GEN NEXT: Finding the ‘Right’ Career Path
With so many career options to explore as a CPA, the only “right” way to map out one’s future is to be willing to rechart it with each step forward.
By Faye Zhang, CPA | Spring 2023
I guess I can say becoming an accountant is a family
tradition: My grandfather started his apprenticeship as a bookkeeper
and my mother was a corporate controller. So, when I took an
introduction to accountancy class in high school and wasn’t bored
by the coursework, accounting unsurprisingly felt like a natural path
for me to pursue in college. What is surprising, though, is where I
ended up.
With every member of my family working in corporate finance,
public accounting was never on my radar until I walked into the
University of Illinois’ business school atrium and realized how much
it dominated the conversations. Within just a few months of starting
school, a new career path emerged, and I became dead set on
the plans I had laid out: get my master’s degree through the
fifth-year program, get my CPA, join a tax firm, and start my own
practice someday.
As it turns out, I’m terrible at tax. In fact, it would probably blow the
mind of anyone who’s worked with me to hear that tax was part of
my original career plan. From memorizing tax codes to reviewing
tax provisions, I enjoyed none of it. I fortunately found this out not
through taking tax courses but through an audit and tax rotation I
had accepted during a spring internship.
Between filing 1040s and preparing audit workpapers, I quickly
learned that I significantly preferred audit over tax. This was quite
shocking to me; having been so set on forging a career in tax, the
notion I wouldn’t enjoy it never occurred to me. As the end of my
internship approached, I was formally offered a full-time position
and was asked if I’d like to stay within audit or tax. Impulsively, I
answered based not on my well-worn plan from the past four years
but based on what I enjoyed more—audit.
Once I started as an auditor, I mapped out new career plans like
most of my peers: work a few years in public accounting to
accumulate experience and then join the private sector. But I also
decided to be more open to new opportunities this time around.
When I reached the senior staff level with the firm, I was given an
opportunity to work in one of the smaller, newer offices for two
years. It was a chance for me to live in a new city, meet new people,
and take on new challenges. With a less established office, I was
pushed to develop technically, as many of my clients were first-time
audit engagements, and I worked in a wider range of industries. I
also took on more roles. From training to resource management, I
was able to expand my leadership skills and grow my involvement
throughout my new office. My few years in public accounting turned
into seven years in audit—and then I was ready for a change again.
This time, I knew better than to map out my path forward. Instead,
I made a list of what I enjoyed doing in my day-to-day work, what I
didn’t enjoy, and what areas I hoped to grow in. The list was simple:
I liked working on new projects, I disliked repetition, and I hoped
to grow technically and become a subject matter expert. Based on
these parameters, I talked to friends, coworkers, and recruiters
before deciding that accounting advisory would be my next career
destination. While accounting advisory was never on my radar
before, by keeping an open mind and focusing on my growth rather
than a set career path, I was able to find an opportunity that suited
me better.
As a CPA, I’ve learned that there are so many career paths that can
be explored, and there will always be new and rewarding ways
forward for those that are willing to rechart their best laid plans and
adapt to change. Now, I no longer worry if I’m on the “right” path.
Rather, I just hope to look back when I’m another five to 10 years
down the road and be proud of my growth.
Illinois CPA Society member Faye Zhang, CPA, is a financial advisory manager at Riveron.
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