Why I Love Accounting

Looking at my resume, it seems like I always wanted to be an accountant. I have an undergraduate and master’s degree in accounting, I became a CPA soon after graduating college, and I’ve always worked in the accounting field. But, the truth is, I was lucky enough to pick the right career path for me accidentally.

Growing up, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. When I was a young child, I was interested in marine biology and geology, so science seemed a clear choice. As I grew older, I worked more closely with animals and was interested in veterinary school. When I started driving, I also became interested in working on cars and considered a career as a car mechanic.

As the time for college drew near, my favorite subject in school was Spanish. I started taking Spanish in grade school, but my high school Spanish teacher, Senora Hill, instilled a love for the language I still have. Senora Hill was also a CPA and spoke to us sometimes about why it was a good profession. Listening to her, I knew that having a background in accounting would mean that I could always find good-paying work. I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do, but it seemed like a good fallback plan.

In the fall of 2003, I began my studies at the University of Oklahoma. I declared my major as International Business with the intent to minor in accounting and Spanish. I enrolled in the course Fundamental Financial Accounting taught by Dr. Wayne Thomas in my first semester.

I fell in love with accounting in that course. For the first time in my life, I felt like a subject in school just made sense. I enjoyed balancing transactions and understanding more about how financial transactions worked. So, based on that one course, I changed my Major to Accounting, intending to enroll in the accelerated Master of Accountancy program when I became eligible.

As I advanced in my studies, the coursework became more challenging, and I had to work much harder to be successful. However, the challenge increased my appreciation for the topic and cemented my commitment to becoming a CPA.

Since graduating college, I have found my work to be both challenging and enjoyable. I love practicing accounting for three reasons. First, I love the financial balance and harmony I can create by reconciling accounts and improving processes. I get lost in my work for hours untangling complicated financial transactions, and I find restoring ledgers to good order deeply satisfying.

Second, I love working with non-financial people and helping them better understand financial information. Accounting is a topic that most people do not enjoy and many people find difficult to understand. However, I know that accounting is fundamental to every business, and it is essential for business leaders to understand. I have found that recognizing and respecting that accounting is not an easy topic for other people has strengthened my relationship with non-financial colleagues and increased my work satisfaction.

Third, I have found that no matter how much I learn, there will always be learning opportunities and new situations that I have not seen. I love that even after practicing accounting for over ten years, I find new challenges.

If you’d like to learn more about me, check out why horseback riding made me a better accountant and why I founded CenterFocus.

Want to know what my love for accounting can bring to your business? Schedule your free introductory call today.