Abdo Accelerate: Investing in people and our future

by Keith Wrage

Abdo Accelerate is our invite-only summer program providing talented college students the chance to learn about our firm, get a behind-the-scenes look at a public accounting career, and forge connections. Now in its eleventh year, Abdo Accelerate has evolved into a summer-long experience that officially kicked off in early May.

Here’s a quick look at what students have experienced to date and what they can expect in the coming months.

An insightful experience built around our firm’s core values

When we decided to “deconstruct” what was previously a two-day intensive experience and spread it out over five events throughout the summer, we first looked to our firm’s core values: relationships, teamwork, and growth and development.

At Abdo, these aren’t simply words on a plaque in the lobby or on pages in a dusty binder; they’re what we live day in and day out. We wanted Abdo Accelerate to showcase these first and foremost.

To achieve this, we built each event around one of our values with the help of more than 25 Abdo staff members and partners. Then, we invited more than 40 students to attend.

“A Day in the Life” at Abdo – May 10 and 17 (Growth and Development)

The goal of our “A Day in the Life” event was to allow students to learn about Abdo and the world of public accounting. We actually hosted two: one on May 10 at our Mankato office, and one on May 17 at our Edina office.

During these events, students had the opportunity to take office tours, attend an employee panel, participate in a roundtable discussion with partners, and hear from professionals in practice areas within the firm

The employee panel included staff members across all levels who shared insights into internships, the CPA exam, choosing between tax and audit, and what it’s like to work in the field. Partner roundtables gave students the chance to sit down in small groups and pick partners’ brains about all things public accounting,  get to know them, and hear about their career paths. Students also enjoyed some fun icebreakers as well as a delicious lunch.

Family Social Event – June 28 (Relationships)

This fun, firm-wide family social event is held at Canterbury Park in Shakopee. It’s one of our favorite events of the year: a summer evening where everyone in the firm brings their families to enjoy good food and horse-betting fun. For our Abdo Accelerate students, it’s a chance to get to know our staff members and firm culture firsthand.

Twins Outing – July 26 (Relationships)

Another fun social event on the Accelerate agenda is our annual Twins outing at the end of July. Each year, we close our offices and staff members gather at Target Field for tailgating, a friendly cornhole tournament, and lots of socializing while we cheer on our hometown team.

Like at the Canterbury event, students who attend will get a chance to relax and converse with staff members, giving them an even clearer picture of who we are.

Volunteering for Habitat for Humanity – August 10 (Teamwork)

The final event on our 2023 Abdo Accelerate agenda is a day of volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. We chose this event not only to showcase the importance of giving back as a firm but also to give students the chance to work as part of an Abdo team. We’re anticipating an incredibly valuable experience!

A meaningful investment

We’ve always looked at Abdo Accelerate as an investment into not only people—students who are trying to figure out their path through public accounting—but also our firm. We want to recruit and attract talented individuals who share our core values and will thrive within our firm. This year is positioned to be our most impactful yet.

If you’re an accounting or finance major and are interested in attending 2024 Abdo Accelerate or applying for an internship or other job opportunity, check out our careers page. We’d love to hear from you!