Brief Summary
My choice of major as updated on the midterm assignment is becoming a Certified Public Accountant. A certified public accountant is an individual who is qualified and licensed by the relevant bodies to render accounting services to the public (AICPA, 2017). While the licensing requirements for qualified public accountants vary from one state to the other, the minimum requirement includes passing the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination, attending 150 semester units of college education, and accounting experience that amounts to at least one year (AICPA, 2017). Licensure, therefore, is what gives a qualified individual the right to practice as a certified public accountant. Once a qualified accountant becomes a licensed practitioner, he/she is required to maintain licensure through Continuing Professional Education, also CPE (AICPA, 2017).
While it is possible to lose license and still practice under the title “CPA inactive”, it is illegal for the inactive certified public accountants to attest, offer opinions on, or audit financial statements meant for the public (AICPA, 2017). My choice of career is appealing to me because I consider it an honor to be in a position to influence and offer guidance to people who are in need of financial assistance. As more people take up small businesses and companies extend their operations, the need for the services of a certified public accountant continues to grow.
Becoming a certified public accountant implies that I will be working in a field that I am passionate about, which will grant me professional and personal gratification and satisfaction with my career. It is in this career that I feel I will be in a better position to grow, both professionally and as a person.
3 Year Career Plan after Graduation: Strategies to be implemented before Graduation to Set the Right Path
Completion and passing of exams after college marks the beginning of a professional career, but it does not imply the end of learning. Completing formal education at the college gives the student an opportunity to join the professional world as a qualified graduate. It also presents the graduate with an opportunity to select the path of his/her career within his/her major. It is however necessary to acknowledge that all expectations may not be achieved all at the same time, as professional growth is a process that one should build step by step.
Andrews and Higson (2008) recommend that fresh graduates set a plan with which they can work in order to achieve their professional growth. According to Forney (2001), a plan helps in achieving each of the goals that one sets within a specific timeline, hence reducing wastage of time, while ensuring that the graduate remains focused.
My career plan after graduation will involve the following steps: First year will involve aggressively looking for a job. In the case that a paid job will not be immediately, I will focus on looking for a position as an internship in my line of work. Internship will give me an opportunity to interact with experienced professionals in my line of work, and it will also be the perfect opportunity to acquire on-job knowledge about the right attitudes expected at work.
In addition to looking for paid or unpaid work, I will also focus on obtaining licensure as a certified public accountant. I will register for the certification examination in my state and ensure that I study sufficiently for the certification exam to ensure that I pass well. Combined with the experience acquired as an intern or as a working accountant for at least one year, I will be in a better position to acquire licensure as a certified public accountant.
In the event that enough experience and registration for the certification exams will not have been acquired, I will persist in making sure that I achieve the two requirements in the following year. At the same time, I will look for refresher courses and other certification processes that are related to being a certified public accountant, so as to ensure that my knowledge and set of skills is always up to date with the job market requirements.
After completion of my licensure examination and obtaining sufficient experience, I will register for CPE courses and ensure that I fulfill the total hours of class work required to maintain my licensure. I will register and attend live and webcast seminars, administer self-tests, look for internet-based credits from accredited online course-providers, and attend ethics courses in a bid to achieve the minimum requirements for renewal of licensure. This will be done within the second year and the first half of the third year.
In my third year, I will concentrate on registering for a postgraduate course at the university. Postgraduate education will be an important step in my career, as it will enable me to gain more competitive skills and knowledge in accounting. The accounting arena is dynamic and constantly changing, which can be attributed to the technological advances that invade the markets often.
My postgraduate education will not only empower me with higher academic qualifications but will also give me an opportunity to acquire the most recent knowledge and skills in accounting, which will be invaluable in my profession as a certified public accountant. I will choose a Master’s degree in Accounting for my postgraduate study. Before I graduate, I will set out a variety of strategies that will set me on the right path of achieving my goals after graduation. Honing bookkeepers will offer incredible mentorship and direction with respect to the calling, including helping me to take in more about hard working attitudes and the state of mind required in work (Tuunanen, 2011).
My first strategy is to collaborate with the school and my department to find out what offers are available in terms of placement for students. Many startup companies and even large organizations who are looking for interns collaborate with schools and offer the graduating students an opportunity to work or train with the companies. Placement opportunities are crucial to graduating students because there are higher chances of being picked, since the vacancies are already evident as advertised by the hiring company. The bookkeeping field is dynamic and always showing signs of change, which can be credited to the innovative advances that attack the business sectors frequently (Marinov and Marinova, 2014).
