Q:What skills are you building that you will use in your future career?
A:The biggest additions that the program has added to my skillset are an in-depth knowledge and understanding of accounting. The program covers many aspects of accounting from basic journal entries to complex mergers and acquisitions, audits and taxation. Additionally, the program offers the opportunity to develop invaluable business acumen that will be useful in a future career communicating with those in upper management, as well as striving for an upper management role.
Q:What did you do in your internship? What were your responsibilities? How did your experiences prepare you to work in a top accounting firm?
A:My internship responsibilities included preparing individual tax returns and undertaking tax research in order to solve complex issues when they arose. This experience gave me the opportunity to see how big accounting firms operate and to get a taste of the general internal atmosphere and culture. I grew to clearly understand the values of the firm I was working for, as well as the expectations and requirements needed to succeed in a top accounting firm.
Q:What has been your most valuable experience so far?
A:Overall, I have found the D'Amore-McKim MS in Accounting/MBA program to be very challenging and rewarding. After years of not sharpening my pencils in preparation for an exam, this program simply re-energized my brain. It also helped me to better asses both my current capabilities and areas I would like to strengthen in the future. The program helped me build good time management skills, become more organized and prioritize tasks efficiently, and simply how to be on top of everything on my plate.
Q:Why did you choose D'Amore-McKim?
A:I chose the D'Amore-McKim MS in Accounting/MBA program because it offers the ability to achieve twoaccelerated Masters degrees in just a 15-month time frame. Moreover, it provides numerous opportunities for exposure to top accounting firms that can lead to potential employment opportunities following graduation.
Q:Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
A:I would start by saying that life is very unpredictable. I was always interested in pursuing a role in business, but for personal reasons spent years writing code. Five to ten years ago it would have been hard to picture myself as a candidate in the D'Amore-McKim MS in Accounting/MBA program juggling its full course load and my family responsibilities (I have three little boys at home), but here I am today and I am enjoying the ride. Bottom line is, I welcome positive change and accept challenges. Will I have an opportunity to become a partner in an accounting firm or maybe run my own firm someday? Only time will tell.