INA, Ill. - Taking that first step in going back to college for a second degree can sometimes be a most difficult and confusing choice. For Mt. Vernon resident Steven Tate, that leap back to 海角视频芒鈧劉s campus nearly 20 years after he graduated is one of the best decisions he芒鈧劉s made.
Tate shared his experiences that led him from working full time as a maintenance technician at Walgreens Distribution Center to the opportunity-filled world of a staff accountant at Kemper CPA Group LLP in Mt. Vernon. After graduating in 1993 with his first associate degree, Tate left RLC芒鈧劉s commencement ceremony again in 2012 and continued into the career he has now.
- Steven Tate
After working at Walgreens for a decade, Tate decided it was time to switch things up. The RLC graduate in electronic maintenance came back for his second degree, only this time he chose something completely different: business.
芒鈧揑 thought, 芒鈧淚 want to move up and do something else, something in management.芒鈧劉 I started taking classes at RLC in 2010 and one of my first courses was accounting. I found I really liked it and wanted to do more business classes,芒鈧� said Tate. 芒鈧揑 knew I wanted to go on, but I didn芒鈧劉t know what I wanted to do. Mark Jornd (Business Associate Professor) said to me, 芒鈧淵ou need to do accounting. You芒鈧劉re good at it.芒鈧劉 And that芒鈧劉s what I did.芒鈧�
Tate says it was RLC芒鈧劉s proximity to his home and workplace that offered him the best option to start classes and figure out what he wanted to study.
芒鈧摵＝鞘悠� is a short distance from my home, so I didn芒鈧劉t have far to go. And it gave me an idea of what I want to do before I jumped in at a four-year university. It prepared me for the university as far as what I needed to do,芒鈧� said Tate. 芒鈧揟he instructors at RLC told us what we needed to do to be prepared and good students. The classrooms were a lot smaller, so the interaction was a lot more one-on-one compared to a four-year university.芒鈧�
One of his earliest courses was Business Calculus with Mathematics Professor Cindy Caldwell. It was there he learned just how difficult majoring in accounting would be.
芒鈧揑 had calculus with Cindy and she was wonderful. I recommend to anyone going into accounting to take their math courses at Rend Lake, because they芒鈧劉re less expensive and you have the math lab and tutors to go to if you need help,芒鈧� said Tate. 芒鈧揑 don芒鈧劉t think some people understand the work that goes into accounting. For one three-credit-hour course, I芒鈧劉d have nine or 10 hours of homework and studying a week, just for that one class.芒鈧�
In the end, he decided accounting was the best option for him, even over a business degree.
芒鈧揂ccounting trumps it all because it芒鈧劉s the language of business,芒鈧� said Tate. 芒鈧揑 liked math. That芒鈧劉s the reason I gravitated toward accounting, but everyone thinks accounting is all about the numbers. It芒鈧劉s also about understanding where the numbers go. The math part is the easy part, but understanding what the clients芒鈧劉 needs are and helping them plan for their future is important too. You have to know their goals and develop a relationship with them. It芒鈧劉s all about making the client happy and doing what you need to do for them.芒鈧�
With an Associate of Science in Business degree under his belt in 2012, Tate transferred to Southern Illinois University (SIU) Carbondale to continue working on his new career change. Before he reached the end of his journey as a Saluki, something special happened.
芒鈧揑 was hired in August of 2014 and I hadn芒鈧劉t even graduated yet. I was referred to the Kemper office in Mt. Vernon from the Dean of the College of Business at SIU. After submitting a resume, I was interviewed and hired, and I was still two classes away from graduating in December,芒鈧� said Tate. 芒鈧揂t Kemper, I do a lot of tax returns, but I also do basic bookkeeping, payroll, accounts payable and receivable, financial statements, quarterly tax returns, state sales tax returns, and so many other things. Every day I learn something new - a lot more than what was taught in class. My courses taught me the basic concepts of how things work, and the professional world is just so much more. Laws are always changing, and you芒鈧劉re not going to know everything.芒鈧�
And he did graduate while he was working. In December of 2014, with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Tate walked across the stage with a high grade point average - enough to make it on the Dean芒鈧劉s List and graduate cum laude. Tate finished the last leg of his post-secondary education while still working full-time at Walgreens.
芒鈧揑 just thought, 芒鈧淚f I芒鈧劉m going to do this, I芒鈧劉ll do it until I芒鈧劉m done.芒鈧劉 It was certainly an adventure,芒鈧� he said.
Now, Tate spends much of his time planning for his own future and preparing for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examination. To be eligible, staff accountants like Tate have to complete 150 credit hours of work plus one year working in the professional field, both of which Tate will have next month.
The exam itself, however, is no easy feat. Broken into four sections, the 14-hour long examination has roughly a 50 percent success rate and is a formidable task for any would-beCPAs. Tate says passing the test is the 芒鈧揼old standard芒鈧� for any accounting major, something he hopes to accomplish by December.
He芒鈧劉s planning to take the hardest section of the exam first - Financial Accounting Reporting - to get it over and done. Using the Becker CPA guide to get ready for the exam, Tate has taken several review courses, online lectures, and self-studies to prepare. The ultimate goal is to pass and take the next big step in his professional career.
芒鈧揅PAs sign off on audits and work with the government or non-for-profits. It can be daunting, working a lot of hours in the spring, but it芒鈧劉s fun and exciting,芒鈧� said Tate.
Some CPAs go into the private sector, but he says that芒鈧劉s not in his immediate plans. 芒鈧揑 like public accounting and I芒鈧劉m going to stay with it. That芒鈧劉s the great thing about accounting, there are so many good opportunities. You get companies calling you, wanting you to come work for them. At first, you芒鈧劉re fighting to try to get a job before you have the degree, but once you get it, you have firms contacting you. The field is growing and we need accountants. There are lots of places looking to hire and that first job really opens a lot of doors.芒鈧�
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are nearly 1.3 million jobs for accountants across the nation. This number is expected to grow by about 13 percent, or 166,000, before 2022.
This is good news for Tate and other accounting majors who are focusing on passing the CPA exam and moving on to more impressive avenues.
芒鈧揑芒鈧劉d like to be a senior accountant in a couple years and then a manager in four or five years. Eventually, I芒鈧劉d like to be a partner, but there芒鈧劉s no time frame for that. Less than 10 years would be awesome. There are just so many opportunities, especially in my firm and location in Mt. Vernon,芒鈧� said Tate.
His advice to other business or accounting majors?
芒鈧揜end Lake is a really good stepping stone, especially the business program. It prepared me for courses at SIU. I know if it weren芒鈧劉t for Rend Lake, I would芒鈧劉ve been more overwhelmed, so it definitely helped me as the first step,芒鈧� said Tate. 芒鈧揟here was a lot of work in group projects, both at RLC and SIU, because that芒鈧劉s what you do in the real world. It was great to experience that. Plus, Rend Lake is also three or four times cheaper than SIU.芒鈧�
To learn more about RLC芒鈧劉s Business degree, contact Mark Jornd at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1273 or jorndm@rlc.edu. To start your journey at RLC, visit .