In addition to collaborating with the school for placement opportunities, I will also internetwork with certified public accountants that are already licensed and practicing before I graduate. Practicing accountants will offer great mentorship and guidance regarding the profession, including helping me to learn more about work ethics and the attitude required in work. Openings are significant to graduating understudies in light of the fact that there are higher odds of being picked, since the opportunities are as of now clear as promoted by the procuring organization (Lohr, 2014).
The academic progression will also constitute part of my plan to secure a promotion in the organization. In addition to the academic progression, I will also take part in opportunities provided by my organization meant to increase chances of employees for a promotion. For example, attending seminars sponsored by the organization, and putting in extra hours at work will enhance my chances of being promoted at work. My expected salary once I become a certified public accountant is $5,200 every month, which is the average salary for a certified public accountant in the United States according to Pay Scale. My alternative plan would be Chartered Financial Analyst Designation, CFA, which is a certification for entry into investment and security analysis. My target industry is the tax preparation and planning field.
Current Semester: Handling the Course Load, Expectations, Limitations, Sacrifices, My Roles, and Holistic Adjustments for Next Year
The course load has been burdening to say the least, but I have managed to maneuver through the challenges and the demands of the course throughout the semester. The current semester involved a variety of activities, including academic activities, extracurricular activities, student-welfare programs, and volunteer and community work. Participation in non-academic activities is mandatory and gains non-academic credits that counts towards one’s profile.
These activity credits are crucial particularly when one is looking for a job or internship, as they promote the status and character of the student. However, juggling between the academic and non-academic activities and ensuring that none of the activities is neglected is a challenge for most students. I particularly encountered challenges in completing all my course requirements on time and attending all the non-academic activities without fail.Support in non-scholarly exercises is obligatory and picks up an understudy non-scholastic credits that checks towards one’s profile (Lavin and Cohan, 2011).
To ensure that I handled the course load effectively and on time, I avoided procrastination. I started working on takeaway assignments as soon as they were handed over for completion by the lecturer. In addition, I collaborated with my course mentor to ensure that I not only completed the coursework on time, but that I also managed to score top marks in every task where marks were awarded. I also worked with a team of other students who not only offered essential help, but also motivated each other to complete the course load on time. I created a study plan at the beginning of the semester, and this plan has contributed significantly to my ability to manage the course load effectively. I had expectations that I would complete all my assignments and takeaway tasks on time, but this was not always the case, as I had two of my assignments fined due to lateness.
One of the major limitations that I encountered through the term was time. It seemed as if I had too much to do, but with limited time. Participating in crucial non-academic activities was time consuming and left me limited time to attend to my academics sufficiently. However, I made use of the study plan that I had developed at the beginning of the term and managed to maintain focus on my studies and completion of most of my coursework load on time.
The limited time meant that I had to sacrifice most of the time meant for relaxation and friends. I also sacrificed most of my resting time, like waking up at night to spend some time reading and completing coursework. My main role as a student was to ensure that I stay up to date with all the assignments given by the lecturer. I also had the role of collaborating with my mentor and other students to ensure that my academic work for the semester is completed on time. Although I tried as much as possible to achieve my targets, I could have done my best to avoid lateness in submitting my assignments as part of my role.
Among my holistic adjustments for next year includes sacrificing more time to ensure that I complete my academic work on time. I also plan to ensure that I balance my academic work with the non-academic work, while at the same time ensuring that I accomplish all my goals. I also plan to improve all my weaknesses as identified previously and build these weaknesses into strengths that will help me achieve my academic goals. For example, I will adjust my reading style to better fit my reading needs, hence maximizing my efforts in academics. I additionally had the part of teaming up with my tutor and different understudies to guarantee that my scholarly work for the semester is finished on time (Farrell, 2015).
Top Obstacles that Stand in the Way of Graduating: How to Minimize the Obstacles
Moving on from school is a standout amongst the most striking occasions of the understudies’ lives. Graduation denotes the finish of school life and the start of the understudies’ lives as potential workers (Farrell, 2015). While graduating is important in a student’s life, it is not always an easy road to graduation, as there are many obstacles that the students face before graduating. These include failing to attain the point average GPA, failing to demonstrate proficiency in entry level writing requirements, failure to achieve the institution’s minimum progress as delineated by the Senate’s policy, failure to complete the maximum number of units required per year, and failure to complete the online process of degree and diploma application. Before graduating the above elements are vital in an understudy’s life. It isn’t generally a simple street to graduation, as there are numerous impediments that the understudies look at before graduating (Lavin and Cohan, 2011).
