Are you a college student interested in pursuing a career as a Certified Public Accountant? HFA, a local accounting firm, wants to help you succeed. Any HFA intern who receives a full-time offer letter to work at HFA post-graduation is eligible for CPA exam incentives.
“The exam is notoriously difficult to pass,” said Sarah Snell, CPA and Chief Operating Officer at HFA. “It only gets harder as you move up the ranks in the workforce as job responsibilities increase and work gets prioritized over studying.”
Once hired, HFA pays for the employee to take each part of the four-part exam once. “We also offer a 24-month interest-free loan to help with the study course – a value of up to $3,000,” said Snell. “We have developed relationships with some of the more popular review course providers such as Becker and Surgent so that HFA employees are eligible for discounted pricing. If new employees pass all four parts of the exam within two years of their hire date, HFA gives them a bonus.”
Kristen Hook, a Staff II Accountant at HFA, is a working mom in Little Egg Harbor who went through the intern program at HFA. Hook interviewed for HFA’s internship program after learning about the firm at Stockton University’s career fair. She formally started her internship at HFA in September 2018. After graduating, Hook was hired at HFA as a full-time accountant in January 2019.
Hook utilized the Wiley CPAexcel Review Course to prepare for the exam. “I passed all four parts within two years of my hire date – all on my first try,” said Hook. “When I began studying, I was still attending Stockton University for an M.B.A. to attain the additional required credits for the CPA license. During this time, I began working full-time at HFA and tried to find time to care for my family. I now have an eight-year-old son and have been married for 13 years. It was short-term struggle with great rewards.”
For those considering an internship at HFA, Hook says her co-workers and HFA management were extremely helpful and encouraging throughout her journey. “Learning the position before officially being hired as a full-time staff accountant aided my transition and gave me the confidence that I needed to be successful as a new addition to the HFA family,” she said.
Looking to the future, Hook hopes to eventually move up the ranks to management and gain the knowledge and confidence to be more involved in the firm. “The HFA family truly welcomed me with open arms,” she said. “I am honored to be a part of such a caring and supportive organization.”
To learn more about HFA’s internship program, email careers@hfacpas.com or call 732-797-1333.
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