In this podcast, I chat with Chetan, who is looking to change careers, start the CPA program, immigrate to Canada, get into entrepreneurship and buy a house one day! Noble aspirations indeed. Of course, there can be problems, obstacles, difficulties along the way but if you begin your journey with gratitude for what you have instead of what you don't have, then everything else in life, including starting an accounting career, is easy! Real easy!!

My guest Manson Ng - Senior Tax Manager at a Vancouver public accounting firm - joins me on the podcast to talk just about everything and anything: working from home during the pandemic, making mistakes, learning from them, empathy, compassion, resiliency... whether or not there's a perfect career path?! and whether you should even go for public practice!? but most importantly... Happiness! Because isn't that what life is all about?

If you're an accounting student or aspiring CPA, I think there's a ton of value here on the podcast - think of it as food for thought - for you, as you begin your exciting journey to joining the profession. Enjoy!

The path to your CPA designation is a long and tough road. In this podcast, I share 3 tips to stay focused and motivated through those long, tough, and stressful times when you lose focus and need a push: 1) Find your happiness 2) Where is your North Star? 3) Don't compare to others.

Accounting students and aspiring CPAs: If pursuing a career in tax has ever crossed your mind, then this podcast episode for you! Steven Flynn, partner at Andersen Tax, LLP (www.andersentax.ca) joins me on the podcast to talk about tax careers, why he loves it, what makes a good tax accountant, and much more. If you're the type of person who loves a challenge and applying a blend of analytical, logical and strategic thinking, then a career in tax might be the perfect fit for you... listen to find out!

My guest on this week's podcast is Jason Tiessen, CFO of Westbow. 12 years ago, he made a career change into accounting and has never looked back. It's an extremely rewarding career and I couldn't agree more. I've invited Jason on the podcast to share his experiences, why he loves accounting so much, and more!

In this episode of the Vancouver Accounting Experience podcast, I have a chat with Mohit, who is in the middle of a career change and wants to know if not having a business degree in accounting or finance will be a disadvantage. Will the lack of a business degree set you back? The simple answer is no! In fact, I think it's an advantage. Listen to find out why.

You've finished university, gotten your first job working as an accountant and you've started your CA/CPA professional designation courses. Now, what do you do? There's no time for relaxing because the real work begins now! Remember these 3 important steps to pursue: 1) networking, 2) professional development, and 3)career opportunities. Do NOT hold back. Be fearless and seek out the career that you want.

Beginning your career in public accounting definitely has its advantages. There's a lot on offer that comes with working at a public accounting firm: the prestige, the opportunities, the support and the experience. However, with these advantages, comes a lot of competition for only a limited number of open positions each year. So you'll need to prepare, do research, and practice for your chance to get noticed and ultimately get hired. In this podcast episode, I have a conversation with Muib, in which I break down everything he needs to do to put himself in the best position possible to be successful in fulfilling his career goals - to work at a public accounting firm.

Why did I change careers? Why did I choose accounting? How did I know it was the right choice for me? How did I make the decision? Was it the right decision?.. Believe it or not, I get these questions all the time. So if you're thinking about them - it's completely normal - I'm here to help. In this podcast, I chat with my guest, Echo, about the career choices I made that brought me into the accounting profession. I hope that in sharing my experiences, I can help Echo to come to her own career decisions. I think there's value here for lots of people out there thinking about getting their careers started, or re-started.

Omar reached out to me on LinkedIn and asked if I had any advice on whether he should pursue an MBA or CMA (Certified Management Accountant) certificate. So in typical Accounting Coach and Mentor fashion, I invited him to chat on the "Vancouver Accounting Experience" podcast! For all you accounting students and aspiring CPAs, I hope you get a lot of value out of this one. For those of you who are confused as to whether you should take a course, a program or a designation, I hope this conversation will give you some ideas to move forward.