Every year, graduate students across the country compete for the honor of being named a post-graduate technical assistant at the Financial Accounting Standards Board. And the chance to breathe very rarified air. Annually, only 15 to 20 applicants make the cut at the prestigious standard-setting body, making it one of the single most competitive jobs any accounting student can go obtain. And this year, one of them will be wearing orange and blue
Jake Kanter spent his entire academic career at Gies College of Business, earning a bachelor’s in accounting in 2025 and returning this past fall to complete a masters and wrap up his CPA. In between, he gained valuable experience in the field, completing a three-month internship in auditing and assurance at Deloitte.
Earlier this month, Kanter received word that he had earned the post-graduate position at FASB, completing an arduous application process. To even be considered for the nod, students must be nominated by their school. After that, candidates travel to FASB headquarters in Norwalk, Connecticut, for a grueling day of technical interviews.
“It’s probably the most intense interview an accounting student can experience,” says Cassie Mongold, assistant professor of accounting, who saw a lot of potential in Kanter and encouraged him to apply.
“Rather than just testing a student’s technical ability, interviewers ask questions that test their ability to critically reason and account for situations where there are no explicit rules,” said Mongold. “It really stretches their ability to take what they've learned in the classroom, synthesize it into overarching concepts, and apply those concepts in ambiguous settings.”
“It was a little intimidating,” said Kanter, who spent a month and half preparing for the challenge. That investment paid off, and now Kanter will soon be joining an elite group of graduate students who will work on major agenda projects and various short-term practice and implementation issues at FASB.
It’s a full circle moment for Kanter, who, until recently, only studied FASB guidelines in the classroom. “Now I’ll get the chance, not only to see where all of this came from, but also to contribute and maybe make some changes myself,” said Kanter.
Oddly enough, it wasn’t a love of numbers that drew Kanter to accounting, but rather a passion for history and his analytical skills. “I love to look at an event that’s happening today, and say what caused that? What were some of the drawbacks and what can we do to change things in the future?” That analytic bent should prove useful at FASB, where decisions are made daily that will impact American companies for years to come.
“Jake is exactly the type of student this program is made for” said Mongold,” someone who is not only technically strong, but also able to think critically about what should be rather than just what is. This program is an incredible and rare opportunity, and Jake's selection reflects the widely held belief among his professors here at Gies that he is an exceptional student!”
That show of support is not surprising to Kanter, who said he always felt encouraged by Gies faculty, who gave him both the skills and confidence to take on big challenges like the that now lies before him.
“I think what really makes the difference is the Gies community and how everyone is there for you,” said Kanter, “That’s allowed me to thrive, becoming the student I wanted to be and the professional I want to become.