“Firm Night” turns 18, welcomes more than 2 dozen companies to campus

It’s official: Firm Night is now old enough to vote.

The annual job fair presented by the Davis College of Business and Economics was held again on Sept. 5, marking its 18th anniversary.

It’s an event that mixes visiting employers together with students in Radford’s accounting, economics, finance and information systems programs.

As in 2023, representatives from about 25 firms came to campus, but this year, they met a larger crowd of hopefuls – 80 Highlanders turned out, an increase of more than 30%.

Other new aspects stood out as well: The campus’ full schedule prompted Firm Night to be held at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, but it likely will return to its usual spot in Kyle Hall next year; business graduates were, for the first time, invited to attend as alums; and the jurisdictional range of firms expanded as well.

“We had a greater geographic reach this year,” said Assistant Professor of Accounting Rob Warren, one of the faculty organizers. “We had a new CPA firm from Abingdon, Virginia, and also one from Gaithersburg, Maryland. 

“That is about a 400-mile footprint.”

He also praised members of Beta Alpha Psi, the international honor society for accounting, finance, and information systems majors, for their volunteer efforts: “They staffed the check-in desk, assisted with the setup and take down, directed traffic in the parking lot and helped the recruiters carry boxes to their cars.

“I was also happy to see so many alums come back to staff tables with their firms,” he added. “I think between 25 and 50% of the firms had alums at the table.”

Among the alums who attended as recruiters was Todd Swisher ’94, now a partner at PBMares accounting firm in Richmond. 

One reason he attends Firm Night, Swisher said, is because it coincides with PBMares’ intern recruitment period. His company began accepting applications on Oct. 1.

“By the middle of November … we have our intern class hired and ready to go for the next summer,” Swisher said, adding that interns can eventually turn into seasoned employees. 

“It’s critical for us to keep a pipeline of staff coming through because going out to market to find that 2-to-7-year experience level is very difficult,” he explained. “Cultivating those positions from within and training them is becoming a very strong focus.” 

Swisher’s advice to those who come to the event seeking internships and new jobs?

“Know the list of companies that are attending and do some targeted research of the places that you would be interested in,” he said. “And approach them with intent.” 

One student attendee was new to both Firm Night and the campus as well – first-semester freshman accounting major Ryan Lowe of Charlotte, North Carolina, who’s exactly the same age as the job fair itself and who is still some distance from entering the job market. 

“I wanted to put myself out there just to get the feeling of it,” he said of his decision to attend early in his academic career. “I’m always down for a challenge, and I wanted to get the experience.” 

Lowe drew more than just exposure – he said a conversation with a representative from a North Carolina accounting firm led to an internship invitation for next summer. 

In preparation for the job fair, Lowe’s mother, Kim Loney, drove up to Radford beforehand to bring her son his favorite tan suit. 

“It could be a birthday party or a dinner or a meeting, but I’m always going to dress up,” he explained. “I might be a little overdressed when I get there, but personally, I never want to be that one person who’s underdressed. I never want to stand out like that.” 

Lowe wasn’t alone amid this year’s crop of Highlander hopefuls. 

“I had a number of firms who told me that they were greatly impressed by the communication skills shown by our students,” said Associate Professor of Accounting Mike Chatham, another organizer.

“And I had a number of students who told me that they thought that they ‘met their match’ on Firm Night.”