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Hello! My name is Tracy and I am a current high school student. I'm conducting an interview with any professional in Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents field for a Foundations in Health Science Class project about careers! I have created a total of 13 questions. Comment on this post, answering all 13 questions to be a part of my assignment.?
1. What profession did you choose? Why?
2. How many years of college did you need to go through?
3. What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job?
4. How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field?
5. Were you in a college program?
6. Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date?
7. Did you shadow another professional in the field?
8. Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession?
9. Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years
10. What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career?
11. Were you faced with any obstacles that slowed you down? How did you overcome them?
12. What is something about your profession that you want others to keep in mind before pursuing the same path?
13. What is the most difficult part about working in your professional job?
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Kevin Greenlees
Accountant, Financial Analyst, Automations Developer
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Kevin’s Answer
1. What profession did you choose? Why?
Revenue Agent with the Internal Revenue Service.
2. How many years of college did you need to go through?
I earned a four-year degree in accounting. I also have a master's in accountancy, though that was not required to start my career as a revenue agent.
3. What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job?
My resume is very long, as I've worked many jobs throughout my life. I've worked as an arena concessions manager, youth sports umpire, wedding photographer, construction worker, barista, bike shop manager, English language teacher in Vietnam, and many other roles. I didn't find my interest in accounting until I was in my thirties, at which point I started by working in the mortgage financial services industry, and then as a staff accountant for a large grocery chain in the Midwest. All in all, my broad experience has helped me to better understand a wide variety of industries, which is very useful for a revenue agent.
4. How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field?
Unless you want to be an accounting professor at a university, there is really no need for a Ph.D. in accounting. A CPA license is considered the gold standard for accounting credentials, and is something you can earn without any graduate study whatsoever. To earn your CPA you'll need a bachelor's degree in accounting (or similar fields), 2,000 hours of work experience in public accounting, continuing education hours (masters or professional education), and you'll have to pass four CPA exams.
5. Were you in a college program?
Yes. See above.
6. Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date?
Yes. I earned my bachelors' in philosophy and spent years bouncing between jobs. I went back to school when I was in my thirties to earn my accounting degree.
7. Did you shadow another professional in the field?
Not in any formal way, but every accounting role I've held does involve a good deal of mentoring others and being mentored by seniors.
8. Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession?
I did not.
9. Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years
Accounting. I know that seems funny to have struggled with something that became my career, but my first few accounting classes were very difficult for me. It was the challenge of learning something complex that drew me in and held my interest.
10. What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career?
I've had to learn how to conduct tax research and relay my findings clearly in writing. I've also had to develop technical proficiency with various software platforms used in accounting (SAP, Alteryx, Excel, etc).
11. Were you faced with any obstacles that slowed you down? How did you overcome them?
Absolutely. My wife was in the Navy when I earned my bachelors, and I knew that we would have to move across the country halfway through my degree program. Thus, I decided to attend a university that offered an online degree program. I'm also a parent who had very young kids when I was in my accounting program, so I had to manage my time much more carefully than I ever had before. Let's just say there were plenty of nights where I was studying at the kitchen table until 2am.
12. What is something about your profession that you want others to keep in mind before pursuing the same path?
It's not about math; everyone seems to think that you have to love math to be an accountant, but there's actually very little focus on that. In reality, a revenue agent is someone who is primarily interested in learning about how businesses work, isn't afraid to ask questions, and is confident enough to be objective regarding tax scenarios and how they affect taxpayers. The job involves a lot of interviewing taxpayers, as well as documenting those interviews, documenting evidence, documenting research findings, documenting relevant court rulings... there's lots of documentation.
13. What is the most difficult part about working in your professional job?
The documentation can feel tedious at times, and sometimes uncooperative taxpayers can make your life difficult.
Revenue Agent with the Internal Revenue Service.
2. How many years of college did you need to go through?
I earned a four-year degree in accounting. I also have a master's in accountancy, though that was not required to start my career as a revenue agent.
3. What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job?
My resume is very long, as I've worked many jobs throughout my life. I've worked as an arena concessions manager, youth sports umpire, wedding photographer, construction worker, barista, bike shop manager, English language teacher in Vietnam, and many other roles. I didn't find my interest in accounting until I was in my thirties, at which point I started by working in the mortgage financial services industry, and then as a staff accountant for a large grocery chain in the Midwest. All in all, my broad experience has helped me to better understand a wide variety of industries, which is very useful for a revenue agent.
4. How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field?
Unless you want to be an accounting professor at a university, there is really no need for a Ph.D. in accounting. A CPA license is considered the gold standard for accounting credentials, and is something you can earn without any graduate study whatsoever. To earn your CPA you'll need a bachelor's degree in accounting (or similar fields), 2,000 hours of work experience in public accounting, continuing education hours (masters or professional education), and you'll have to pass four CPA exams.
5. Were you in a college program?
Yes. See above.
6. Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date?
Yes. I earned my bachelors' in philosophy and spent years bouncing between jobs. I went back to school when I was in my thirties to earn my accounting degree.
7. Did you shadow another professional in the field?
Not in any formal way, but every accounting role I've held does involve a good deal of mentoring others and being mentored by seniors.
8. Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession?
I did not.
9. Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years
Accounting. I know that seems funny to have struggled with something that became my career, but my first few accounting classes were very difficult for me. It was the challenge of learning something complex that drew me in and held my interest.
