Abstract
The accounting profession is facing a growing crisis as it seeks to attract entry-level accounting staff. In Tennessee – like many states – accounting graduates, the primary talent pool for entry-level staff, are in decline. In a recent two-article series, the Tennessee CPA Journal reviewed the staffing crisis and the declining trend in accounting enrollment at Tennessee universities. To address the staffing shortage, the accounting profession must quickly analyze the causes and adapt to meet the demands of today’s workforce. Proposed solutions include increasing salaries, revising CPA exam requirements, and improving internships. This article reports on one potential area of interest — accounting internships — and provides specific internship-related guidance for accounting firms and other employers who offer accounting internships. Accounting students were surveyed on key factors related to their accounting internship experience, including the number of internships completed, semester taken, employer type, internship pay rates, first-year salary expectation, and professional commitment. This descriptive information may be useful for firms who see internships as a primary means of recruiting the best and brightest accounting majors to their organizations.
Recommended Citation
Jobe, Mark; Chen, Han-Sheng; Galbreath, Susan Coomer; Binkley, Marcy R.; Jinnette, Allen; Lanciloti, Brandon; Miller, Karen C.; and Scarlata, Audrey
(2025)
"A Review of Internships in Tennessee Accounting Firms,"
Journal of Business, Industry, and Economics: Vol. 30, Article 2.
Available at:
https://roar.una.edu/jobie/vol30/iss1/2