My name is Shannon Neumeyer and I have recently begun my CPA journey. I am thrilled to share this experience with you and provide any tips, tricks, and overall encouragement along the way. I’m from Indianapolis, Indiana and have lived here all my life. I love to watch documentaries, listen to podcasts, bake, watch TV and hang out with my family and friends in my spare time. I’m not married nor do I have children; however, I did start dating again fairly recently. Dating can be quite a balancing act with studying! I’m lucky I have been able to find some structure as I figure out how to be a newly-minted time management guru. I’m sure all of you have various daily activities and obligations to precariously balance as well.
My educational background is quite varied.
It’s pretty obvious that I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up when I finished my undergraduate studies. I was unsure of what specific career I wanted, so I decided to major in marketing. A business degree seemed like a good investment. Along the way, I picked up a major in economics as well as a minor in Spanish. I graduated not knowing exactly where to begin my professional journey.
I worked in marketing for a while and realized it wasn’t something I could see myself doing long-term. After coming to that uncomfortable realization, I ventured into social work. After two years of working at a foster care agency, something was still amiss. While I did enjoy my work experiences, sadly I didn’t feel at home in that career either.
I had a long talk with my father, an accountant for nearly four decades.
He suggested I consider accounting. I thought that was too much of a long-shot for me. It was too difficult, and I needed additional formal education. I had the minimum number of accounting classes as an undergrad, so I didn’t have much knowledge to begin with. However, after much research I realized it was something that could work! I signed up for a master’s program at IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis) and was able to work part-time while studying full-time. I graduated in August 2015 with a Master’s of Science in Accounting from the Kelley School of Business.
Immediately after graduating, I tried to get my foot in the door for an internship at a CPA firm.
I didn’t have much success in the beginning, so I took a position working as an Accounting Specialist at an international sorority. I really like my job; however, I feel limitations with professional development and keeping my technical skills sharp. I interviewed at a CPA firm in Carmel, Indiana and was offered an Audit Staff position that starts in December! I’m over the moon, but now I need to knock out as many sections of the CPA Exam as I can before my start date.
By working as a CPA, my skills will be sharper than ever.
My goal in choosing this profession is that I want to be the best at what I do. I want people to come to me with the tough questions and projects. Currently, the biggest obstacles that I face are balancing my current full-time job, my social life, going to the gym, and maintaining my apartment. Time management and prioritization have been my mantras in recent months.
There is a Zig Ziglar quote that I saw online that I try to remind myself of daily: “Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.”
I see so many successful people that have the knowledge, respect, reputation, skill and credentials that I want so badly. I remind myself that they faced the same, if not tougher, obstacles that I face. This exam can be conquered! I’m just all too excited to be on the other side of it.
–Shannon Neumeyer, Guest Blogger for Roger CPA Review