Today's generation of future leaders want to make an impact. They stand by their purpose and value accountability for the environment and social responsibility — and hold others to the same standard. People may not necessarily think of accounting as a career path to make a societal impact, but they should. Certified public accountants play an important role in society. We protect the capital markets, we support businesses and we are a critical function for every organization. The next generation of leaders are exactly who the world needs sitting in the accountant's seat because of their values and motivation.
At PwC, we have been looking at this trend and realizing, for a group of people that care deeply about purpose and impact, we owe it to them to shed light on why a CPA license matters and what a career in accounting holds. Luckily, it's an easy story to tell. From audit to deals, everything we are touching impacts business and society today and tomorrow.
When I was in college, I wasn't yet focused on building a corporate career. Like the students of today, I wanted to make a difference, work hard and earn the respect of my colleagues. I wanted to be in an environment that recognized my achievements and mirrored my values. I also wanted to love what I did while seeing the world. I am fortunate enough to have found a profession and firm that helped me do all those things.
But back to being at that pivotal moment in a professional's life—just beginning my career journey, my parents wanted me to have a diverse experience before I dove into the corporate world. I grew up in Canada and agreed to work at a summer camp close to home for one summer. While being a camp counselor is a rite of passage for Canadian college students, it's not an obvious prerequisite for a career in audit. But it should be! I learned more about the things that make auditing a fulfilling profession in that summer than I did in my internship. Here's why.
Relationships and real connection are critical to success. One thing I quickly learned about grade school kids that I love to this day: They are very much themselves and how they approach new activities, interact with their peers or even handle conflict. How they process and act is entirely unique to them. Being a camp counselor showed me that whenever people are involved, there is no one-size-fits all model. If I wanted to support my campers, work toward a common goal or even just keep the peace sometimes, fostering individual relationships was the only way to go. It's true in a professional setting too — you need authentic relationships with individuals to motivate a team and drive the outcomes you want.
It starts with listening, leaning into understanding and choosing empathy. Occasionally, I would have a camper who was being bullied, and I found that listening to their story and perspective was so important. By listening and seeking to understand, I was able to build trust, and the problems were easier to solve.
These skills and choices are the foundation of meaningful relationships at any life stage. Relationship-building skills are ones I use every day in client service as a CPA.
There are always problems, and it takes trust to solve them. When you are overseeing a large group of people, problems are inevitable. And spoiler, that doesn't really change with experience. I still get to solve problems all the time! Campers didn't always make the best decisions without their parents. I had to lean into those relationships, build trust and get creative — or the critical job wouldn't get done and the safety of our campers could be compromised. Throughout my career, I have led engagement teams for some of the firm's largest global clients, helping them meet their financial reporting, regulatory and transformation needs. When working with clients, I often use the relationship building skills that I started to learn during my time as a camp counselor.
Being an accountant is also all about problem solving. You are tasked with solving some of society's toughest issues. It takes listening to diverse perspectives, building authentic relationships, and most of all — fostering trust.
Leadership matters. I felt first hand, and now see with my sons, that counselors, coaches, teachers and mentors have the opportunity to make a huge positive impact on others' lives. I'll say it until I'm blue in the face: Fulfilled, happy people are better team members.
There are more than a few leadership stories from my time as a camp counselor. I saw the impact of leadership daily. Working through problems, leading difficult discussions and keeping each individual camper engaged and working together helped me develop leadership skills I still use today.
In accounting you start leading teams very early in your career — we're leaders. You get to start making the kind of impact I discovered in my college years from the start, but you're also surrounded by leaders that keep showing you the way. It's those mentors and leaders who help you navigate your career and meet your goals. Whether that's making choices that matter to both your family and career, getting experience in different parts of the world, or working on the projects that matter most to you.
Being a camp counselor was life changing. My parents really were right! I'm not sure whether it was foresight or their way of saying, "Enjoy the great outdoors," but either way, it was extremely valuable to my career as an auditor and now firm leader. It was so impactful to my career, I've encouraged my sons to be camp counselors, too. Take stock of the experiences you are having in summer jobs as you continue your professional journey — empathy, listening and leadership are not just skills learned in the corporate world. I'm grateful for a profession that has allowed me to keep making a difference in people's lives, solve problems that impact society and deepen relationships with the amazing people around me.
