A mentoring session was held at Hyundai Motor Hall on Nov. 5, organized by the Career Development Center of Korea University Business School (Dean=Kim Jaewook). In this seminar questions and answers have been exchanged about the preparation of the CPA exam and the work of the accountant. Seo Man-gyu (Hyundai LLC, Admitted to KUBS on '03) and Kim Jin-hyung (Deloitte Anjin LLC, Admitted to KUBS on '07) attended the event and gave generous advice to their juniors.
 
First of all, the first part of the session was a question-and-answer session about the preparation of the CPA exam. "After I was discharged from the military, I got interested in what kind of career I should pursue," said Seo Man-gyu. "I was fascinated by the fact that my friends around me prepared this exam a lot and the preparation system was well-prepared in school. The fact that it has a diverse career path, including finance and taxation, seemed exciting too." "I took on a challenge to become an accountant because I liked to deal with numbers, and therefore becoming an accountant was an apt career path for a business major," said Kim Jin-hyung. He added, "After being discharged from the military, I studied wholeheartedly and passed the exam after three years." There were also questions about the order of studying CPA subjects. He answered, "I studied low-volatile subjects such as Principles of Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, Tax Law, and Financial Management first."
 
The session was followed by questions about accountants' work. When asked about the intensity of the overall work at accounting firms, Seo Man-gyu said, "At present, most accounting firms have adopted a 52-hour work week, which has greatly improved our working environment," adding, "Of course, we will be busier than ordinary conglomerates during the season, but the living standards are not bad." "If I take on a project in the off-season, I will work as if it is the season," said Kim Jin-hyung. "But these days, the atmosphere of the accounting firm is focused on strengthening quality rather than increasing the time." There was also a question about the salary, to which Seo Man-gyu said, "the annual salary has gone up a lot, but that also means a lot more responsibilities than in the past."
 
During the two-hour seminar, the students and alumni actively asked questions and gave responses, bringing back and forth practical information on the preparation process and practice of accountants. "If you've decided to take the exam, I want you to challenge yourself," Seo Man-gyu said. "I hope you don't leave any lingering doubts and work hard with all your spirit."