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Professor
Bob McParland assists Arthur Anderson recruits in finding new work
By Andrea Flood 03’
Imagine: You’ve entered your senior year of college,
and shortly into your fall semester you are offered a placement with one
of the nation’s top accounting firms. While your classmates perfect
their resumes and polish their interviewing skills, you can enjoy the
remainder of your college experience without engaging in a tedious job
search. You’re coasting along the road to success when suddenly,
only months prior to graduation, your future employer rescinds your offer.
While this might sound like a college senior’s worst nightmare,
it mirrors the course of events that befell 24 Villanova students last
spring. These students had all accepted offers from Arthur Anderson, one
of the nation’s Big 5 Accounting Firms. However, once the company
faced charges of corporate fraud following the Enron collapse, each of
these agreements was revoked. Where were these now unemployed seniors
to turn?
Enter Professor Bob McParland.
Prior to becoming an adjunct professor at Villanova last fall, McParland
had worked for many years in the accounting world and maintained a curiosity
about pending crises and events relating to the field. The Anderson crisis
sparked his interests during its investigation in the fall, particularly
since some of his students had already accepted offers from the company.
“In December I started getting back with a lot of people inside
the industry…they were saying things really don’t look good
for Anderson and there really could be a problem,” he said.
McParland’s associates were correct, and by the end of March, all
24 students’ offers from Anderson were rescinded. After meeting
with the students and a number of Anderson representatives, the accounting
department began proposals to assist these beleaguered students. Dr. James
Borden, head of the accountancy department requested that McParland take
the initiative to coordinate a placement effort for these students.
In the months that followed, McParland devoted countless hours in helping
these students locate new job opportunities. “I started working
with them all to make sure they kept their resumes updated, keeping them
on track and getting them set up for interviews,” he explained.
McParland also maintained correspondence with his contacts in the accounting
industry, listening for potential openings and job prospects for the students.
During the months of March and April, McParland put his own career at
TL Ventures on hold in order to work full-time assisting these students.
His efforts proved successful and all 24 students were eventually placed
in new positions. Students received offers from firms such as Grant Thorton,
PriceWaterhouseCoopers, KPMG and even the Royal Bank of Canada.
While McParland’s efforts in helping the displaced Arthur Anderson
recruits have passed, he continues to assist his students find post-graduation
employment. “They still come in this semester and I am doing the
same thing…I’ve volunteered to sit down with any of them and
work though their resumes and teach them how to look for a job, how to
work on their interview skills and hopefully open any doors that I can
for them,” he said.
McParland continues to teach Cost Accounting at the University and has
also returned to his position at TL Ventures, a local venture capital
firm.
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