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Ahava Goldman

Senior Technical Manager
AICPA (that's us)
New York, NY

 

Ahava Goldman has a question for you. Lots of them, actually – for a good part of her career, she wrote questions for the CPA exam, then supervised the team that wrote even more. So if one day you find yourself trying to solve a really tricky section of the test, you might just have Ahava to thank.

She’s asked plenty of questions throughout her career too. Question One: “What are the opportunities here?” That’s what she asked in her cover letter to the AICPA, and it’s a great question for you to ask about the accounting profession too. Here’s a peek at the answer:

“There is a lot of opportunity for growth,” Ahava says, “and well-paying jobs are available. You will be working in a respected profession doing work that helps individuals, businesses and society.” What’s more, you’ll have “the chance to THINK – to exercise your brain and get the satisfaction of solving problems.”

Question Two: What’s more important, matching your strengths or improving your weaknesses? Ahava says it’s definitely the first one, which she confirmed when she left a prestigious position giving clients business advice so she could pursue the question-writing thing. Now she’s happily matched to her job, and has time outside work to raise her three kids and even get in a little yoga each week.

Here’s one more tip from Ahava, and a good thing to keep in mind as you go after your career goals. “It’s okay to ask for help,” she says. “People won’t think you’re stupid; they’ll think you’re a smart person who needs to learn.”

In the end, according to Ahava, “most people are happy to teach.” Even the ones who test you.

Got questions of your own? Ask a CPA.