What Its Takes to Be Sucessful

As an active and essential part of the school of Business and Economics, ALOBEAM Accounting Society provides professional development opportunities for accounting and finance majors. ALOBEAM (Accounting the Language of Business, the Eyes and Ears of Management), is a student organization that provides students with opportunities to enhance their classroom experience by attending professional presentations. During this semester I have attended three of these presentations of the department, which will be discussed throughout this paper and provided the technical skills and ethical values required and needed for a variety of accounting and finance business careers.

To better prepare yourself for a successful professional career in accounting and finance, the Masters of Accounting Program (MAC Program) is one of many available at NC State University. This first presentation about the MAC program was given by Katherine Henson, assistant director of the College of Management at NC State University. This Program is a full-time, one year program of ten core accounting courses such Advanced Audit and two MBA course such as Tax and Business Strategy. The Mac Program has many other advantages including small class sizes, international opportunities and graduate assistance. Overall, this program at NC State’s College of Management helps prepare students to meet the challenges and expectations of professional academic business careers in today’s marketplace.

The second presentation was presented by Bank of America on “The Importance of Financial Literacy”. The speaker, Milton Jones, leads Bank of America’s corporate wide quality six sigma process engineering initiative. As a member of the Management Operating Committee and a receiver of the National Association of Black Accountants Career Achievements Award in 1997, Jones objective was for us students to have a thorough understanding of ways individuals can increase their wealth. Jones, a 28 year veteran of the company and many others that are successful in their career now know the advantages of 401(k) s, how to maximize tax deductions and the importance of a budget. A Budget is a forecast of future events. For example, students must budget their financial resources among competing uses, such as books, tuition, food, rent, clothes, and extracurricular activities. Bank of Americas budget would probably indicate the amount of timing of the firms needs for future financing. To help achieve this goal of budgeting, Jones suggested that everyone should keep track of what they invest their money in for approximately one or two months. By doing this, allows you to see where the majority of your money is going and what you should cut back on and save.

There are many essential accounting career skills that are needed as well as suggested in order to be successful in your profession such as budgeting, creativity, leadership, planning, teamwork, and most importantly