Setting goals

Setting goals

Setting goals is a vital step as it determines the direction in which a person wants to take. Goals present an accomplishment I would want to achieve. To complete my Masters of Science in Accounting, I have set some immediate, short term and long term goals for myself. The best thing about the goals that I have set for myself is that I can control. I have set my goals to achieve everything I have wanted to accomplish concerning the journey to becoming an accountant professional. Since I am in control of my life, I am doing everything possible to work towards achieving my immediate, short term and long term goals.

My immediate goal upon finishing my masters will be to get an internship position where I will put into practice my hard-earned knowledge. To get this internship, I will be sending out applications to top accounting firms this winter. I wish to combine my research project and overall scores as a vantage point to be ahead of other candidates eyeing positions in the same accounting firms.Getting an internship will propel me towards achieving my short term and long term goals.

My short term goal will be to gain the title CPA that comes with having a Master of Science in Accounting. After obtaining my title, I will intern at Ernst and Young. I had initially expressed my interest in interning with them and am hopefully expecting a definite answer. Next spring will be my internship period following the successful completion of my masters. The opportunity to intern will offer me a chance to learn and apply the skills I have gathered in an entry-level position. Ernst and Young is one of the best accounting firms in the world. The skills I gain in the entry-level position will ultimately push me towards a senior position in the end.

After landing my internship at Ernest and Young, I will work towards achieving my short term goals for the spring. Working for Ernst and Young is a privilege, and I need to put these short term goals into practice. I will use data analysis tools that will inform cost-effective decision-making tools. Data analysis tools such as tableau will go a long way in enhancing my data analysis skills, highly desirable skills for top accountants.

Besides doing the professional analytic, presenting the works, talking to clients, and explaining the jobs play significant parts in my career. These unique characteristics in public accounting, most of the times, build-in on clients’ sides. Spending more time with my colleagues instead of families and communication skills are those that I want to improve from the work experience. My work experience spanning for four years in the United States has revealed to me that it is crucial to build good work relationships by networking. With excellent communication, I must apply different communication approaches to exchange ideas. Using oral communication skills during presentations will not only pass the message across but also create room for discussion hence enhancing networking. Over my years of practice in the United States, I have identified that most accountants lack communication, thus limiting networking. I want to use my platform to change the narrative.

The job demands my time, considering that I will be working 60 hours per week. With this time requirement, I need to ensure that I feel satisfied with my happiness. It is easy for a person to feel pressured to deliver amidst other responsibilities that are not work-related. Since I have already established my purpose at this firm, I will work to fuel it so that it can become a reality. I will use relational intelligence to create meaningful relationships for motivation to continue pursuing my purpose. To also be happy while working, I will motivate myself and to find happiness in all the tasks I have at hand. Self-motivation is an important motivation.

My long term goal is to get a senior position in the firm, ultimately. Combining my experience in public accounting before my masters and what I have gained during my internship, I will work towards getting a mid-level position. From the mid-level position, the next step will be a senior position. To perform well in the top position, I will work towards gaining an in-depth understanding of different industries. Public accounting offers a platform for this since we communicate with the clients and gain exposure to various sectors while providing solutions to their financial needs. I will also provide me with an opportunity to interact with senior-level officials in these organizations and network more.

Apart from networking and exposure, the opportunity will also create a platform where I will understand how the industry is aligned and operate. Interacting with several departments will enable me to analyze different levels of performance and know how they affect the financial life of the organization. By analyzing different sections of the industry, I will be able to draw risks involved in such a scenario, therefore, building up on my experience. Understanding the risks involved in the processes will enable me to look at past events and know why certain practices have come to be. It will also help me conclude what strategies to enhance once I get into senior leadership.

To become a senior leader in a coveted accounting firm, being in touch with the needs of junior employees is vital. What better way to build on this if not by enforcing good leadership and teambuilding among the employees? To gain experience in management, I will position myself for proper mentoring from the current leaders. This way, I will learn from them what to improve on and what to change when I take up the leadership position in the future. I will place myself in situations that require leadership action. When opportunities to enhance these skills present themselves, I will gladly take up responsibilities such as organizing teambuilding events and doing presentations. They allow me to exploit the leadership skills for the long term.

I will also advocate for teambuilding activities so that employees can interact outside work to understand each other even better. It will also help employees to develop a diverse network of relationships that will span over for better working results. I will also allow myself to participate in team building activities to get a glimpse of the issues affecting the employees. By understanding non-work-related matters affecting them, I will know what policies to put in place to enhance good employee relations for optimum results at the workplace.

References

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