One of the reasons for investing in post-secondary education is to expand career opportunities. The CPA program is a significant investment in time and money and you want to ensure that you are maximizing your career options.

Your Practical Experience Reporting Tool (PERT) is the final frontier on the road to your designation. It is important that your practical experience provide you with as many career opportunities as possible. If your PERT is too narrowly focused, you limit your options.

When considering your practical experience, think about your life goals beyond your schooling.

The top questions to ask yourself to maximize your career options

1. Do you want to travel?

2. Do you intend to buy a home and build a family?

3. Is pursuing your hobbies or volunteering in your community important to you?

4. How can you make your career and life goals align?

Another aspect to consider is the opportunity to grow within the organization in which you are gaining your practical experience. Questions to consider before taking a job include:

5. Will the job require you to work a high volume of overtime? For how many months of the year?

6. What will the learning curve be?

7. What tools does the organization provide for training and professional development?

8. Is there room for you to advance within the organization once you have your designation?

When seeking employment, make sure that you reflect thoughtfully on why you chose accounting as a career path. For any career, there are significant gains to be had but also sacrifices to be made. What are your career goals, what are your life goals, and what sacrifices are going to be acceptable for you?

Loren Nancke is a tax and accounting firm with deep roots – over 30 years in western Canada – and an innovative approach to serving individuals and small businesses in BC and Alberta. If you're interested in a career with our CPA firm, we invite you to explore our current career opportunities.