С����Ƶ

Originally drawn to С����Ƶ because of the reputation of its accounting program, Dana Kaplan '14 and Clarissa Beck '14 are two of the many accounting majors that are preparing to receive their diplomas with full-time job offers in hand. In the fall, Dana Kaplan '14 will start at EisnerAmper, one of the country’s leading full-service advisory and accounting firms, and Clarissa Beck '14 will start at Deloitte, one of the “Big Four” audit firms in the United States. 

"The University has by far exceeded my expectations," Beck says. "If it wasn't for Rider, I wouldn’t have my full-time job starting in the fall." 

Because Rider's accounting program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business — a mark of distinction held by less than five percent of programs worldwide — many employers actively seek to hire the University’s students.  

“Rider is dedicated to ensuring that its students learn and offering them as many opportunities as possible,” says Beck, who’s already passed two of the four parts of the Certified Public Accountant exam. As an undergraduate, she co-oped with Rothstein Kass her junior year and interned with KPMG her senior year while also mentoring with Deloitte. 

Both students praise the University’s efforts to prepare them for real-world experience. “Rider has provided me countless opportunities to succeed by hosting many networking events with multiple companies and firms in the area,” says Kaplan, who was also a student worker for the Accounting Department. 

As an undergraduate, Beck took advantage of the Career Services office to conduct mock interviews and even learn proper dining etiquette in a professional setting. “These experiences helped prepare me for my co-ops and internships and eventually for my actual career interviews,” she says. 

While interning at EisnerAmper, which she calls her “best experience” at Rider, Kaplan also took professional development classes that taught her soft skills of interpersonal communication and emotional intelligence that play an underappreciated role in career success. “This is something that’s not taught at every school and really sets Rider apart,” Kaplan says. 

Beck maintained a full-course load and internship while serving as the accounting department’s graduate assistant, which helped her pay for her degree. “Rider is dedicated to ensuring that its students learn and offering them as many opportunities as possible,” she says. 

Kaplan, who became president as a senior of Rider’s Accounting Society after participating in it for two years, also touts the attention she received from professors in a small-class setting, singling out department head Dr. Marge O’Reilly-Allen. “I was impressed with how much the professors made themselves available to students,” she says. “The entire accounting department were always available to meet if I needed help with a class, planning my schedule or wanted professional advice.” 

Both students agree that becoming active in organizations and working hard played a major role in their success. “I would tell an incoming student to become as involved as possible on campus, Kaplan says. “Whether it’s academic organizations or student organizations, put yourself out there. You never know where you will make a connection or be given the opportunity to be a leader.”

Beck says, “Professors love to see that students are dedicated to their learning and going that extra step to ask them for help really makes all the difference — not only in your education but in your life.”