It’s never too early to start job hunting, and several Simpson College seniors already have full-time jobs lined up following college.

After their May 2013 graduation, Michael Kern, Michael Schwery and Mikayla Struebing will begin as audit associates KPMG LLP in Des Moines. KPMG LLP is an international audit, tax and advisory firm and is considered one of the “Big Four” accounting firms in the world.

“As an audit associate I will be going to different clients, making sure that their financial statements are correct and that they’re following the rules and regulations of the accounting standard,” Struebing said.

Aside from being accounting majors and having related minors, these students said several other factors helped them secure their positions.

“I think one of the biggest things that can help someone to succeed and find that job is networking,” Kern said. “I got my internship by talking with a professor who introduced me to their summer leadership program. I went there to meet their employees, get introduced to their firm and learn what they’re all about.”

Kern and Schwery both worked as interns at KPMG during the 2011-2012 school year. Struebing did not previously intern at KPMG but says her prior experience in the tax accounting department at Meredith Corporation helped her resume stand out.

Aside from prior experience on their resumes, these students said listing involvement in the Simpson College Accounting club and other campus organizations demonstrated their time management abilities.

“I also maintained an attitude where I was ready to work and had no problem doing whatever they asked me to do,” Kern said. “I asked lots of questions to show that I was eager and ready to learn.”

According to Jennifer del Pino, Director of Career Services, these students are on the right track.

“Starting in the freshman year, students need to prepare and consistently, it’s a constant process,” del Pino said. “An internship is the one single factor that, all other things being equal, will help you stand out among applicants.”

She recommends that students don’t waste any time in the job search process.

“It takes a job seeker an average of 6-8 months to find a job, according to CNN Money & CareerBuilder.com,” del Pino said. “If you apply that statistic to the college senior, the job search should begin at the beginning of the senior year.”

Getting that job early could ease pressures on a senior student that no longer has to worry about constantly filling out applications and attending interviews.

“It is really, really stress relieving knowing that I have a job waiting for me after I graduate,” Kern said.