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Institute Launches New Career Website for Future CPAs
Please note: This item is from our archives and was published in 2011. It is provided for historical reference. The content may be out of date and links may no longer function.
The Institute launched a new website, This Way To CPA, devoted to the needs of college students interested in becoming CPAs and graduates preparing for the CPA examination.
The site, www.thiswaytocpa.com, provides career insights, career planning resources, studying strategies and social networking opportunities. It follows the AICPA’s Start Here, Go Places website, which was introduced in 2001 to help high school students explore careers in accounting.
Following are some of the site’s key features:
Tell us where you are includes a timeline that allows visitors to select where they stand in college or in their career path, and provides them with resources pertaining to the specific stage. Timeline stages range from “Spankin’ new,” “Declared the major” and “Graduating soon” to “In exam land” and “Newly licensed.”
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Community provides a forum where students and exam candidates can share their thoughts and experiences concerning the CPA exam and licensure, careers and internships, college and graduate school, and achievements and challenges. Visitors can participate in polls and discussions about topics that are top-of-mind for students and recent graduates. The community experience is further enhanced through Facebook, Twitter and a YouTube channel.
State Requirements includes an interactive map with details on becoming a CPA in each of the 50 states and U.S. territories, including information on exam and state-licensure requirements: residency, number of hours of education and experience, academic degree, age and ethics. It also explains how international candidates can receive their CPA license. In addition, students can find contact information for state CPA societies and boards of accountancy.
Exam & Licensure Timeline provides a realistic view of the typical exam preparation and licensure process as well as an interactive tool that visitors can use to predict when they might complete the CPA exam. The timeline generates an exam plan to help CPA candidates determine when to study, when to schedule the exam and which sections to take first.
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Find Your Fit is an interactive tool that helps place students on the path to their desired career after graduation and completion of the CPA exam. Students can choose the type and size of organization where they would like to work as well as their preferred industry, practice area, specialization, etc. The tool then generates a profile, based on students’ selections, that offers information that can help them achieve their career goals.
The site also includes resume and interviewing tips. A video simulation lets visitors mimic the experience of going through the interview process with the interviewer on the screen asking the job candidate questions about his or her college experience and future career plans and taking notes. Video profiles highlight the daily lives of new CPAs across industry and specialty areas. And each weekday, the site features Daily Words of Wisdom, humorous yet insightful phrases that are linked to related site content ranging from salaries to CPA exam preparation.
The September Technology Q&A column shows how to create dynamic to-do lists with Excel's checkboxes and also how to set up multifactor authentication texts that don't rely on phones. Flip through both items and view a video walkthrough in our digital format.
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