My Interview with Janet Gibson
Occupation: Accountant
The link of the company’s website that Janet works for:
https://www.bowenislandproperties.ca/
Community Connection: A close friend of my Grandmother’s
Here is a photo of me and Janet.
Why are you passionate about your job?
I find it challenging and the wide variety of tasks involved makes it extremely interesting. There is also a lot of satisfaction derived from it as is a useful and necessary function of the business world.
What advice would you pass on to someone interested?
If someone was interested in becoming an accountant, I would recommend they take an entry-level course at a post-secondary institution to make sure that they enjoy the work before they commit themselves to the CPA course.
Would you be open to further contact from Riverside students and if so, how can someone contact you?
I would be more than happy to have a student from Riverside contact me. I can be contacted via my work number – (604)947-0099 extension 102. I work for a company called Bowen Island Properties Ltd.
What obstacles have you faced to get where you are today?
When I decided to become an accountant, I was in my 40’s. I was married and had two young children so the biggest obstacle for me was finding the time to study for the courses I needed to take. I was enrolled in the Certified General Accountants program, and it took five years to obtain one’s certification so it was not only time consuming but it was a five-year commitment. Each year was more difficult which meant more and more time needed for studying which meant there was very little time for any kind of recreation.
What type of education plan do you need to acquire this kind of job and continue to succeed in your work?
A person can be considered an accountant if they perform the full cycle of bookkeeping as well as preparing year-end financial statements for their clients. Up until approximately two years ago, there were several programs that provided an accountancy designation. There were two organizations – Certified General Accountants and Certified Management Accountants. One could also take a Bachelor of Commerce at university with a major in accountancy. Each method gave you a different designation. Now, the three programs have combined to give the one designation – CPA – Certified Public Accountant. It is a five-year program. Once you have received your designation, you must take a certain amount of courses each year through the CPA program to keep current with the changes to various aspects of the field, for example, any changes to the taxation act that would impact your client’s tax filings.
In your personal opinion, what are the crucial qualities or characteristics required for an individual to become an accountant?
Crucial qualities required for an individual to become an accountant are as follows:
- Pays attention to details
- Enjoys working with numbers
- Is able to think critically
- Has an abundance of patience
- Has good communication skills
- Enjoys working with people
- Is willing to put other people’s needs before one’s own
My Self Reflection after the Interview
Who did you interview? Include their roles and responsibilities?
I interviewed my Grandmother’s friend Janet Gibson. She has practiced in the field of accounting for the past 30 years at Bowen Properties. Bowen Properties supplies Real Estate options for those who wish to acquire properties located all around beautiful Bown island. She plays a fundamental role to aid the business rate of her company; her responsibilities include, providing finical statements for her company, full-cycle bookkeeping, and cash flow production. These duties require setting up how much money comes in and out of the company and how much money is required for different projects the company wishes to carry out.
Here is a photo of Janet that I took when she came over for the interview.
Why did you choose this individual to interview?
I chose to interview Janet Gibson because I very much admire her dedication to performing her career and carrying out her accounting duties to the very best of her abilities. Because of her dedication, hard work, and driven attitude, her skill level in accounting is extensive and she is extremely good at her work. When Janet first decided she was going to start on the education path to become an accountant, she found herself faced with many obstacles that challenged her every step of the way. During the time Janet began her courses, the area where she lived still supported the status norm that the job of a woman was to tend to the household and complete tasks such as; cooking, cleaning, and looking after the children. Jan faced oppression and conflict for her brave decision and she found it hard to find the time to complete her courses as at the time, she had two young children. But she was determined to continue on her path and achieve her goal. The two causes that she held close to heart at the time, which kept her strong when she was faced with challenges, was to support her family and continue her passion for mathematics and equations. In the end, she completed her goal of becoming a certified accountant and was hired by the company that she has continued to work for the last 30 years (Bowen Properties). I deeply admire the abundance of bravery and resilience Jan possessed while she was on the path to becoming an accountant. She will often offer me help with my math work; she is wonderful at explaining to me how to solve equations, problem-solving, and she is incredibly intelligent. Jan inspires me to never give up on my dreams and to always try my best in everything I do.
