Career vs. Culture -- Do You Have to Choose?

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Yes, you can make good career decisions without sacrificing your cultural values. Read two professionals' stories.

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Today’sCPA

Career vs. culture: Do you have to choose?
By Heather Choe, CPA, and Haven S. Pope, CPA, CFE

The best decisions for our career advancement may often appear to contradict our cultural values, forcing us to face a difficult choice between being true to our upbringing and achieving career success.

o you speak up in a meeting when you know your answer is correct? Or do you not speak until spoken to? Do you join a conversion about golf, even though you do not like the sport? Or do you display a genuine interest to create common ground? For some, these are easy decisions. For others, these are major hurdles that can easily become roadblocks on the path to success. The best decisions for our career advancement may often appear to contradict our cultural values, forcing us to face a difficult choice between being true to our upbringing and achieving career success. We hope that a brief look into our careers will help you make the best decisions, without feeling as though you are sacrificing your cultural values. Heather’s Story My story is the typical immigrant dream of my parents leaving behind their lives to find a better life for their children. Culturally, it was ingrained in me to respect my superiors, whether by age

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or position, and not to speak until spoken to. It was also my parents’ motto to work hard and you will succeed. While I still remain true to my culture, I have been forced to challenge these very premises throughout my career.
Don’t let your ethnicity or cultural background hold you back

When I started in public accounting, I was terrified to speak up in meetings, especially when there were partners present. I had great ideas, but I did not want to be disrespectful and speak up until someone asked for my opinion, when, in fact, this was the exact opposite of what I should have been doing. Gradually, I realized that it was okay to present my ideas without being prompted. The most successful companies encourage their people to display initiative, though it may be difficult for some. One of my fondest memories was when I made a joke during a client proposal, which truly helped break the ice. Though our company was not selected for the engagement, it was a special learning moment for me. I could not have imagined myself

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Today’s CPA • Disclosures • September/October

Whether you are just starting out in your career or feel like you have not achieved all that you had hoped for, take a hard look at yourself before looking at others.
doing that just a few years earlier. In some cases, your background may actually help you. I have always been acknowledged for my client service skills. I feel like I have the advantage of wanting to listen to people because that is what I was raised to do first. However, I learned along the way that there are times when I need to speak up, too. I’m sure there are some people who are wishing I hadn’t become so good at that part.
Gently blow your own horn

Along with working hard, I was taught not to brag about my accomplishments, and I still don’t. However, I learned that it is also important to make yourself stand out among your peers (in the right way, of course!). Don’t wait for others to acknowledge your successes, for it may never happen. I feel as though it is my responsibility to make sure decision makers are aware of my achievements. It is all in how you approach it. I seek to find the appropriate opportunities to make my successes known, without bragging about them. Haven’s Story My mother always encouraged me to go after my dreams, but cautioned against entrusting my future to the hands of other people. Also, “networking” had a negative connation, as it was more about “who you know” than the work you do, which was often the case for her as one of the few African-American women at the plant where she worked for more than 20 years.
Yes, work hard, but work harder at networking

When I first started in public accounting, I was extremely uncomfortable attending my first networking function. Everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves, while I was dreading the thought of faking my way through a conversation about golf or politics. It felt disingenuous, and I wasn’t going to stoop to that level. My opinion was that if I just did my work, success would come. I did

not need to schmooze with people I didn’t know or talk about things in which I had no interest. However, I have come to realize that yes, you need to work hard, but you have to work harder at networking to help ensure your success. This was a difficult decision to come to, as it was contrary to what I had always learned. When you are competing with the very best, the thing that will differentiate you is your personal connection with the decision makers. You need people to be your champions, even without your prompting. Networking is one of the best ways to achieve that. One of my proudest achievements came to me without me trying. After agreeing to sit on an informal panel discussion for young CPAs, I received a phone call from someone with the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). She had received my name from the organizer of the panel discussion and wanted me to be on a task force targeting their young CPA members. As a part of this task force, I participated in the development of the AICPA’s Young CPA Network and their national “Feed the Pig” campaign promoting financial literacy. Ultimately, I was asked to sit on a panel at a national conference in Las Vegas to discuss recruiting and retaining young professionals with Leslie Murphy, who was AICPA chair at the time. Though, it was not until after I agreed to do it that I realized we would be speaking in front of more than 650 people! Nonetheless, it was a great opportunity that came out of networking, and more opportunities have come since. Looking back, I try not to think about the opportunities I may have missed out on because I was not comfortable with networking. Instead, I look at the opportunities that did come out of networking and the fact that “networking” is not necessarily a dirty word anymore. Moral of the story Whether you are just starting out in your career or feel like you have not

achieved all that you had hoped for, take a hard look at yourself before looking at others. It is critical to be aware that you may be holding yourself back, whether it is because of your culture or your upbringing. Be proud of your heritage, but learn to be cognizant of how it may be affecting you professionally. You will find that you are able to make good career choices without setting aside your cultural background or your parents’ teachings. 

Heather Choe, CPA, is the manager of internal IT audit at CarMax, Inc., in Richmond. She has more than 15 years of financial and IT auditing and system implementation experience, including five years in public accounting. She is a member of the Audit Committee for the Virginia Commonwealth University Foundation. Contact her at hchoe@ hjpope.com.

Haven S. Pope, CPA, CFE, is the manager of financial reporting at CarMax, Inc., in Richmond. He has more than 10 years of accounting and auditing experience, including seven years in public accounting. He was voted as a Super CPA in 2008 and also sits on the VSCPA Editorial Task Force. Contact him at [email protected] or visit his profile on LinkedIn at www. linkedin.com/in/havenpope. Note: The opinions expressed are those of the authors and not of the authors’ employer.

Today’s CPA • Disclosures • September/October

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