The following resources are available to aid you in preparing for your student engagement.

Volunteer 1-Pager: Review this one page volunteer resource for tips for connecting with students, getting to know your audience, and answers frequently asked questions.

PowerPoint Training Video: Watch as Rebekah Olson, CEO of the Maryland Association of CPAs, provides a review of the "Let's Talk Business" high school PowerPoint template and shares presenter tips along the way.

Your Stories - How they can help fill or empty the talent pipeline: Hear from Allen Lloyd, Executive Director at the Montana Society of CPAs, who will share how, as CPAs, your stories can help fill, or empty, the pipeline. A PDF of the presentation slides is available here.

The following customizable PowerPoints are designed to raise awareness of accounting career opportunities among high school students. Use these for any opportunities you have to engage with high school students, including events aligned with Accounting Opportunities Experience.

 Discover Your Future – Use this high school PowerPoint presentation for those with little to no experience with accounting (i.e., high school freshmen and sophomores).

 Discover Your Future - Budget Boss – Explore this shortened PowerPoint with an interactive activity that gives students a hands-on look at what accountants do. This is also appropriate for those with little to no experience with accounting. Download the optional corresponding handouts here.

 Let’s Talk Business – Use this high school PowerPoint presentation for high school students who already have a baseline understanding of what accounting is.

Unable to connect with students in-person or virtually? Share one of the following On-Demand Presentations with educators, so students can hear from a CPA at a time that is convenient for them.

Rosey Flaherty, Tax Manager, Eide Bailly

Jacob Nix, CEO, RISCPoint

Jaclyn Badeau, Owner, Badeau Consulting

Verenice Flores, Co-Founder, Avant CPAs & Advisors

Donny C. Shimamoto, CPA, CITP, CGMA, Managing Director, IntrapriseTechKnowlogies LLC

Use this PowerPoint if the goal of your presentation is to introduce or familiarize students with the profession in general. It describes what accountants do, details the benefits of becoming one, and explains the difference between accountants and CPAs.

Potential, Prestige & Purpose: An introduction to the Accounting Profession

What is a CPA? This PowerPoint takes the discussion a step further, introducing students to the CPA credential, including eligibility requirements, benefits of becoming a CPA, and the CPA Exam.

ThisWaytoCPA Presentation

This guide exists to help students piece together an exciting and rewarding career path and contains accounting-specific information for those on the path to becoming a certified public accountant (CPA).

Crafting Your Career: An Actionable Plan for a Rewarding Work Life

Let's Talk Business

Accountants are the backbone of the business world. Led by Ming Lu, an accounting professor at Santa Monica College, this video takes students down the career paths of three young CPAs in various industries so they can hear first-hand what it’s like to work as a CPA in the fields of education, tax, business and industry and forensic accounting.

Why become a CPA?

Becoming a CPA can offer a range of professional benefits, including increased career opportunities, recognition, financial rewards, and the ability to make a positive impact in the field of accounting and finance. But don’t just take our word for it! Hear from accounting students as they share why they want to become a CPA.

5 most interesting fields

Accounting is a diverse field with various specializations and interesting career paths. Each field offers unique challenges and opportunities for accountants, allowing them to specialize in areas that align with their interests and career goals. Watch below as we share the five most interesting fields in accounting.

One way to establish an ongoing dialogue between academe and practice is for academic accounting departments or schools to create an accounting advisory council (AAC). The AICPA & CIMA Accounting Advisory Council Toolkit, updated in 2024, provides guidelines and best practices to use in building your council of advisors.

Accounting Advisory Council Toolkit

The resources, training opportunities and networking events hosted by career centers help students find work in their field after graduation. Accounting firms and organizations often work directly with career center staff to advertise open positions and arrange internship opportunities. This toolkit provides best practices that campus career service centers and accounting firms and organizations can use together to ensure that students are well-equipped professionally.

University Career Services and Accounting Partnerships

AICPA created a toolkit for state CPA societies and others to work with schools to change their Classification of Instruction Programs (CIP) code to obtain STEM recognition. These resources are being made available to schools, too, and we encourage colleges and universities to connect with their state CPA society to share resources and ideas.

Click here to access these resources.

Your firm has the power to inspire Uniform CPA Examination success! Work environment can be a significant influencer for CPA candidates in their pursuit. A firm culture of motivation, support and recognition can be just what staff needs to prepare for and conquer the Exam.

Find tools that both your firm and your candidates can use to encourage Exam success.

For CPA firms who want to improve their culture to attract young CPAs

Building your Firm's CPA Culture

For CPA firms to support CPA Exam Candidates

8 Strategies for CPA Exam Success

CPA Exam Study Group Guide: Make Learning a Team Sport

Building your CPA Liaison Program

Support Candidates on the CPA Exam Journey

CPA Culture Exam Candidate Tracker

Other

Accounting Advisory Councils (AAC): A toolkit for CPA firms

The difference between an ally and an advocate comes down to action. Use this toolkit to facilitate an environment for discussions and actions that will help advance LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace.

LGBTQ+ inclusion in action toolkit – How to advance from idle to ally to advocate