Rockhurst Hosts Annual Meet the Firms

When 97.2 percent of surveyed alumni report they are employed or accepted into graduate school within six months of graduation, you know your university is doing something right. Rockhurst is proud of this statistic, with alumni working locally and across the globe.

“A large part of securing a job right out of college is having the right connections,” said Mike Theobald, director of RU’s Career Services. “Knowing this, we look for ways to connect students with the employers early on.”

Meet the Firms, held Tuesday, Sept. 2, on campus, is just one example of this effort.

Geared toward accounting and finance majors, this annual event brought more than 20 companies to campus, including: BKD, CBIZ/Mayer, Cerner, Cochran Head Vick & Co., Commerce Bank, Deloitte, DST Systems, Ernst & Young (EY), Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Grant Thornton, Hallmark, H&R Block, KPMG, MarksNelson, McGladrey, Miller Haviland Ketter, PwC, Rubin Brown, Sprint, State Street, UMB Bank, and Waddell & Reed.

“Meet the Firms is a great opportunity to get to know more about future potential employers through networking and becoming more comfortable in a professional environment,” said Madison Wisch, ’16, who is earning her degree in accounting.

"It gives you a sense of the possible avenues one may pursue before and after graduation, from internships to leadership programs to full-time positions," said Tyrone Blackmon, ’16, accounting major. "I was able to build my networking skills, make connections with individuals and businesses, and better position myself for the future."

Employers set up booths throughout the Rock Room as professionally dressed students stopped by those that interested them.

“The event provides accounting and finance students with the opportunity to connect face-to-face with employers and start the hiring process,” said Theobald. “Our students have found great success over the years with this program. Many company representatives are alumni coming back to campus to recruit new talent.”

To learn more about this and other opportunities available through RU’s Career Services — from career advising to internship connections to resume critiquing— visit rockhurst.edu/careers.