The CPA Panel Event was a huge success! Thank you to all our panel members and those students who attended.
Last Tuesday Griffith Careers, in conjunction with CPA Australia, held a panel event for accounting students at the Queensland College of Art in South Bank.
The event showcased the personal career journeys of three CPAs in different stages of their career –
Sean Marjason, Senior Consultant, Business and Controls Assurance
Julie O’Brien, Senior Advisor, Financial Solutions Group, Queensland Treasury Corporation
Craig Morton, General Manager Finance and Commercial, Thiess Australian Mining.
Students were given the opportunity to draw on the experiences of the panel and ask questions of their own, with a prize going to Cameron Archer from GUAFA (Griffith University Accounting and Finance Association) who asked the most thoughtful and insightful question on the night. (How important is it to become involved in activities outside of just studying and what are good examples of doing this?).
The event was a fantastic opportunity for students to gain real insight into their future fields and learn from people who had gone there before them. The chance to ask questions and participate in a group discussion with people with similar interests drew positive feedback from attendees, with many commenting that they learned so much about the accounting field from the panel.
For those who couldn’t attend, you can watch footage of the panel here and hear the answers from senior and qualified people in the field. It is particularly relevant to accounting students but there is also some fantastic general career advice which is applicable to everyone looking to break into graduate employment.
You can view the videos below (although sorry about the poor sound quality, best to use headphones!).
You can listen to the personal career journeys of all the panel speakers and hear answers to questions such as:
- What other skills are employers looking for besides just counting the beans and how do you develop those skills?
- How can employees increase their competitiveness and become indispensable?
- How important is it to become involved in activities outside of just studying and what are good examples of doing this?
- I always get stuck in an interview when asked if I have any degree related experience. How do I get around this?
- What advice would you give to students wishing to approach organisations they want to work for and how would you recommend doing this?
- How do you make your CV stand out?
- What mentors have you had in your journey to date?
- How has it affected your career working for purpose rather than profit?
- Where do you think accounting jobs will be in the next 5 – 10 years?
Griffith University Careers and Employment Service 
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