AICPA NATIONAL ISSUES

AICPA launches “This Way to CPA” for students

In the last issue of What Counts, we brought you a story about the AICPA initiative “Start Here, Go Places,” aimed at those in high school considering a career in accounting.

On the heels of that success comes a follow-up project, also an AICPA initiative, called “This Way to CPA.” It targets college students interested in more detailed guidance for becoming CPAs, and graduates preparing for the CPA examination.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the accounting profession is positioned to grow by 22 percent between 2008 and 2018, with an anticipated 279,400 new jobs in the field by 2018. The AICPA has responded to those numbers with the new website, which offers a comprehensive online source for the very accounting students who will be headed into those jobs.

“’This Way to CPA’ further builds on our long-term commitment to helping students, career changers and exam candidates who are perched at the threshold of their career as CPAs,” said Scott Moore, AICPA, senior manager, College and University Initiatives.

“It offers visitors expert guidance, the latest career information and the unique opportunity to learn from both their peers and experienced AICPA members,” Moore added. “In the process, they become better prepared for those important first steps toward building a solid foundation for success in a profession that continues to grow in value and prestige, regardless of the economic climate.”

The site includes articles on a variety of relevant subjects, from salaries to expect, types of industries and specializations to consider, how to prepare a resume, how to balance work and home life as a CPA and more.

The site also includes some innovative multi-media tools that help students and recent graduates at all levels. You can practice your interview skills in front of a online interview simulator (a web video of an interviewer asking you questions for practice) or sign up for an account in order to participate in forums or connect with others in the community, for example to start a local study group.

Visitors to the site will find all they need to know about finalizing plans for a career in accounting, with information on the CPA exam, state requirements for any of the 50 states, and a helpful check list for the licensure process.

ACCOUNTING COMPETITION

The launch of “This Way to CPA” coincides with another initiative, the 2010 AICPA Accounting Competition. In this year’s competition, teams of accounting students and those in other academic fields will work together to solve a real-world accounting for sustainability project. The client is a real hotel and spa based in North Carolina.

The competition officially began Sept. 13 and was created through a partnership between the AICPA the Institute of Sustainable Development.

Each team has four members, two of whom must be declared accounting majors and two others who may be from any discipline. Eventually the field will be narrowed to three finalists, who will compete in New York City in front of the AICPA Board of Directors on Jan. 20 for the chance to win $10,000.