Brandon Hardy

Ever since I was in middle school, I knew I wanted to go into the accounting profession. In the sixth grade I completed my first career project and chose to present it with a focus on accounting. I read books on accounting and learned that it was the language of business. I always knew that with my personality, business would be the right field for me.

The summer of my junior year in high school I applied for two accounting programs, one at Emory University and another at the University of Georgia. Through these two programs I was able to get a taste of what accounting was like by taking beginning level accounting courses. I was exposed to some high-level networking and had the opportunity to meet associates from the Big Four (EY, PWC, Deloitte, and KPMG). After a couple visits to these offices, it reaffirmed what I already knew: Accounting was the profession I wanted to pursue.

Opportunities to Get Involved with Practical Applications of Business

Upon arriving to Notre Dame, accounting opportunities were limitless. I was connected with SIBC (Student International Business Council) within the first three weeks of the semester. Through SIBC, I was able to compete in a case competition with KPMG. This experience taught me a lot about financial accounting and how to effectively present a PowerPoint to businesses. More opportunities to get involved began to arise, such as campus visits by the big four. I took advantage of those visits by always attending and actively participating. I reached out to the recruiters for more opportunities and KPMG gave me an interview.

Importance of Networks and Landing Internships

The NDIGI played a huge role in me getting the internship with KPMG. First semester, I participated in the Chicago Quantitative Alliance competition. Through this competition, I was partnered with a mentor that worked in the finance field to help with our portfolio. I learned how to value a company and how to effectively run an investment portfolio of both long and short stocks. Through NDIGI, I am able to learn more about finance to see if I have any interest in potentially broadening my career options in the future.