By Nimra Mehmud CPA
In this blog post, Nimra Mehmud CPA discusses the significant role mentoring plays in a candidate’s professional development. Nimra successfully wrote the 2018 CFE. She is a Legal Entity Reporting Accountant at Pembina Pipeline Corporation.
My mentoring journey started when I was an undergraduate student at the University of Calgary. To this day, I am grateful for the firsthand experiences my mentors shared with me. At an early stage of my degree, our discussions helped me visualize what a career in accounting would look like.
Since graduating, the experience of being mentored by extraordinary CPAs has helped me succeed in my career in numerous ways. I was able to incorporate my mentors’ suggestions when I was going through the CPA modules. If I ever felt stuck or needed to obtain some insight on technical accounting, my mentor was the first person I reached out to and I was confident they would guide me through the process. I believe that as a candidate, it is important to take the initiative and reach out to individuals in your profession. This small step could make a world of a difference in your career.
After obtaining my CPA designation, I decided to give back to the profession by participating in the practical experience mentorship program. This allows me to help candidates in both the experience verification and pre-approved program routes. As I was fortunate to gain experience in both of these routes while completing my 30-month experience requirement, I am now able to offer my perspective on what worked for me and helped me succeed.
I have had the privilege of mentoring both University of Calgary students and CPA candidates, and the experience has been very rewarding. Meeting and interacting with my mentees allows me to give back to the next generation of CPAs who will be making an impact in the community. It helps me stay up to date with the CPA profession and mentorship best practices. It also allows me to develop my leadership skills, expand my network, and grow professionally and personally.
The mentoring relationship benefits both the mentor and the mentee; I believe it is an investment in the future of both professionals. By putting effort into building these relationships, a candidate can make connections that can support and guide them throughout their career for years to come. Although formal conversations are important, I encourage mentors and mentees to also have informal conversations. This is because the formality may sometimes be too restricting and prevent you from maintaining that connection in the future.
CPA Alberta’s Mentoring Works Both Ways brochure explains how CPA candidates and mentors can make the most of the mentorship relationship. For more information, click here.The views expressed in this post are those of the guest writer, Nimra Mehmud CPA. Please refer to cpawsb.ca for the latest guidelines from the CPA Western School of Business.
