From CPA to Global Travel: Accounting Career Advice with Jedediah Hewson | Episode 12

In this edition of Beyond the Numbers, Bernadette Grattan, Founder & Recruiting Director at The Resource Link, is joined by Jedediah Hewson. Jedediah is the Senior Accounting Manager at Cadence Education.

Advice for Early-Career Accountants

When asked what advice he’d give to his younger self as a staff or senior accountant, Jedediah emphasized two main points:

1. Get your CPA early: “I would have passed the CPA exams when I was in school, so it wouldn’t have interfered with work.” Jedediah stressed the importance of taking the CPA exam as soon as you’re eligible, even while still in school. He explained, “It just made things difficult when starting a new job and then trying to pass the exam while I was working as an auditor, and certain times you have crazy hours and trying to maintain those study habits too at the same time.”  For more information, visit the AZ State Board of Accountancy website.
2. Get involved in projects: “The advice I would give myself is to try to be more involved in projects. Just trying to be more involved and take some kind of task on in various projects. Not just the regular day-to-day stuff, I think it helps to make one stand out and get the experience that would be beneficial as a manager later on.”
   

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Building Relationships

Jedediah also emphasized the importance of networking and building relationships within your team and company:

“One thing that I eventually did, and I wish I had done it sooner, is to go out to lunch with others. I was trying to save money and bring my lunch. But regularly, having lunch with someone who can be a mentor or just other people on the team with more experience is key. You build that relationship, and you have more trust and might be more top of mind for projects or things of that nature.”

The Value of Accounting

While Jedediah admitted that he doesn’t love all aspects of accounting, he highlighted several benefits:

• Travel opportunities: “It’s afforded me the opportunity to travel overseas and to work with all kinds of extraordinary people that I probably wouldn’t have run into otherwise.”
• Cross-departmental exposure: “With accounting, it’s been great having the opportunity to work with people from all departments, company-wide. Whether it’s for budgeting or for expense analysis or whatnot. In accounting, you’re going to, at some point, probably work with every single department in an entire company.”
  

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Additional Advice for Staff and Senior Accountants

Jedediah offered one more piece of advice for those early in their accounting careers:

“I think something that’s good, and maybe I took this for granted, but being able to learn the tasks of other people on the team and to cross-train and get a broader knowledge of what’s going on. I think that’s key to developing an all-around knowledge of what’s going on. I feel like it’s really important to try to expand as much as you can. Whether that’s asking if you can learn some tasks for somebody if they happen to be out or they go on vacation, you’re the backup for taking on additional responsibilities.”

By following Jedediah’s advice, early-career accountants can set themselves up for success and make the most of the opportunities that come with a career in accounting.

ABOUT Jedediah Hewson: Jedediah is an accomplished accounting professional with a track record of leadership and financial expertise across multiple industries. He currently serves as Senior Accounting Manager at Cadence Education, a role he has held since March 2024.

His career progression reflects a commitment to growth across diverse industries:

• Senior Accounting Manager – Ensign Services
• Corporate Accounting and AP Manager – Plexus
• Worldwide Manager of Africa Accounting (Acting Controller) – CMOC International
• Senior Accounting Analyst – CMOC International
• Assurance Senior – EY
• Platoon Sergeant – United States Army Reserve.

Jedediah is a CPA and holds both a Master of Science (M.S.) in Accountancy and a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Accountancy from Arizona State University, graduating with high honors.

Learn more or reach out at: LinkedIn

ABOUT Bernadette Grattan: Bernadette is the Founder and Accounting & Finance Recruiting Director of The Resource Link, Inc., a specialty search firm she started in 2002. Bernadette takes a personalized approach to understanding the hiring manager and job seeker’s needs. This enables her to make long-term placements in accounting, finance, and executive roles. The Resource Link distinguishes itself through high-touch customer service, candid insights, and ensuring an excellent match by connecting top talent with companies aligned with their career passions.

If you are looking to hire or considering what is next, learn more at theresourcelink.com or linkedin.com/in/bernadettegrattan/