Reminder - Your CPA, your own terms
POV: You are on your way to becoming a CPA or you are already a CPA and you are interested in designing the career of your dreams… the most glamorized and romanticized version possible as defined by you. Here’s how:
1. First thing to remember is this about you and what you want. Just this once it is okay to think about yourself and be selfish.
2. Have a vision in mind. After number 1, this is the most important step. To create your dream CPA career, it is necessary you have a vision or an idea of what your dream CPA career looks like. Again, I’ll remind you, this is about you and what you want. It is not about what your accounting professor thinks or what the recruiter thinks is a good fit for you. A few tips on how to come up with a vision - lay down somewhere quiet. Play some spa music because this will help you relax. You will be able to think freely when you are relaxed as opposed to when you are tensed. Next, visualize your dream career. Have a notepad handy so you can write down what you come up with. A few prompts to help you – what type of work do you want to do? What type of value do you want to add to this world? What legacy do you want to leave behind? What type of people do you want to do it with? What would you do if you weren’t afraid? How do you want to feel while doing said work?
3. Relentlessly pursue said vision with all your power and might. Think about the technical as well as soft skills you need to be successful in your dream career and deliberately seek out opportunities that will help you build those skills. Have a plan on how to make your vision a reality. Steadily work towards said plan. Analyze opportunities you are presented with to determine if they are in alignment with your plan or your vision.
4. Revisit your vision frequently and keep your focus on your vision. Don’t be distracted by other people’s visions or ideas or naysayers. Focus on your vision. Here is a quote I once read that reinforces this point – “It doesn’t matter what other people think about the life you are building. What matters is how it feels to be inside that actual life. Another way to say it: Your life is not a group decision. Trust yourself. Trust God’s spirit in your life. Trust a handful of wise, invested voices. And then go about the sacred, exhilarating business of making a life you believe in.”
5. Pay it forward. Encourage others to do the same because it feels good to see others also live their dream lives.
Best of luck! I’m rooting for you!