (personality, work ethic, general attitude, etc.)          1%
  Other/don't know                                                     9%
                                                                     100%

"One of the biggest challenges new graduates face is a lack of professional experience," said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Human Resources Kit For Dummies(R), 2nd edition (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). "Students who complete one or more internships appeal to prospective employers because they often require less training and can begin contributing immediately in their roles."

Messmer noted, "In addition to the experience and knowledge gained by exposure to real-world business scenarios, internships showcase a student's level of initiative and engagement in his or her chosen career."

Accountemps has more than 350 offices throughout North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, and offers online job search services at www.accountemps.com .

Source: Accountemps