To minimize these obstacles, I will always ensure that I attain the required minimum GPA points throughout the semesters and at the end of the academic year. In the case that the GPA points do not meet the minimum threshold, I will collaborate with the lecturer and course mentor to determine other tasks that I can take in order to boost my GPA points. Additionally, I will ensure that I do not miss out on any of the units that I am supposed to complete in my course. Studies have shown that missing out on units that a student is supposed to complete demotivates them and even affects their grades (Andrews and Higson, 2008). I will achieve this by ensuring that at the beginning of every semester, I pick up the course outline that contains all the units to be completed during that semester. I will also collaborate with fellow students to ensure that I do not miss out on any of the required units. During my last semester, I will make certain that I complete the degree and diploma application process in order to notify the college that I have entered into my last academic quarter and that I will complete all the academic requirements within that quarter. I will ensure that while I invest substantial time in academics, I also set some time aside to spend with the family while putting in productive hours into my work (Cuervo-Cazurra, Newburry, and Park, 2016).
To ensure that study time is utilized productively, I will study in groups with other likeminded students, while reducing the time spent in non-academic activities. I will ensure that I utilize the available school resources such as the free school Wi-Fi, school mentor, lecturers, and the library to the maximum so as to ensure future success. Schools invest when it comes to student’s resources, yet very few students make good use of them (Tuunanen, 2011). Dealing with the demands of work, family, and school is key in achieving my academic goals. I will ensure that while I invest substantial time in academics, I also set some time aside to spend with the family while putting in productive hours into my work. Many people get occupied with their work and forget to spend time with their loved ones and this is not healthy for the family (Lohr, 2014).
Meaning of Graduation
Graduating to me is not an end, but rather a steppingstone and an opening to future opportunities. Graduating will not mark the end of my academics, but will rather serve as a steppingstone to further my studies in other higher academic courses. Graduation also means achievement to me, as I will have achieved a major milestone towards my dream of becoming a certified public accountant. The graduation will also enhance my qualifications, as I will be recognized as a trained and skilled person as a result of my graduation. Graduation will set me on the right path for my professional growth. Personally, graduation is gratifying in the sense that I will have achieved a personal goal.
Effect of BUAD 300 Class on My Goals, Personal Growth, and Engagement in Studies and the World in General
The BUAD 300 class has had significant influence on my goals, personal growth, and engagement in studies, as well as how I interact with the world in general. The class has enlightened me on how to effectively develop practice skills that will consequently help me in achieving future goals. The class has also empowered me with critical thinking skills, self-assessment skills, and skills on how to develop important interpersonal skills. I have also learnt about crucial tools and skills needed for successful career exploration, which will be of importance in building my professional career. The class has also empowered me with skills and tools on career planning, which will help me to achieve my professional career goals. Most importantly, the class has helped me to acquire knowledge and skills on professional and career development, which will be of substantial help in my journey of becoming a certified public accountant. My goal was to achieve my academic targets while balancing my academic life with extra-curricular activities and family time.
References
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants – AICPA. (2017). Certified public
accountants. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/american-institute- of-certified-public-accountants.asp
Andrews, J., & Higson, H. (2008). Graduate employability, ‘soft skills’ versus ‘hard’
business knowledge: A European study. Higher education in Europe, 33(4), 411-422.
Cuervo-Cazurra, A., Newburry, W., & Park, S. (2016). Emerging market multinationals: managing operational challenges for sustained international growth. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Farrell, C. (2015). Global marketing: practical insights & international analysis. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Forney, D. S. (2001). Career Development and Planning: A Comprehensive Approach.
Journal of College Student Development, 42(3), 288.
Lavin, F. L., & Cohan, P. S. (2011). Export now: five keys to entering new markets. Singapore: J. Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte. Ltd.
Lohr, N. (2014). Foreign Market Subsidiary Mandates A Select and Temporary MNC Phenomenon? Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden.
Marinov, M., & Marinova, S. T. (2014). Successes and challenges of emerging economy multinationals. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Tuunanen, M. (2011). New developments in the theory of networks: franchising, alliances and cooperatives. Heidelberg: Physica-Verlag.
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