By Simon Eskow

Yes, you’ll still have a social life.” The reassuring statement drew a bit of suppressed laughter from some in a group of high school students. But Antonella Comella, a self-possessed fourth-year accounting major, interrupted them to convey the importance of balancing work and play in college.

“Whatever you do, stand out in college,” she told students. “We’re talking about your future here.”

For the motivated students who participated in a recent Career Day at the New York State Society of CPAs headquarters in midtown Manhattan, such advice was likely to be seen less as chastisement than as a fact of life. The students, drawn from a number of New York City high schools, are part of the Academy of Finance, a program that exposes teens to careers in the financial services industry.

Through sessions of mock interviews, discussions with accounting majors like Comella and tours of city firms, Career Day gave the students an even more in-depth perspective on a future as an accounting professional.

“I chose accounting because there are so many opportunities in the accounting world,” Comella said during her session. “You won’t have a hard time finding a job.”

Through the efforts of the Society’s Promoting CPA Careers Committee in conjunction with the Academy of Finance, 75 students gathered for a full-day glimpse at the opportunities and demands of being a CPA.

“We educate them on their options,” committee Vice Chair Barbara O’Connell said. “We try to show them what they can do.”

The day was split in two: the students broke up into four groups of 15 to 20 each, sitting through sessions with college students, CPAs in industry and academics who pulled volunteers to practice interviewing for an internship. Their afternoon was spent touring firms, where they learned about sponsorships and saw close up day-to-day operations.

Participating firms this year included Weiser LLP, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young.

“The firms have latitude in what they do,” committee Chair Alex B. Ampadu said. “They aren’t just wandering around, but they gain some experience.”

The annual Career Day is part of the Society’s overall drive to encourage high school students to enter the profession. The Society’s 17 chapters hold similar programs throughout the year, while Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession (COAP) program offers a more in-depth week-long program every summer, in conjunction with five accounting programs around the state.