Have you ever been in a hurry to leave and you can’t find your keys, wallet or possibly your favorite shoes or belt? How does this make you feel? Does this get your adrenaline going, make you feel agitated or put a damper on your day?

 

Now, what if that were your CPA license?

 

For those of us who may have let our licenses lapse, what prompted you to re-activate? And for those thinking about letting their licenses lapse, read on. I will now tell you my own story.

 

After passing the Exam years ago, I decided to let my license lapse because I was no longer in public accounting and I didn’t think it mattered. And back then, it was much more expensive to pay for CPE seminars yourself (pre-Internet).

 

Long story short, based on the type of job I had at that time, and seeing the value of having a CPA license (in terms of earning ability and pride), I reactivated my license. Because I had moved out of New York, I transferred my license to Georgia. A few years later, when I moved again to Virginia, I had to take the ethics portion of the Exam before I could apply for a Virginia license.

 

Having worked so hard at getting all of this done, including taking CPE to be in good standing, I decided to continue keeping my license active, despite the type of work I did. Also, I decided to keep it active as a back-up for my future, as there is always a need for CPAs.

 

No matter what I seemed to do from a career perspective over the past 20+ years, the common thread has been my background and training in public accounting and being a CPA, and a very proud one as well! So proud, I always encourage inactive CPAs to become active and promote accounting professionals to get their CPA licenses.

Once you get your license or “find” it again, you should keep it — and keep it active.

 

From a career perspective, being an active CPA definitely distinguishes you from someone who is not. Also, because of the accountancy statute, you cannot place “CPA” behind your name if you are not licensed. Keep in mind that with the Internet, it is very easy for a prospective employer and/or client to see if you are in fact actively licensed!

 

As for CPE, taking courses doesn’t hurt either. There are so many topics to choose from that teach something regardless of what you do in life. Many of the seminars provide some sort of professional development, and some even offer a hint or more of personal development too.

 

Similar to CPE courses, there are so many career paths you can take with your CPA license, whether you were trained working in industry or in public accounting. With all of the corporate scandals and industry meltdowns, having a financially sound understanding of business helps — even if you are a sole proprietor like me!

 

While in college, and during my first job when I was involuntarily transferred from audit to tax in a Big 8 firm (I know I am dating myself), I sure did not like tax, nor did I think I understood it. Maybe I had a mental block. Funny, now, in running my own business, I pay so much attention, ask so many more questions and even do my own tax planning, with some input from fellow CPAs.

 

As an independent recruiter, I can tell you there are certain positions that CPAs would expect to be qualified for, such as CFO, director of finance or accounting, controller, internal audit manager, tax manager, audit supervisor, etc.

 

But, there is a greater world of possibilities open to CPAs! Here are a few examples of what you can do having a CPA license and/or an accounting background (these are real jobs found online):

In today’s job market, there is so much you can do as a CPA. You can become a recruiter like me, go into fundraising, become a professor (although additional degrees may be necessary), perform in business development and sales roles, join a human resources department, run a company, become a financial planner and more!

 

If you find that after achieving your CPA status you are not as fond of the more traditional roles for CPAs, don’t despair! You don’t have to feel like you may have felt when you lost something or gave something away, and had that feeling of a loser’s weeper.

 

Look online and research the jobs available and their requirements and skills. Ask family and friends if they know anyone in the industries or companies in which you may be interested, and then go on informational interviews and ask questions. Attend CPE seminars covering topics of interest and ask fellow CPAs what they do. You may be very surprised as to what you find. Keep an open mind.

 

Your goal should be to continue building on the skills you gained by becoming a CPA, regardless of how you got there or what you do to remain active.