Kayla Nguyen
Interview 10/29- Karen Mensch
What is your job title? Where do you work?
(If appropriate)
Is your company specialized in anything/ does Primarily in tax, some business consultation
it have a primary focus (taxation, forensic,
auditing)?
What do clients typically come to you for?
Can you give me a description of your job
duties?
What programs do you use to perform your
tasks?
What coursework or preparation do you feel
was the most helpful in preparing for your
job?
What was your major?
What classes did you take that benefited you
in accounting?
How was your CPA exam experience?
How many hours did you have to study?
How did you prepare?
What different exams did you take? What
type of exams are there?
CPA, owner of the firm/president
-Gather info and prepare it
-Review what has been prepared for accuracy
-Communicating results with client
-Final say, decision maker, responsible for
hiring, firing and machine upgrades
Tax: UltraTax- 3 programs
-time and billing, project management
QuickBook: financial statement software
Word, Excel, Outlook
Went back to get a masters in
science/accounting and followed accounting
program for CPA exam
Double majored in mathematics and english;
wanted to be a math teacher
Accounting unring is not as math driven as
people think, it is more conceptual and detail
conscious
Nerve-wracking, passed with good scores and
did not fail any of them
-study diligently
-good element of being a good test taker
Took about a month to prepare and studied
about 50-70 hours per exam, while working
and could study in mornings
Took all exams:

What was the start of your accounting career
like?
Were you anxious about anything?
How similar or diverse are your workdays?
What is the atmosphere of your work
environment like?
How do you balance work and family life?
Do you have a comfortable amount of leisure
time?
What do you see as the most rewarding parts
of your job? most challenging?
-Regulation, tax (individual, corporate, etc)
-Financial reporting, principles of accounting
and international accounting rules
-Auditing, specialized/give an opinion on
accuracy
-Business and economic concepts, business
principles and legality
Was already in the industry, started with the
lowest pay and was an assistant’s assistant
filing papers
Had more on-the- job training than most
before license
Became owner after license and death of
original owner
Quite a bit of diversity as well as distinct
patterns
-Very deadline driven because taxes have
deadlines
-100+ hours working up to deadlines
The peaks of the industry are the 15th of
every month
-Most important = March, April, October,
September
Pleased with the current atmosphere of office
-Professional and personable
-Be responsible for your own work while
being able to work with a team
Stress that they offer “Professionalism with
Christian Care and Concern for People”
-Build relationships with clients
Fortunate that the are understanding that it is a
seasonal business and knows not to ask for
much; once there is time, they will be able to
resume standard life
Rewarding to be able to help people and
provide them with information that can help
them make a good decision or could be
significant in money

What skills do you feel are particularly
important in doing your job?
Over the years, in what ways have you seen
accounting change? Or what changes have
you noticed that affect the way things are
done?
How has the increased demand for
accountants affect business?
What qualities do you look for (or would you
look for) in potential employees?
What advice do you have for someone just
getting started in this field?
Challenging to juggle various responsibilities
and to make the right decisions
Problem solving, relationship building/people
skills, tax = jigsaw puzzles
Tax law changes frequently; some help/hinder
but it depends on the client’s situation.
There are new programs every tax year
Clients want more proactive advice and want
to look in the future while also documenting
the past/present
Privacy becomes harder to maintain with the
rise of technology and electronics; it puts
confidentiality at risk as sensitive information
become more susceptible/prone to hacking
Difficult time getting new employees because
it is hard to find people because it is a detail
conscious profession; even the best can miss a
detail
_Humble, people smart, hungry
-Not a cookie cutter business, so they need to
be able to think and reason while paying
attention to details.
-Teachable
-”Figure it out” type of person