Students Learn Real-World Experiences

Nearly 80 students from New Jersey colleges and universities came to the New Jersey Society of CPAs’ Accelerating Scholars in Accounting event last week at EisnerAmper’s Iselin office. They heard hands-on perspectives about the accounting profession, learned how to be resilient in their journey to become CPAs and discovered what personal development steps are necessary to get there.   

Aiysha (AJ) Johnson, MA, IOM, CEO and executive director at the NJCPA, informed students that they can create their own personal cohort or board of directors with the connections they make along their journey to become finance and accounting professionals. “Think about your impact for the future and what you can be doing today to set a solid foundation for yourself. That’s what today is all about,” she advised.

Sharpening Skillsets

Nicole DeRosa, CPA, MAcc, director of tax at SKC & Co CPAs, LLC, and a brand ambassador at UWorld Accounting, presented on the importance of students being able to differentiate themselves and build their “personal brand.” This, she said, has replaced the so-called “elevator pitch,” where people have widely come to spew facts about themselves in a condensed manner. “Credibility and reliability all impact your personal brand,” she added.

Besides having the technical expertise that students must possess to become the next accounting and finance professionals, other skills, such as relating well to people in an office, dealing with clients, advising nonprofit boards and engaging with one’s community, are equally important. Peter Olinto, CFA, JD, CPA (inactive), global lead instructor at UWorld and a presenter at the event, explained that today’s students who are headed down the path to becoming a CPA need to know how to sell. “To make it to partner, it’s about sales; it’s about bringing in business,” he said.

Similarly, speaker Tafadzwa Munganasa, CA(Z), audit & assurance manager and CS-Support in the Office of the CEO at Deloitte, explained that accounting students today need to figure out the chemistry involved in a work environment and all the personalities that coexist, such as those categorized as a driver, pioneer, guardian or integrator. It’s important to know how to work with different personality types and adapt one’s working style accordingly, he said.

Good communication skills, he added, are necessary to make accounting professionals stand out. “In business, it’s not only the numbers; it’s about communication,” he said.

Olinto also recommended students use their electives wisely to make the most of their learning. “As an accounting major, you don’t have too many electives. Don’t take the nonsense,” he explained. Most people understand accountants to be experts in tax, so it would be good practice to take some additional classes in tax, he added, noting students should take the CPA Exam while it’s fresh in their minds and not backpack around the globe and settle into studying later.

Overcoming Obstacles

Former Rutgers football defensive lineman standout and motivational speaker Eric LeGrand was on hand to present his story of personal triumph, business success and overcoming obstacles in life. “When you commit to something, you see it through,” said LeGrand, who sustained a spinal cord injury while playing football at Rutgers that left him paralyzed. He has since launched the LeGrand Coffee House in Woodbridge, which carries the motto, “Daily Cup of bElieve;” Eric LeGrand Whiskey; and the Team LeGrand Foundation. 

After intense rehabilitation and a long Journey to rise above his injury, LeGrand told attendees, he vowed to himself, “I will not let this injury define me.” In starting his coffee business, he explained, “I took a leap of faith,” telling students they need to sometimes be “willing to be a sponge” to learn from new adventures.