What did you learn from this interview and how did that connect to your passions/interests?
I learned from this interview the requirements and responsibilities for pursuing the career of an Accountant. This interview allowed me to learn a profound amount of useful information from Janet about the requirements, qualities, roles, mindset, lifestyle, and education plan for working in the Accountant field. Before this interview, I had lightly considered the career option of accounting and following in the steps of Jan. After reflecting on this interview though, the extensive knowledge I have gathered about accountants including; the everyday challenges/advantages they have and the require attributes Accountants possess, I can say with confidence that I’ve been inspired. So, I’ve begun to seriously consider one day becoming an accountant. Janet suggested that I research information about accountants. I took her suggestion into consideration and began to research. From researched information, I learned I can start taking courses and participating in volunteer opportunities for accounting right now. This interview gave me a sense of clarity of my attributes and skills and how these could help me chose a suitable career that I’m deeply passionate about.
How did you use media to demonstrate the aspects of the interview with which you connected and feel are important to showcase:
I decided to call Janet over the phone to ask her to do the interview. She happily agreed and said she was in the area and could stop by one day and do the interview with me in person. I recorded her answers on my laptop then inserted them on the blog. We didn’t exchange very many text messages but I have her number and the record of our phone call.
Here is the record of our first phone call, where I asked her if I could interview her. We discussed when and where we were going to meet. We decided on my house at 4:00.
These phone calls took place on the day we met. I told her the address of our house and how to get there.
Once she arrived we began the interview. Here is the document containing the notes I crafted from our interview:
Lastly down below is my text thanking Jan for her time and willingness to sit down with me and do an interview on her career field.
Opportunities that this Interview opened for me…
After I had finished the interview with Jan, I asked her how I could properly begin, setting out the career path and laying out the foundation of possibly one day pursuing the career of an accountant. She responded thoughtfully by telling me I could conduct research and find courses online or in secondary school that offers the teaching of necessary skills and abilities that accountants must acquire. I followed her advice and discovered that one day if I want to achieve becoming an Accountant one day I can start by taking courses in high school such as; Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, and Pre-Calculus in grade ten. I will keep these courses in mind when next filling out my course selection sheet.
Janet also gave me the opportunity to one day come and volunteer at the Bowen Properties Company. She said if I wished I could stay with her during summer this year. Each day I would accompany her to work and act in the position of a “personal assistant.” Jan explained she would happy to give me a tour of the company, show me the basic steps of bookkeeping and slowly advance to more difficult work, and perhaps one day allow me to assist her in completing portions of her work that I am able to complete. This is an amazing opportunity and I am so grateful for all the excellent possibilities this interview has provided me with. I will take Jan’s offer into consideration and maybe one day, with dedication, hard work, and perseverance I will achieve my goal of one day becoming an Accountant too.
Photo of Bowen Properties:
My Bibliography
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Home – École Riverside Secondary School, www.sd43.bc.ca/school/riverside/Pages/default.aspx#/=.
“How Technology Is Shaping the Future of Accounting.” Maryville Online, 22 May 2019, online.maryville.edu/blog/future-accounting/.
“How To Become An Accountant: Chegg CareerMatch.” Job Preparation, www.careermatch.com/job-prep/career-insights/articles/how-to-become-an-accountant/.
Kohler, Mark J. “What to Look for When Hiring an Accountant.” Entrepreneur, 11 Mar. 2011, www.entrepreneur.com/article/219298.
Krause, Chelsea. “When Should You Hire A Small Business Accountant?” Merchant Maverick, 4 Feb. 2020, www.merchantmaverick.com/hire-accountant-small-business/.
Vida, Pura, and Pura Vida. “Women Empowerment: the Right Path If We Want a Better World ⋆ The Costa Rica News.” The Costa Rica News, 13 Jan. 2020, thecostaricanews.com/women-empowerment-the-right-path-if-we-want-a-better-world/.
WSDadmin, and TBIadmin. “Tourism Bowen Island.” Bowen Island, www.tourismbowenisland.com/.