For the inaugural "CFO Insights" column, I spoke with Ben Mulling, CMA, CPA.CITP, CFO at TENTE Casters Inc. and member of the IMA Global Board of Directors who earned his title of CFO at age 28.
Knowing what you know now, what career advice would you give to young accountant's just starting out or people looking to make a career change?
BM: There are four things I'd recommend; 1) get involved in the profession, whether it be volunteering, attending a local chapter meeting or networking events, through a professional association. Build a network you can rely on, 2) approach yourself as a brand. Many people forget how important it is to protect your brand – especially with the ability for perspective employers to see everything you're doing online, 3) find your niche. In college you learn a lot of everything and it's important to know which direction you want to take. Do you want to be an IT-minded accounting professional? Do you want to get into tax? Or cost? You have to experience these types of things to know and 4) never stop learning. Always participate in different continuing education events – conferences, webinars, lunch-and-learns, etc. These types of events not only increase your learning, but allow you to get involved with other people and build communication skills.
In the end, strong communication and leadership skills will set apart a senior accountant from a CFO and a good candidate from a great candidate.
This column offers CFOs, and their teams, insights and ideas related to challenges of the position, in light of market demands and global economic conditions. Jeffrey C. Thomson, CMA, is President and CEO of IMA (Institute of Management Accountants), one of the largest and most respected associations focused exclusively on advancing the management accounting profession. Follow IMA on Twitter and visit its YouTube channel.
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