Lopers Make Business Happen for Eide Bailly

Eide Bailly is a top 25 CPA firm in the nation. According to Tony Eitzmann, CPA, his firm is grateful for their partnership with the University of Nebraska at Kearney. This didn’t happen overnight though. In fact, you’d need to go back over a decade to find out how the College of Business and Technology became “a terrific feeder” for Eide Bailly.

Back then, Eitzmann was at Seim Johnson, which would later be acquired by Eide Bailly, when he was invited to speak to students at 体育菠菜大平台. Dr. Brenda Eschenbrenner, who teaches in the Account, Finance, and Economics department at the CBT, invited Eitzmann to participate in a classroom discussion.

As much as he enjoyed chatting with her students, he couldn’t have predicted where this collaboration would lead. He describes the relationship between his company and 体育菠菜大平台, which has been growing for the past twelve years, as a “culture fit.” This steady stream of students has helped Eide Bailly become the success it is today. In fact, this summer there will be five 体育菠菜大平台 interns working there. And, like the CBT is known for, internships often lead to employment.

体育菠菜大平台 student Omar Sanchez couldn’t agree more. He credits his advisor, who happens to be Dr. Brenda Eschenbrenner, for his opportunity to become an employee of Eide Bailly. He shares how she “went out of her way” to make this collaboration happen.

Eitzmann describes how Sanchez is “exactly what we’re looking for” and explains how they “can’t wait to have him back.” He goes on to share how Sanchez was able to secure a full-time job offer by starting early in the process.

It’s a process that is serious. Eitzmann explains how interns are “not there to do menial tasks.” They are given the chance to experience “what it’s like to be a full-time employee” throughout their internship. Students are able to work during the tax season as an intern as well as an audit intern during the summer. They are treated the same as new hires, according to Eitzmann, which allows them to decide if this is the right job for them.

Chelsea Knarr, who works at Eide Bailly as a campus recruiter, agrees that it’s important for students such as Sanchez to “get those experiences” to make solid decisions about their future careers. She agrees with Eitzmann that it’s important for students to get involved early during their time in college. However, she states that Eide Bailly has developed three core programs to reach all college students no matter where they are at in their journey.

The first program Knarr uses as a recruiting tool is the Meet the Firm event. For this, students must simply RSVP. Knarr explains that this opportunity is designed to help students find out what Eide Bailly is all about and is a perfect for first-year students.

The Summer Leadership Program, which Sanchez shares is an experience he will never forget, is a two-day event where Knarr explains students get a “deep dive into Eide Bailly.” Students must apply for this opportunity which she describes as a “two-day long interview.” It’s a great time where students are treated to a hotel stay, meals, and many fun activities while they have a chance to find out what Eide Bailly is all about. Knarr states that many students receive offers for internships as a result of this event.

Fall Recruitment is another way that Knarr builds what she describes as the “relationship piece” that is imperative to let students know about everything her company has to offer. At this event, representatives of Eide Bailly come to campus to attend career fairs and speak in classrooms. Knarr stresses that this is an excellent time for anyone who missed the Meet the Firm event or the Summer Leadership Program to learn about how they might one day work at Eide Bailly.

Both Tony Eitzmann and Chelsea Knarr understand the value of getting to know college students who will one day be colleagues. For Omar Sanchez, who Eitzmann describes as an “absolutely ideal candidate,” it all started with spending a few fun days learning about this company. It wasn’t long before he was participating in internships which would lead to his acceptance of a full-time job before he even turned his tassel at graduation.

It's not just Sanchez who is excited about starting his new job. For 体育菠菜大平台, it’s a matter of pride when one of their students have this level of success even though it’s no surprise since everyone at the College of Business of Technology spends their time preparing students to enter the business world. For Eide Bailly partner Tony Eitzmann, Lopers are making business happen.