10. What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career?
I've had to learn how to conduct tax research and relay my findings clearly in writing. I've also had to develop technical proficiency with various software platforms used in accounting (SAP, Alteryx, Excel, etc).
11. Were you faced with any obstacles that slowed you down? How did you overcome them?
Absolutely. My wife was in the Navy when I earned my bachelors, and I knew that we would have to move across the country halfway through my degree program. Thus, I decided to attend a university that offered an online degree program. I'm also a parent who had very young kids when I was in my accounting program, so I had to manage my time much more carefully than I ever had before. Let's just say there were plenty of nights where I was studying at the kitchen table until 2am.
12. What is something about your profession that you want others to keep in mind before pursuing the same path?
It's not about math; everyone seems to think that you have to love math to be an accountant, but there's actually very little focus on that. In reality, a revenue agent is someone who is primarily interested in learning about how businesses work, isn't afraid to ask questions, and is confident enough to be objective regarding tax scenarios and how they affect taxpayers. The job involves a lot of interviewing taxpayers, as well as documenting those interviews, documenting evidence, documenting research findings, documenting relevant court rulings... there's lots of documentation.
13. What is the most difficult part about working in your professional job?
The documentation can feel tedious at times, and sometimes uncooperative taxpayers can make your life difficult.
Hello there, I really enjoyed reading your post. I also work for the Internal Revenue Service as a CSR. We focus on employment taxes. I currently am working towards my Bachelors in Business Admin and FinTech. Hoping to gain skills and experience to level up!
Chanice
Updated
Bob’s Answer
(1) Find something you are passionate about in business. Mine, Entrepreneurship/leader. (2) College, four years, graduating with a B. S. in Business-a minor in Industrial Engineering.
(3) A number of jobs, in fast growing companies, allowed me to develop the knowledge and skills to be an entrepreneur/leader. Sales, Marketing, Finance, Manufacturing, Training and an officer in the U.S. Army prepared me to understand how to model a successful business and lead others. (4) No need, for a CEO to have a Phd.-you can hire them. (5) By the way, I was not in a college program per se. (6) As to a return to school, I was fortunate to attend selected business management courses at well respected universities. These were paid for by my employer, for those on a fast track to promotion. (7-8) I did not shadow any leaders, nor did I belong to any school clubs. I was
however mentored by senior executives, who saw leadership qualities in me. (9) I struggled with Cost Accounting classes. The numerous rules drove me crazy.
(10) Knowledge and skills learned, listening skills, mental models/questions that allow one to dig into an issue, humility in learning to lead by being a follower in terms of taking advantage of the knowledge and skills of others. Patience, while examining an issue like a Rubic Cube. (11) Obstacles, include being fired from a job, moving frequently, with wife and kids, to pursue new opportunities, and an all consuming intellectual curiosity about successful business modeling. I became a "work-a-holic". (12) Over time, being a global high technology entrepreneur, starting businesses, funding them, growing them, succeeding in a challenging industry can be very, very lucrative. (13) At the same time, it is fraught with financial and personal peril. You can lose all of your investment, your spouse sometimes will not want to compete with your business for your attention, you can burn out from eighty hour work weeks, the global travel can negatively impact your health.
(+) Having been a President, CEO, Chairman of various highly competitive successful global high technology companies, I would suggest humbly that you think clearly about the ultimate goal and trade offs you are willing to make in pursuit of a successful career. Look inside yourself for guidance relevant to the quality of life you wish to pursue, not just the career you believe is best for you. What is it that will make you happy?
(3) A number of jobs, in fast growing companies, allowed me to develop the knowledge and skills to be an entrepreneur/leader. Sales, Marketing, Finance, Manufacturing, Training and an officer in the U.S. Army prepared me to understand how to model a successful business and lead others. (4) No need, for a CEO to have a Phd.-you can hire them. (5) By the way, I was not in a college program per se. (6) As to a return to school, I was fortunate to attend selected business management courses at well respected universities. These were paid for by my employer, for those on a fast track to promotion. (7-8) I did not shadow any leaders, nor did I belong to any school clubs. I was
however mentored by senior executives, who saw leadership qualities in me. (9) I struggled with Cost Accounting classes. The numerous rules drove me crazy.
(10) Knowledge and skills learned, listening skills, mental models/questions that allow one to dig into an issue, humility in learning to lead by being a follower in terms of taking advantage of the knowledge and skills of others. Patience, while examining an issue like a Rubic Cube. (11) Obstacles, include being fired from a job, moving frequently, with wife and kids, to pursue new opportunities, and an all consuming intellectual curiosity about successful business modeling. I became a "work-a-holic". (12) Over time, being a global high technology entrepreneur, starting businesses, funding them, growing them, succeeding in a challenging industry can be very, very lucrative. (13) At the same time, it is fraught with financial and personal peril. You can lose all of your investment, your spouse sometimes will not want to compete with your business for your attention, you can burn out from eighty hour work weeks, the global travel can negatively impact your health.
(+) Having been a President, CEO, Chairman of various highly competitive successful global high technology companies, I would suggest humbly that you think clearly about the ultimate goal and trade offs you are willing to make in pursuit of a successful career. Look inside yourself for guidance relevant to the quality of life you wish to pursue, not just the career you believe is best for you. What is it that will make you happy?