Student recruitment campaign this year includes new activities to retain current, gain new future CPAs.

• Author: Sanders, Bea

"Start Here. Go Places.," the profession's five-year student recruitment initiative, has been moving forward with positive momentum since its launch in Dec. 2001. We would like to share with you plans for the upcoming year, which build on activities from last year and use research results for guidance going forward.

During Year 3, the campaign matured to better address the needs of students already involved with the program and to move them closer to pursuing accounting and later CPA certification. Students were surrounded in their daily activities with posters, ads, direct mail, e-mail, bookmarks, search engine and online marketing, advertising through various relevant partners, and new e-newsletters. All of these materials drove students online to www.startheregoplaces.com to engage in business and accounting content relevant to them, to compete in business simulation games, and to participate in contests and promotions. These communications tools are being continued during Year 4.

Also in the past year, www.startheregoplaces.com was enhanced to continue building on the students' interest in the program. Many new and exciting features were added, including: a personal site assistant that customizes content to the students' individual profiles; job search resources that include, in addition to Robert Half and CPA2Biz.com, custom searches powered by Monster.com; information regarding the new computerized CPA exam; myriad student business articles on topics ranging from ethics and etiquette to the CPA credential becoming the new essential credential for chief financial officers; a resource center with special offers and student discounts; engaging promotions, games and contests; and a career personality test (that recommends a career in business and accounting).

In Oct., the online forensic accounting game, Catch Me If You Can, will continue with new crimes to solve. The first version of Catch Me If You Can, which attracted more than 10,000 individual students, is posted on www.aicpa.org/members/div/career/edu/index.htm for use by educators in the classroom.

A new online seminar series of 10 interactive lessons, Money Means Business, is teaching high school juniors and seniors how various business executives and managers in numerous business arenas use money management skills to perform their jobs effectively. This new game is being promoted to high school students and 30,000 teachers nationwide with a...