Why should I join CTCPA?

Transcription

1 Why should I join CTCPA? A Complete Guide to the Awesome Benefits of CTCPA Membership The Connecticut Society of CPAs

2 Look inside for ways to... Build your personal brand. Build your knowledge. Earn a seat on the Advisory Council/Board...4 Chair an interest group...4 Lead an educational session...5, 8 Write for Connecticut CPA magazine...5, 8 Get a free professional headshot...5 Get technical help from CPAs (P.A.T.H.)...10 Track your CPE credits easily...10 Save money on CPE...10 Get professional alerts and breaking news...11 Get free CPE credit...11 Join an interest group...11 Build your network. Build your career. HELLO Attend special events...6, 8 Make connections at society events...6, 8 Join an interest group...7 Add your name to the CTCPA Member Directory...7 Go to free members-only events...7, 11 Enhance your resume...12 Post your resume on ctcpas.org...12 Get guidance on earning your CPA credential...12, 13 Find work (full-time, part-time, per diem)...12, 13 Apply for scholarships CTCPA membership: an investment in you. Your ROI starts here. Build your business. Build your resume...8, 10, 12 Speak at a conference...8 Connect with other business organizations...8 Be seen in Connecticut CPA magazine...8 Join the exclusive CTCPA LinkedIn group...9 Get discounts on classified ads...9 Add your firm to the Find a CPA search engine...9 Protect the profession. CTCPA: we re... Ensuring the future of the CPA profession...14 Making an impact on the national level...14 Working to get CPAs the praise they deserve...15 Fighting the unseen legislative battles

3 Pull up a seat on the Advisory Council or Board of Directors. Be the face of your organization (literally, your face will be everywhere) as you rub elbows with other decision-makers, speaking for the profession and 6,000 members. Grab the mic! Are you a self-proclaimed know-it-all? Are people always bugging you for information? If you answered yes, congratulations you re an expert. Start talking. Come teach a class, talk to an interest group, or visit a college accounting class. Get published. Your byline on the glossy pages of Connecticut CPA magazine your mom will be so proud. (Don t worry, we ll send a copy for Grandma, too.) Say cheeeeese! Are you guilty of trying to make that terribly cropped Facebook photo look professional? Selfies and work don t mix. Ditch the iphone mugshot we re happy to take a professional headshot for you, free of charge. Lead the pack. PERSONAL BRAND Build your personal brand. Spread the word you re kind of awesome. If you want to get your name out there, we ve got plenty of leadership opportunities and chances to get noticed. Up, up, and away! Hang out with others who share your niche and go one step further and lead the charge. (Chairing an interest group looks great on your resume!) This could be your ticket to a seat on the Advisory Council, too. PERSONAL BRAND 4 5

4 Come one, come all! Whether you re fresh out of college or sitting in the corner office, we ve got special events tailor made for members just like you. Check out New and Young Professionals, Pr!me (programming for 35+), and interest groups. F is for fun. Learn to play golf, throw it back to your playground days with dodgeball or kickball, teach financial basics to some really cute local elementary school kids, or get your company involved in a holiday pajama or coat drive. (Really, these events are special.) It s who you know. Ever wish you had the IRS on speed-dial? Thanks to your membership, you can shake hands with the big suits downtown. YourSpace. Do you want to chat, share your stories, or soak up knowledge from people who do what you do? From state tax to technology and everything in between, we ve got an interest group for you. Rolodex for CPAs. Behind lock and key (a.k.a. username and password), we ve got contact information for thousands of Connecticut s CPAs in our online member directory. Free admission. You never know who you ll meet at our free meetings, spread throughout the state. Everyone wants a seat at the cool kids table now you ve got one. (Did we mention it s free?) NETWORK Build your professional network. It s not what you know, it s who you know. And lucky you you have 6,000 members waiting to meet you. Commiserate and celebrate with people who get it... Not all CPAs do tax returns, and that CPA Exam was no joke! NETWORK 6 7

5 Be the familiar expert. Show off your business and your expertise without paying for marketing. Just put on your speaker hat and donate your time. We re always looking for vibrant new presenters at our conferences and seminars. See and be seen. Turn that quiet conversation in the corner into potential new business opportunities. Expand your reach... and your knowledge. Be the buzz of the room. It s not who you know, it s who knows you. Network at cocktail parties with the Connecticut Bar Association, attend a free CPE seminar with CPAs, or dine with DRS representatives. Who knows you could meet the president (of the CTCPA, of course)! Free press is good press! Does your firm dress up for Halloween, grow mustaches for Movember, run races for charity, etc.? We re always looking to spotlight our members tell Connecticut CPA magazine what you re up to... or even better, show us! If you re not into photos, don t worry you can also lock yourself in a room and start writing. We love articles, too! 911 for your firm. You re (Linked)In! Want to be a part of the exclusive, closed CTCPA LinkedIn Group? Sounds fun, right? In keeping with the latest trends, we ve created this online community where you can post, share, and comment on all things CPA. Who doesn t love a discount? Help wanted... Mergers and acquisitions... Selling a couch... just kidding! Members get a special discounted rate when placing a classified ad. It s craigslist for CPAs. (Keep it classy folks.) Your name here. Add your firm to the Find a CPA search engine get on the train or get left behind. Potential clients can find you by the services you provide, your zip code, or the industries you specialize in. (Pssst this is free, too!) BUSINESS Build your business. Want the potential to pick up some extra clients? Put your skills on display and show off your expertise. Like everything else, what you give, is what you get. No time like now to get started ready, set, go! Ever wonder what would happen if you suddenly couldn t run your business anymore? With our Emergency Assistance Plan, we have resources on standby waiting to help you today. Don t go it alone. BUSINESS 8 9

