Today’sCPA
Sketch your CPA future: One CPA’s blueprint for success
By Dianna M. Patton, CPA, CFP ®, MTAX
I am certain of two things: Being a CPA
opens doors. And plotting the path to an
ultimate career goal is critical to ensur-
ing the journey is worthwhile.
My personal story did not start with
me getting my CPA right out of school. In
Continue to fact, I graduated from Virginia Tech with
a bachelor’s degree in finance and my first
learn your job was working as a temp for the Virginia
Department of Corrections. While working
craft and strive in the Human Resource department, I made
friends quickly and found out about a per-
to be the best manent job in the accounting department.
Then, after a year, a college friend let me
CPA you know that the Virginia Department of Taxa-
tion was hiring. With her help, I was hired.
can be. Later, I jumped on a multi-state tax
auditor position. Again, another friend,
who was the former administrative assistant
with the director who oversaw this sec-
tion, made sure to introduce us. I got the
job. Being the only female auditor had its
challenges, but I knew if I was going to get
ahead I would have to work hard to learn
my craft. I would show them they did not
make a mistake by hiring me.
I finally gained the trust of my fellow
co-workers, and when one of the senior
auditors asked if I would review his work, I
started to see that my hard work was paying
off. Of course, winning over my fellow
co-workers was easy compared to going
into the field and going up against men who
were twice my age and held titles like vice
president, CFO or director of taxation.
I once had a male employee of a large
corporation say to me, “I have a daughter
older than you.” I just remembered what
Eleanor Roosevelt said: “No one can make
you feel inferior without your consent.” I
just smiled and said, “Yes sir, and I am still
the auditor from Virginia.”
But I also started to see that these men
didn’t just hold titles — they all were
CPAs. I knew that if I was going to get
ahead and be taken seriously by these men, I
was going to have to get my CPA.
So I started at Virginia Commonwealth
University at night to receive a post-bacca-
laureate certificate in accounting. As anyone
6 Today’s CPA • Disclosures • March/April
who has ever worked and gone to school
will tell you, it is a challenge. But then add
in traveling out of town every other week.
It became impossible to go to school and
stay at my job, so I knew that something
would have to change. At this point, my
goal of getting the CPA designation was
more important than getting ahead at the
tax department. I left.
Because of some other life choices, I
lived in Germany for two years and ran
an H&R Block office. I finally returned
back to the states and to VCU. I was more
determined than ever to get my degree and
CPA, so I worked days and went to school
at night. I finally graduated and achieved my
CPA.
To try out my new wings as a CPA, I
worked in corporate America for several
years, but I missed my time working with
folks at H&R Block. I wanted my own busi-
ness, and I knew continuing to get ahead in
corporate America was not what I wanted
to do.
At the same time I received my CPA,
a friend invited me to join the American
Society of Women Accountants (ASWA). I
became involved in the society and the local
Richmond chapter and was elected to the
board.
Because of my networking and contacts,
I was told that a local accounting firm was
hiring, so I applied. During my interview, I
still remember being asked where I saw my-
self in five years. I answered that I wanted
to own my own CPA firm, but I might
consider being a partner at that firm. Well,
they hired me.
The three partners helped me to learn
my craft and encouraged me to grow. I
continued my networking by joining the
VSCPA and the VSCPA Richmond Chapter.
I also continued my formal education, re-
turning to VCU to get my Certificate in Fi-
nancial Planning and sitting for and passing
the CFP® exam. I later returned to graduate
school for my master’s degree in taxation,
which I received in December 2007.
When the local firm merged with a
larger regional firm, I became a manager,
continued to improve my skills as a tax
CPA and continued my education and
networking.
In the summer of 2008, two things re-
ally made me think about what I wanted
to do with my life: a mission trip to Russia
and being elected to the national board of
the ASWA. I discovered that I wanted to
help people my way, and that I had a strong
network behind me. I began to think about
the path I was on, about my career and
“getting ahead” and about that goal of own-
ing my own CPA firm.
In November 2008, I left my career as
manager to start my own CPA firm. This
had been my goal for a long time. Even
though I was finally “on my own,” I was not
by myself.
So if I was going to leave you with any
great words of wisdom that I have learned
over my accounting career about getting
ahead, it would be:
Have a main career goal: Think about
what you want to be when you “grow up.”
The better you can define it, the better you
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Today’s CPA • Disclosures • March/April 7
can start to form it, and to know what skills
you need and where you are trying to end
up.
Never stop learning with either for-
mal or informal education: Remem-
ber, most CPAs get 40 hours each year of
continuing education. Don’t sleep through
it! Continue to learn your craft and strive
to be the best CPA you can be.
Network, network, network: Join
your professional organization, attend
meetings and get involved. If you aren’t a
member already, join the VSCPA (www.
vscpa.com) and ASWA (www.aswa.org
— yes, guys can join too). Get involved by
serving on a committee; maybe chair one;
and then, when you are ready, serve on its
board. Believe me, the skills and contacts
you make are worth the time. As you can
tell by my career story, friends, contacts
and professional organizations were instru-
mental in helping me gain new experience
and move my career forward.
Top financial talent
is always your best
investment.
Have fun: Remember, we spend more
time with the people we work with than
our own family. If you are not enjoying
going to work, then you might want to
consider why. Remember the words of
John Lennon: “Life is what happens to you
while you’re busy making other plans.” It
is no fun going through life with a job you
hate while you wait for something better to
come along — go make it happen. If your
goal is to get ahead, make sure you enjoy
the ride as well. 
Dianna M. Patton,
CPA, CFP®, MTAX,
owns her own firm,
Patton Tax Group,
LLC, in Richmond.
She has more than 20
years of experience in
accounting, including
work in private, public and
government sectors. Contact her
at dianna@pattontaxgroup.com
or connect with her at
www.linkedin.com/in/diannapatton.
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