Name: Jim Serpa

Position: Assurance Associate

Company: Ernst & Young (EY)

Degree: B.S. Accounting ’23, Minor in Data Analytics

I completed my Audit Internship in 2022 and have accepted a full-time offer from the internship that starts in the Fall of 2023. I also interned at the Walt Disney Company as a Financial Analysis Intern at Disneyland in 2021. I’m majoring in Accounting and minoring in Data Analytics and will graduate in May 2023.

What excites you about this company/job?

What excites me about becoming an Assurance Associate is how much experience and skills I’ll learn. It’s a fast-paced industry where you’re constantly learning and improving. I couldn’t think of a better place to start my career than at Ernst & Young.

How did you strategize landing this internship/job?

I took full advantage of the resources offered at Chapman. I mainly worked with the great advisors at the business career center and worked with/joined networking clubs like the Accounting Society. I had no idea where to begin, but after using these Chapman resources, we were able to come up with a strategy and follow it all the way until I got those internship offers!

Do you have career advice for anyone looking for an internship/job in this market?

I would tell students to get involved with the business/professional clubs at Chapman and to not just show up but seek out leadership roles within those clubs. There’s a club for every industry where professionals and recruiters come to network with students. It’s the only time in our lives when we’ll have an opportunity like this, so take advantage of it.