The Most Important Decision of My Young Life: Pursuing a Career as a Certified Public Accountant

As my high school career drew to a close in the spring of 1998, the urgency of developing a post-graduate strategy became increasingly evident. The immediate decisions concerned the college I was to attend and the focus of my studies. I knew that I wanted to remain pretty close to home and that I needed to study a field that would provide me with a rewarding job soon after graduation.

After researching some career possibilities, the idea of becoming a certified public accountant (CPA) kept surfacing. I think I was drawn to accounting because I knew my individual efforts would determine my success. Additionally, I felt the profession offers a high level of mobility, enabling me to climb the corporate ladder and witness first hand the results of my own diligent endeavors. This notion of advancement through individual efforts, as well as the rewarding challenge of team building, guided me toward an accounting career.

The CPA’s knowledge and experience—invaluable tools that enable him or her to tackle the ever-changing business world—also inspired me. I believe CPAs possess a diverse business background that is founded in an interdisciplinary approach, which includes training in the law, financial and managerial accounting, and taxation. This sort of well-rounded preparation can help accountants to fully explore the depths of the business realm.

Another factor in my career choice was the forecast for the job market. The shift from the industrial age to the computer age has increased the demand for CPAs. But even without this transition, CPAs would always remain central to the functioning of the business world. Audits will always need to be conducted and taxes continuously need to be filed. Similarly, accounting extends across national boundaries. I can travel from east to west, north to south, and know that an employment opportunity will be available.

Most importantly, as independent advisors, CPAs can influence the ethics of business entities. The values defined in those seemingly abstract philosophy classes I took have now manifested themselves as corporate responsibilities. The CPA title empowers an individual to endorse or reject the actions of an entity. In this manner, a public service takes place as investors and decision-makers both internally and externally look carefully at the evaluations given by the accountants. Because of my decision to become a CPA, the merit I place on personal integrity and passion for my career will reveal itself in my daily workplace interactions.