How do we expect more people to join the accounting profession if we don't brand it properly?
At its core, this is the root of the pipeline crisis. There are already more than enough pieces of thought leadership and industry voices mentioning something related to the pipeline in every conversation, but while these all discuss the assumed causes, the danger of not resolving it, and what potential solutions could be, very few seem to get at the underlying source that these points sit on.
It's a branding issue. Plain and simple.
We usually think about branding in terms of how a company that sells a product or service gets their corporate message and image out to the public, but this exercise applies to work disciplines as well.
Let's look at mainstream finance or investment professionals. Love them or hate them, "Finance Bros" have become an iconic image of the finance profession's brand — regardless of your opinion on it being a positive stereotype or not, the facts show that it does attract individuals to pursue careers in that industry.
Interestingly enough, I would argue that accounting professionals are better suited for these roles; however the masses don't see that value and often opt to skip straight to pursuing the traditional finance roles.
How about marketing professionals? They're seen as creative and receive great praise for successfully executing major marketing campaigns. These are campaigns that can create cultural moments in society, making the major and career path very attractive to college students.
Of course, most of these individuals won't end up doing the fun, exciting and flashy things that they were inspired by — but again, that's the power of telling a compelling branding story; it doesn't actually matter what's on the other side.
Even lawyers, who debatably have to do even more tedious work and brutal hours than accountants, have adequately branded themselves, with the help of pop culture. Think of every law or crime show or movie that showcases the brilliance of a clever lawyer winning a case in remarkable fashion. Outside of Hollywood, though, law firms are known for having elaborate and wild holiday parties, and positioning themselves as the country's elite workforce.
So what about accounting? Well, sometime over the last century, the stigma that accountants are boring, dull and quirky "number people" took hold as the profession's identity, and being the risk-averse folks that we inherently are, we didn't push back.
The truth, however, is the exact same types of negative stereotypes that we've been labeled with can and should be spun into the positives that each offers. For example, being somewhat of a "nerd" should be positioned as simply being smarter than the rest. (We have to try to be a little cocky — not too much, but we've earned a little bit.)
All these professions and industries have either intentionally or unintentionally created brand identities that, even if misleading, have been embraced by interested individuals. Our profession actually has so much that is true and valid to be excited about, and we just need to embrace it.
To make it simple for us corporate folks, think of it all as a "recruiting" campaign in the same way that HR does at any business. There are companies that do a better job and have an easier time recruiting because they are a place that attracts top tier talent. This is due to the company being well-branded. In our case, the profession is the company.
Becoming better storytellers
Look, there's a reason we all choose accounting instead of filmmaking. Usually that reason is because we don't have that same natural creativity that artistic talents have; but that doesn't mean we have to also be poor storytellers.
When I began working in content with seasoned entertainment and film industry professionals, I got to spend a lot of time in "writers rooms," wherein you brainstorm ideas, pitch concepts and develop the best storylines for the piece of content you're going to produce.
Early on, I learned a key lesson that everyone in the entertainment space utilizes when trying to put together a great film: Show, don't tell.
For the accounting profession, we rarely even do the telling part, so let's break it down.
The self-fulfilling prophecy that we've spiraled into is the never-ending loop of not being proud to share what we do. This further creates disinterest from the unknowing masses who believe the stereotypes (since it's the only information they have available to go off of) and makes what we do not something that we want to share, and the cycle continues.
We'll first need to start with talking about the incredible and impressive spectrum of job and career opportunities that exist at all stages and levels of business, which are better enabled by CPA and accounting backgrounds. I'm talking about the traditional stuff such as CFOs who rose through the ranks of accounting, as well as the nontraditional paths such as product developers for accounting software. Heck, even my role as a content producer and strategist is only possible because of my CPA license and accounting experience.
We can't be afraid to talk about what we do, and in a more exciting way. People read the energy of those they communicate with, and if your energy in telling a story is low, the mood of the receiver will also be low.
Then we can evolve past just telling, but start to create enough buzz for the visual part of the story — after all, our society loves watching content. By showing what we do, which is very much a part of being active online, we'll foster a deeper connection to the positive and inspiring aspects of the profession.
Rather than trying to convince individuals to join us, we should be inspiring them to seek us out.
Inspiring the future
If you go onto the accounting subreddits, LinkedIn or #TaxTwitter, you'll find plenty of peers giving their best efforts to proudly tout their CPA license and accounting life, but we need to amplify these voices and galvanize the corporate accounting class, who I would say are the most passive of professionals.
I know this from countless firsthand conversations with colleagues at accounting events who have expressed their interest in and enjoyment of my content, which I would otherwise have had no clue of since they did not re-share, like or comment. There's nothing wrong with this; however, it does set us up for a losing battle online in a digital world where voice reach and community engagement is everything.
I know it isn't going to be an overnight thing, but the excitement that technology and AI bring offers a new chance to spread a positive stereotype around what it means to be an accountant. Nobody needs to singlehandedly shift the perception, but we each can with an immaterial amount of effort impact our circles and spread the word. Our rebranding is something we need to actively focus on — it can't be a passive "set it and forget it" marketing activity.
As CPAs and accounting professionals with diverse backgrounds, experiences and positions, we can work together as a collective along with leading CPA organizations at the national, state and local levels to tell a better story and help rebrand the profession.