6 Find your P.A.T.H. You ve got mail. Free? Sign me up! Dive deeper. Got questions? We ve got answers (or know someone who does, at least). Access a list of knowledgeable members ready and willing to help. See it. Say it. Hear it. Do it. We re keeping you in the know when news breaks with professional alerts, targeted event notifications, and member, student, and CPE enewsletters. No spam here! Education is expensive. We get it. As a thank you, we offer our members a variety of opportunities throughout the state to earn free CPE. (We ll even throw in a bagel.) Fraud, check. State tax, check. Technology, check. Nonprofit, check. And... a bunch more interest groups. Experts and novices alike don t be shy, we don t bite. With thousands (yes, we said thousands) of programs, from in-person seminars and conferences to webinars, we ve got your learning style covered. Plus, members save big bucks up to $125 per class! KNOWLEDGE Build your knowledge. Knowledge is power. Get it, share it and feel good about it. CTCPA offers more than just CPE. Never stop learning, because life never stops teaching. Are we your homepage? (If not, we should be...) Log in to get your CPE transcript, the member directory, and even money-saving Member Perks. Visit your one-stop shop for all things CTCPA! KNOWLEDGE 10 11

7 Add an impressive bullet to that stuffy resume. Lost on your way to becoming a CPA? Maybe it s time to specialize. We ll help pay for your education. A pu-pu platter of CPA employers. Show potential employers that you re invested in your profession. Say I m serious by joining your state CPA society. Your name in lights. We ve got you covered with Become a CPA in Connecticut, our five-step handbook to anything and everything you need to know about becoming a CPA. (Think of it like a CPA for Dummies guide.) There comes a time when everyone has to decide what area do I want to call my own? If you re not sure, come sample our interest groups until you find your fit. Did you know we offer nearly $50,000 in scholarships EACH year? These exclusive member opportunities are here to help you finish your 120/150 credit hours and get certified. We ve made your job search easier with our Guide to Connecticut CPA Employers, a collection of firm and company listings. It s your turn to analyze their resume! Looking for a job? As a member, you can post your resume on our Carpe (per) diem. Your personal help desk. CAREER website at no charge. It s simple and easy... what are you waiting for? Get a job today! Are you looking to pick up some extra hours during tax season? Maybe you re a mom looking to get back into the workforce, a bored retiree, or someone looking for part-time work that may lead to full-time employment. Are you stuck on your journey to becoming a CPA? Time is money, so stop spinning your wheels and give us a call we can help. No question is a dumb question. Build your career. Check out our per diem list! Whether you re a student or a managing partner, we ve got the tools to help you elevate your career. It s what we do! In between jobs? We want to help you get back on your feet. Call us for a free situations wanted ad in Connecticut CPA magazine. CAREER 12 13

8 Being an accountant is cool... being a CPA is even cooler. Putting CTCPA on the map. We ve got your back. Always. Connecticut is at the forefront We re fighting the unseen battles We know you re great... we make sure the public knows it too. From high school to graduate of shaping the future of the alongside our resident lobbyist Through public relations campaigns, school, students are getting the accounting profession by and defeating many injustices: media interviews, and more, we re memo. We re shouting this from attending national conferences, being a part of AICPA Council Proposed sales tax on CPA services (2004, 2009, 2015). always working to get CPAs the the rooftops. Through face-to-face visits, customized enewsletters, meetings, sitting on special Hip, Hip, CPA! Hip, Hip, CPA! special programming, scholarships, interest groups, and speaking to and countless resources, we re other state societies about all the Adequate staffing of the State Board of Accountancy (2011, 2015). making sure everyone knows innovative things CTCPA is doing. what it takes to be a CPA and We may be a small state, but we supporting you on your way. pack a mighty punch! praise they deserve. Rollback of monthly and quarterly sales tax filings. PROTECTING THE PROFESSION CTCPA: making the world safe for Connecticut CPAs. Supporting, educating, and protecting the vitality of the CPA profession, one day at a time. Here are your dues dollars at work! 14 PROTECTING THE PROFESSION 15

9 Connecticut Society of CPAs 716 Brook Street, Suite 100 Rocky Hill, CT