For my Career Ed Interview, I decided to interview my Dad, who worked as a Senior Vice President in Corporate Tax, and has his CA and CPA in Canada and the United States. I wanted to interview my Dad as I hope to go into business as a career in the future. 

He started out earning his Masters of Accounting at the University of Waterloo, and did a Co-op with a small accounting firm in Toronto. After graduation, he worked for two major accounting firms, Ernst & Young, and Arthur Andersen. From there, he worked at GE Capital as a taxation manager and then at Plenary Group as a Senior Vice President. 

One valuable piece of advice that I received from my Dad was to not be shy about asking questions and to have an open mind about how much you can learn from other people. He told me a story about how he received useful advice from a number of colleagues over the years. 

We also talked about courses and subjects that helped his career. He specifically mentioned Math, Accounting, Law, and Music. He highlighted the importance of balance in time management between studies and relaxation. His overall mindset is the “Work hard, Play hard” mantra. His time at Waterloo was exceptional preparation for his career as it taught him Case Law and critical thinking skills.  

Finally, we discussed the rewarding and difficult parts of his jobs. The hardest part of his job was communicating with people who didn’t want to cooperate or discuss issues in a timely manner. Often, he needed to complete one task before moving onto another, and was held up by colleagues who were working on other priorities and didn’t want to meet. However, the most rewarding part of his job was the feeling of contribution to the team and company as a whole. He felt like he was making a difference and really benefiting the entire organization. 

Overall, I learned more about my Dad and the business world as a whole. I am still interested in going into business as a career, and am excited about the possibilities and my future.