KU graduate finds successful path shaped by internships and networking
Eddie Cubit thought he would work in sales after graduating from the KU School of Business after working a sales position selling insurance for State Farm in high school and college.
Cubit’s mom is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and pushed him to study accounting because it is the “language of business.” After a few semesters of his undergraduate experience, he enjoyed his accounting courses and decided to stick with it. Now, Cubit is an associate at KPMG in Chicago in its deal advisory and strategy practice, specifically doing financial due diligence (FDD).
Originally from Crystal Lake, Illinois, Cubit chose KU as a way to branch out and try something new. He visited the campus with a high school friend whose older sister attended, and she gave them an official tour. After touring the School of Business, Cubit says choosing KU was the best decision he had ever made.
After completing his undergraduate degree in 2022 and the Master of Accounting program (MAcc) in 2023, Cubit said he’s grateful he studied accounting because he learned how a business handles its money. His coursework allowed him to see several case studies across industries and see how different businesses operate. He learned the requirements of being a CPA and all the responsibilities of holding the license.
During his time at KU, he interned at KPMG the summer after graduating with his bachelor’s degree before returning for the MAcc. This influenced the start of his career at KPMG the following year. He could try the job before committing and meet the people he would be working with.
“My career search was rather streamlined and structured due to KU’s accounting program help,” Cubit said. “They regularly had the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms [Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG] come to the business school where you could network with the recruiters and figure out which firm was the best fit.”
In his position, Cubit gets an inside look at merger and acquisition strategies by companies active in space, something he feels is the most rewarding part of his career. He works on deals being made, sometimes by big notable companies, and he can see their business strategy before they release any news to the public.
“This job of financial due diligence allows me to be on the team dissecting the business being bought and sold and see how they operate,” Cubit said. “I enjoy picking apart different businesses to see how they make their money and if they are a good investment for a company.”
Transitioning from student life to a full-time career is not an easy task. Cubit finds time management the most difficult part of joining the workforce and wishes he knew the power of networking before starting his career and the opportunities it unlocks. He also found that knowing industry professionals and building relationships to be crucial. He recognizes the ability to communicate and work with others and technical accounting knowledge to be useful skills.
“About 80 percent of my work is done in Excel, and being able to work efficiently in Excel helps you,” Cubit said. “Every deal I am on, I work with a team of other KPMG professionals and have to communicate with them in order to help complete the tasks at hand every day.”
For students looking for advice on searching for a career, Cubit recommends to start looking and networking early as it takes time to find a job out of college.
“Use your title of ‘student’ to talk to as many working professionals as possible in careers you are interested in so you can decide on what is most interesting to you before committing to jobs and internships,” Cubit said.
To learn more about our Master of Accounting program and find out how to apply, visit business.ku.edu/graduate-programs/master-of-accounting.
Both the KU School of Business and its accounting program hold AACSB accreditation, a distinction held by only 194 institutions.
By Grace Ludes
