Affiliated Institution:
Career Field and Specific Jobs
Currently, I am not working in any job industry. However, my most recent job was in the non-profit industry where I worked as a Finance Officer. This job position had attractive qualities and traits. As a Finance Officer, I was responsible for maintaining administrative, accounting, financial, and personnel services for my former employer in order to ensure that the organization met legal requirements and achieved its goals and objectives. Major responsibilities that came with these job functions were: to assist in budget preparation; monitor cash reserves and investments; establish and maintain supplier accounts; implement financial policies and procedures; establish, maintain and reconcile the general ledger; establish and maintain cash controls; prepare and reconcile bank statements; maintain the purchase order system; process supplier invoices; and, verify credit card charges and ensure security for all credit cards (Lang, 2009).
Set Goals
Within the first year after the completion of my degree, I expect to be employed by a government agency to work in a similar job position as my most recent job position.
Action: I need to take up some professional accounting and financial certification courses. Therefore, I plan to register for CPA and CFA level I exams as soon as possible. Professional certification in addition to my job experience will improve my chances of employment in the financial field.
I expect to have been promoted to a managerial position of an Assistant Chief Finance Officer after three years of working as a Financial Officer at the government agency.
Action: I will ensure that I have completed all levels of the CPA and CFA certification courses. I will also take online managerial training courses and participate in other training courses that my employer offers in order to improve my skills and competencies as well as experience. As Sheldon (2010) says, training programs improve the chances of career development.
In five years, I expect to have become the Chief Financial Officer, either at the government agency, or at another organization.
Action: I will put the skills and competencies gained from training programs and my job experience, as well as the educational skills I would have gained from CPA and CFA into maximum use so as to be notably the highest productive employee.
Summary
I chose this career path because my key career objective is to gain theoretical and practical experience in the commerce industry, particularly in the Finance area. This career path will help me achieve my career objective. My expectations are to be one of many Finance Officers in a large government agency within the first year after University, to become an Assistant Chief Finance Officer within the first three years after completion of my degree, and to become a Chief Finance Officer either in a government agency or another large organization. To achieve these goals, I will take up professional CPA and CFA courses, and training programs to improve my skills and competencies, as well as gain managerial skills.
References
Lang, A. S. (2009). Financial Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards. Washington, DC: BoardSource.
Sheldon, P. J. (2010). Career Strategies for Success. Bloomington, Indiana: Xlibris Corporation.
