Michele Frontino – CPA. I work out of my home office. I also
visit various clients and work at their offices.
Degree: I have a BBA with a concentration in
Accounting from Adelphi University
What made you decide on your profession: I knew that I
wanted to go into the business field. I was always good with numbers. I like
having the interaction with different people all of the time. All of those
things added up to becoming an accountant. Once I started working at a public
accounting firm, I realized that I wanted to get my CPA certification.
How did you get your job: Adelphi had a great placement for
soon to be accounting graduates. The Accounting Society and faculty would
arrange for “office visits” during the summer. We also had many opportunities
to meet with recruiters during the year at various events. We would tell the
placement office what firms we were interested in and they would submit our
resumes. If you were granted an interview, the first interview was held on
campus. Any additional interviews were held at the accounting firm. My
subsequent jobs were obtained through newspaper (yes newspaper) advertising and
word of mouth recommendations. While I was working at the various accounting
firms, I was also building up a small tax practice on the side. After the birth
of my first child, I decided to go completely on my own. My practice has now
grown to about 130 tax returns. I also do accounting and bookkeeping work for
small to medium sized companies.
Describe a day (or week) in your job: A day or week in my
job depends on the time of year. On a quarterly basis, I have to prepare
payroll tax returns. On a different quarterly basis there are sales tax returns
to be done. I usually deal with my email first. I field client calls as they
come in. When I am not in the heart of tax season, I try to do write up work
(creating a check register and reconciling the bank accounts) for my business
clients. I find that doing it during the
year eliminates a lot of pressure during “crunch time”. Today, I finished an IRS audit with a field
agent in Florid. I also do a lot of work for the local fire district.
Advice for teens interested in doing your job: study hard.
If you are really interested in pursuing a career in accounting, really study
for and pass the CPA exam as soon as you can. The longer you wait to pass, the
harder it gets. Know that the time from mid January – the end of April will be
crazy time of year. However, it is also very rewarding. I love my clients. Many
of them have become my friends. It is very gratifying to know that they rely on
you to be an integral part of their business.
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