#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Brett Braterman

As we kick off the year 2024, companies are already gearing up for the recruitment of interns in 2025. Many accounting and finance companies have opened 2025 internship applications due to the extreme competitiveness over the past few years.

According to The Wall Street Journal, “Companies in finance and accounting are now recruiting for interns nearly 18 months before college students would be expected to start. The investment bank Guggenheim Securities and the Royal Bank of Canada, in addition to accounting stalwarts Grant Thornton and PricewaterhouseCoopers among others, started advertising for 2025 summer internships this fall. Many summer 2024 internship slots are already filled, several companies say.”

Securing Top-Tier Talent

This proactive approach and urgency in recruiting interns months in advance is not just about competitiveness or filling positions, it’s a strategic move to secure top-tier talent and ensure a seamless integration into company culture. The Wall Street Journal  also mentioned, “The advanced timeline means that college students who may have taken just one business class are trying to prove their mettle in competitive application processes that can launch careers after graduation…Many applicants for 2025 are sophomores striving for a coveted internship after their junior year. The stints often lead to a full-time job offer before their senior year, career coaches say.” This forward-thinking approach enables organizations to align the skills and aspirations of future interns with their business objectives, creating a foundation for mutual growth.

The Wall Street Journal also highlighted one student’s experience as he said, “To find out I had to apply so early was really, really crazy for me,” said Brayden Dam, a sophomore studying accounting at the University of Florida. Dam, 19 years old, learned of the early timeline from a college adviser when he was a freshman. This fall, Dam applied to a few 2025 internships with accounting firms in Tampa, Fla. He was told that those offices were full and that he should try Orlando or Miami. “I thought I was getting in early,” he said. “But apparently I was even later than some people that had already filled up the slots.”

Compensating for the Dwindling Number of Accounting Majors

In recent years, there has been a noticeable decline in the number of students pursuing an accounting major. This is another reason for the early deadlines.  According to The Wall Street Journal, “PwC and other companies say that the early deadlines help them scoop up talent that could go to competitors. PwC posted its summer 2025 internships for areas including tax and consulting in September, the earliest the firm has ever advertised internship positions, said Rod Adams, who leads hiring for the U.S. and Mexico. One key reason: PwC is trying to compete for top talent amid a dwindling number of accounting majors.”