Here you are. Twenty-something. Your college diploma is in its pretty, embossed folder. Your CPA exam scores are on the refrigerator. And you just picked up your CPA certificate and your NJSCPA membership certificate from the framing store. You did it! So what’s next? E-YoungCPA asked its readers, along with some of your college professors and other members, to share their tips for new CPAs.
Think before you react. It goes back to the old adage, that you can never make a first impression twice. If you want to truly have a great reputation and a great career, it's important to be mindful of how you emotionally react to client issues or issues around the office. The last thing you want is to be labeled as a "firecracker or loose cannon." Once that happens, people just shut down when you start to talk and don't listen to your ideas, no matter how good they are. – Sarah Krom, CPA, Sharpe, Kawam, Carmosino & Company LLC
Give back. Now that you are done studying, go out there and get involved in your community. It will make you feel a sense of pride in giving back, and it is a great networking forum. – Nina Chmura, CPA, WithumSmith+Brown
Own your career. You're a valuable asset to many institutions - public, private, academic and beyond. You will have many opportunities both within your organization and outside of it. Take responsibility for your career decisions and growth. Most importantly, don't sit back and wait for things to happen, be proactive! – Ryan P. McDonough, PricewaterhouseCoopers
CPAs can work anywhere. Every industry in every country needs finance professionals with the qualifications of a CPA. I’ve worked in Ireland, the Bahamas, Canada, Puerto Rico and the USA as an accountant, VP of finance in insurance and controller in retail. Outside of finance I’ve worked in product development, marketing, administration and sales management. Today, I’m a financial advisor. – Robin Bolton, FCA, Krasney Financial, LLC
Know yourself. Determine your needs and desires, immediate and narrow, long-term and big-picture. Make an assessment of your own particular circumstances, quirks and preferences. These will be your greatest ally as you analyze data, record it, interpret and compare it and make your most important personal and business decisions. – Stephanie Zisa, Siemens Corporation
Be trustworthy. You’d be surprised at how much people trust what you say, simply because of those three letters following your name. Make sure that you do what you can to ensure you’re giving sound advice when asked. Don’t be afraid to ask a manager for their opinion on a situation if you’re uncomfortable giving an answer right away. – Reynold P. Cicalese III, CPA, MST, Alloy, Silverstein, Shapiro, Adams, Mulford, Cicalese, Wilson & Co.
Act now. I am still in the process of taking the CPA exam but the one thing I would tell someone is it only gets harder the longer you are out of school. I also got my 150 credits in undergrad and encourage anyone who can do that to do just that. It’s a little easier knowing that once I pass the test, that's it. I don't have to go back to school. – Jessica Freed, Smolin, Lupin & Co., PA
Build your network. I highly recommend that every person new to a profession establish and maintain at least some network of others in that same profession - both in and outside their place of work. That network will assist in validating experiences at their job and possibily open the door to business and career opportunities. – Dr. James J. Carroll, CPA, Georgian Court University
Be prepared for change. One of the most important things I've learned over my 40-year career is that things change, and the rate of change accelerates over time. Some people get frustrated over this. My recommendation is to embrace it. It will keep your professional life intellectually stimulating. – Robert A. DeFilippis, CPA, Fairleigh Dickinson University
Never stop learning. College may have ended, but your education is just beginning. I have always described my first few years working in public accounting as “dog years” because I learned seven-fold as much as peers in other industries, and that general trend continues today. Always embrace new challenges and opportunities and learn from them; the biggest value of a CPA is their store of knowledge and experience. – Anthony F. Marone, Jr., CPA, Capital Trust, Inc.
The more you know, the more others can know. As a young professional, one of the most important things I have discovered is that knowledge is power. New CPAs who are always learning can always be teaching. Give back to the profession by teaching others what you’ve learned, and you’ll both benefit personally and professionally. – Megan Cicchetti, CPA, Sax Macy Fromm & Co., PC
Don’t let work become your whole life. You start out wanting to impress your boss by working through lunch and staying late a few nights a week. You connect to the office from home and half listen to Jimmy Kimmel. By the time you hit your first tax season, you’re used to it and you’re a caffeine addict. Then one day you realize you have no life. Don’t do it! Go. Now. Join a gym. Schedule lots of GNO. Take a cooking class. Get a dog. Hang out in your faith community. Train for a 5K or a triathlon. Dust off your guitar or your saxophone and join a band. And most importantly, spend time with your family and friends. They’ll help you stay grounded. Play with your babies and give hugs to your folks. Don’t miss date nights (and put your phone away). You’ll never get back the time you spent at work when you didn’t have to. Get off the computer and have a life! – Ralph Albert Thomas, Executive Director, New Jersey Society of CPAs