CPA ProfileTerri Hornberger, CPA
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| Terri Hornberger, CPA |
I had a bunch of careers before I settled down into accounting. My degree was in education. I was what was called an “executive secretary” for several years. I was a bookkeeper. Then I was a stay-at-home mom. I sold Discovery Toys for a couple of years. Then I started bookkeeping again and continued to do this while going to school.
Why accounting?
I found accounting fun. I loved the bookkeeping side. There is something calming about having everything in its place. Then I fell in love with tax. It’s like a gigantic jigsaw puzzle, with the aim to put the pieces together to achieve the smallest tax result. Who can resist that?
Approximately how long did your transition take, including school, certification, and finding a new position?
I was going to school very part-time at first, (taking one or two classes at a time) so it took me quite a while. Plus I moved around a bit with my family, which causes the schooling to be a bit longer. I spent a total of 12 years in the process, nine of which was schooling. I got out of school in 1994 and had a position with an accounting firm in place for tax season 1995. It took me two additional years to pass the exam (I’m a really lousy test-taker!). So you can tell I really wanted to be a CPA. I can’t tell you how exciting it felt to walk across that stage and have my certificate handed to me. I was extra lucky because not only was my family there that day, but many of my CPA friends were also at the ceremony. It was held in Dallas and the Dallas CPA Society was tasked with volunteering to help run the ceremony.
What was your biggest challenge when changing careers?
My biggest challenge wasn’t necessarily due to the change in careers. The biggest challenge was going back to school. I had been out for such a long time that it was scary to think about having to study and take tests (did I mention I am a really lousy test-taker). Being older than most students was also scary to me. At the time I went back there really were not very many non-traditional students. I was old enough to be most of my classmate’s mom. Plus I felt extra pressure to make all A’s, being that I was older and felt I had to set an example. The doubts set in—who would hire someone in their late 30’s? I was also worried about the time commitment to school. I had a family that needed my time as well as working. Could I really be supermom?
What advice would you give to someone considering a career change to accounting and CPA certification?
Go for it! Accounting is the best choice. It’s a degree that can translate into any number of careers. Accounting gives you the foundation on how to run a business. When I look around at my CPA friends, I see people in all types of careers, not just accounting. Most use their accounting backgrounds to aid in the running of their own businesses. I still feel like I can do anything I want, even 15 years later. If I ever decide to get out of public practice, I feel the world is mine. And there are a lot of choices out there…..
As an aside, one thing I did while still a student was get involved with the Dallas CPA Society. I attended every function I could. I took CPE classes that sounded interesting to me. (Most were above my head at first, but I soon started to catch on.) Going to all these events helped me to get to know CPAs in Dallas and helped in the job search.