Consider Accounting…
As a senior in high school, I know that I will be making some major decisions this year. These decisions will impact my life in so many ways for years to come. It seems like everyone around me already has a plan for what they want to be. When I was in elementary school, I thought I had everything perfectly planned out. I dreamed of being a lawyer which, to me, meant getting paid a lot of money to argue. Little did I know, there is a lot more to it than that!
Becoming a highschooler provided me with plenty of much needed wake up calls. I will always remember taking a personality test my freshman year in business class. It was supposed to show me what careers would work for me, all based on my personality. I was shocked as I saw that law was not my top recommended career, business was. During my sophomore year, I was assigned with a ¨planning my future¨ assignment. I had always wanted to be a lawyer, but as I chose my future career, I started wondering if this was really something I would be happy doing. I recalled scoring highest for an entrepreneur/business work environment the year before, so I started looking into possible careers in this field. Accounting was one of the first careers I came across, and as I looked more into it, I quickly became interested in this as a possible path for future me.
I started taking AP classes, along with college courses to get as far ahead as possible. I worked very hard in school, and worked on and off for a small business in Mint Hill. The summer after Junior year, I decided I wanted to try out something new, something that would relate to business and help me to explore potential career options. I thought about my mom and her connections to a number of successful businessmen and women. As I discussed this with my parents, my mom suggested I reach out to Katie, who manages a very successful accounting business. Before I knew it, I was getting ready for my first day interning for Certum Solutions!
Taking this internship opportunity was one of the best decisions I could have made. Katie has, and continues to be, not only a great boss, but an amazing leader. She introduced me to Quickbooks, one of the leading accounting software companies. I was encouraged to get certified in Quickbooks before I was able to start working for the business. After this, I was able to work in sales, bookkeeping, filing, and now, invoicing. I began managing the day-to-day operations for the company, including running errands, data entry, and bank feeds. I was even able to work with clients. Each duty provided me with a glimpse into different parts of accounting.
There were a number of days that Katie + I had lunch together and were able to talk and catch up. As we were talking one day, she asked me what I wanted to do for college and work after highschool. I expressed my interest in becoming a lawyer, but also my consideration for something in the world of business. At some point soon after this discussion, Katie reached out to me and told me that if I was interested, she could give me the contact information for an attorney that she had used in the past. I was thrilled, but also nervous. ¨What if I decide I would hate working as an attorney?¨ I thought. Putting the nerves aside, I reached out to the attorney, Sophia. She responded within the next few days, and after a few emails, we had a date scheduled for coffee!
Sophia was very easy to talk to and provided me with so much more insight than google searches could ever! We talked for a couple hours about what she does and how college was for her. I asked about the responsibilities of a paralegal and she gave me a quick rundown on what their lifestyles are usually like with the demands of their jobs. I quickly decided that being a paralegal was not going to be for me, but left feeling more confident in my interest in becoming an attorney. Without Katie, I would not have met Sophia or likely had the opportunity to chat with someone in law so easily.
Working for Certum Solutions has taught me a lot. Even if I decide to not go into accounting, I have been exposed to so many different career options. One of the biggest lessons I have learned is to take every opportunity you are given. You never know what might come from taking on an internship, or the connections someone might have. Accounting is a field that offers a range of interesting career opportunities. Whatever the field, you are learning many practical skills that can be applied to nearly anything in life. Problem solving, attention to detail, and critical-thinking are all key in the world of accounting but can also be used in a number of other jobs.
If I had anything to say to someone considering a career in accounting, I would say go for it. Contrary to what one might think, accounting is so much more than bookkeeping. It involves a variety of paths allowing for plenty of opportunities to fall in love with this career. Even if you can’t find your place in this job, accounting provides you with so many things to take away and apply to your life or any other job position. The connections that accounting brings to the table are sure to have an influence on you and leave you with many possibilities. Wherever you find yourself, always be sure to give it your all. Hard work will pay off and get you as far as you desire to go. And, most importantly, if you are ever in a place where you can have a career in, or work with, accounting, take it!