With decades of leadership and recruiting experience, Rod Foster spoke to Simpson College students about what matters after graduation on Feb. 16 in an introduction to accounting class. The retired certified public accountant emphasizes how accounting is not just a major, but a path which can bring long-term career, security growth and personal fulfillment.
Foster spent more than 40 years in public accounting, and using his own experiences, as well as data, he educated Simpson students. He explained how accounting, especially with a certification, offers students an increasingly rare opportunity in today’s job market.
“There are almost endless career alternatives for students who major in accounting, obtain the CPA designation, and start their career in public accounting,” Foster said.
Rather than narrowing job opportunities into a single role, he described accounting as a base skill which can result in leadership opportunities, finance careers and entrepreneurship and even in industries outside of the traditional accounting career path.
Throughout the class, Foster emphasized how accounting can offer exactly what Generation Z is looking for in a career. This includes stability, flexibility, growth and purpose.
With a constant and growing demand for accountants, and a large percent of current accountants nearing retirement, Foster explained students would enter a field with a lot of opportunities.
“If you want to land a full-time job before graduating college, “he said, “major and accounting.”
Foster also addressed student debt, which is one of student’s largest anxieties. With blunt honesty, he explained how students pursuing accounting are on a clear path to financial stability. The ability to pay off loans, acquire a safer retirement and build long-term security is not unrealistic in this field.
While accounting is stereotypically math heavy, Foster disagreed.
“Notice that I didn’t mention liking or being good at math,” he said with a smile.
Instead, he talked about skills far beyond calculus, such as critical thinking, judgment, communication, reading comprehension and teamwork. He even showed research claiming strong communication skills, and not advanced math, are often the best predictors of success in accounting.
One of Foster‘s most important points was centered on attitude. He cited advice from Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, who said, “an embarrassing amount of career success in your 20s is driven by attitude rather than skill.”
Foster showed how this quote affected his hiring experience, as he explained how positive and dependable employees will stand out quickly.
“People like to work with people they like, “he said. “And that matters more than you think.”
Even in retirement, Foster is still invested in mentoring students, which a commitment that he is very grateful for.
“My decision to pursue a career as a CPA was life-changing,” he shared. “That decision was made when I was 15 years old because someone took the time to talk to me about my options.”
Now he wants to pay it forward.
The accounting field gave Foster opportunity, purpose and freedom, and emphasizes this message to students everyday through his email sign-offs, reading: “Every day is a great day to be a CPA.”
