From SAF to the CFE, Helpful Tips by Tina Jin

Ever since being named to the Common Final Examination (CFE) Honour Roll, I have this new-found confidence in my career path. Although I still have a long process of figuring out exactly what my long-term career goals are, this reassured me that I can succeed in whichever path I choose to pursue, as long as I put in the effort.

Lucky for me, over the years I have found that the School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) does a lot to set us up for success in our lives. So, from me to you, here are my top five tips on how to make the most out of everything that SAF has to offer:

1. We have extremely dedicated and knowledgeable professors who are here to help you learn! If you don’t understand a topic, make sure to attend your professor’s office hours, or send them an email. They want to see you succeed and be the best you can be, so reach out.
2. SAF has hundreds of different course offerings for you to explore! There are many different aspects of accounting, finance, tax, and so on. Taking different courses (even if you think you might not enjoy it), can help you find the work you love to do.
3. Talk to as many people as you can! The students in SAF are extremely motivated, and working in this environment helped me push myself harder to work towards my end goals. Your peers are a great resource for help with difficult academic topics, determining what courses to take, and even just to find someone to relieve final exam stress with!
4. Co-op is super beneficial to your program! Through co-op, I was able to apply the academic experiences I had during SAF to a job within my field of interest. It also taught me how to quickly adapt to workplaces, as you usually only have four or so months in each job. By the end of all my co-op terms I was able to learn and develop my skills to become a more well-rounded professional.
5. Always try out new opportunities that come your way! Through extra-curriculars, I was able to connect with upper-year students who could share their experiences and provide meaningful guidance as mentors. If I had not tried these extra-curriculars, I would have missed out on that experience. Even volunteering and case competitions are amazing opportunities because they allow you to find out what kind of work you’re interested in, which will later help you determine what kind of career you want to pursue in the future.

I believe the SAF program prepared me tremendously well for the CFE and my future.

Hopefully these useful tips will help you too!