Career Preparation Workshop Response
Accountants are extremely essential in any organization, whether public or private, because they review and analyze matters concerning finance, as well as offer advice during drafting of strategies. After attending a Career Preparation Workshop, I would like to share an advice on career in accounting with you to enhance your chances in this field. Having good grades is fundamental in starting a career in accounting, but going for an internship is equally fundamental to enhance student’s capacity to secure an opportunity in a competitive job market. Internship proves that the candidate has gained work experience on top of educational experience.
According to Mr. Andrew Pyre, a former student in accounting, students should undertake internship, before concluding their course in accounting, as internship is vital in gaining practical experience in accounting practices. In addition, internship enables students to gain helpful insight on whether or not they are in the right career. Students can go for internship during their junior years. However, students who did not manage to go for internship at this stage should not worry, as they can still do so during their senior years. Students can secure internships by searching for the companies they would prefer to work for, or ask their course directors for references.
Another essential piece of advice that Pyre offered during the workshop was about Certified Public Accountant (CPA) accreditation. Accounting students are required to be keen on core courses that they should cover to facilitate CPA accreditation. In addition to this, Pyre emphasized that students should have one year of experience, or at least 2,000 hours of part-time experience, from a recognized employer in order to obtain a CPA certificate. The experience should cover on accounting, management advisory, taxation, financial advisory, and consultation skills, among others. I would like to caution students against being selective on the choice of companies to work for, as working in small or big company does limit one from attaining career goals.