Joshua Dandridge - Advisory Forensic Services Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC)

According to U.S. News, those entering the accounting sector rank #13 in Best Business Jobs. With a median salary of $71,550, a career in this field can be very promising if one plays their cards right. For this interview, we at Gen-Achievers wanted to dig deeper into this profession and learn more about a typical day as a CPA. Fortunately, we were able to interview Joshua Dandridge, a young professional whose skills, education, and experiences are aligning like a Royal Flush at a Texas Hold'em table - a candidate that is hard to compete against!

Joshua began his pursuit to becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) at West Chester University, where he studied Accounting with a minor in White Collar Crime. Not only was he able to remain in the Honors program while in college, but he also took on a "few" activities including... Leadership Consulting, The Friars' Society, Marching Band, Who's Who in American Universities and Colleges.

We would like to thank Joshua for his time and effort in sharing his professional experiences with Gen-Achievers and supporting the next wave of individuals hoping to land careers as a CPA.

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Give us what a typical day looks like in the shoes of Josh Dandridge.

On most weekdays, I wake up around 6:00 am-6:30 am. I usually workout (dependent on the day), shower, and make breakfast which normally consists of a smoothie. Surprisingly, I gave up coffee a few years back (crazy, I know!). At this point, I usually read up on some news and start my actual workday at around 8:00 am-8:30 am. This consists of me checking my email and writing up a do list for what needs to be completed throughout the day. Then the real fun starts…

My day is usually driven by client deadlines and meetings. So, lunch is scheduled typically between 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, or whenever it makes sense depending on how the day unfolds. Work then wraps up at around 5:30 pm, which I then cook dinner with Erika (my fiancé). Once we are done eating, we end up hanging out at the house or stay occupied with the other things we are both involved in. For instance, I am on the board of a non-profit and part of the worship team at my church. Naturally, my weeknights revolve around being active. Oh, and I am also an early bird, so I try to be in bed before 10:00 pm!

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Your position as an Advisory Forensic Services Associate isn’t one that most of us have heard about. Could you shed light on what exactly a professional in this position does on a day-to-day basis?

To put it plainly: I help clients prevent, respond, and remediate complex legal, regulatory, and economic crime challenges. Before I started in my current role, one of my mentors described forensic accounting as attempting to put together a puzzle without having the picture to reference on the box – We are professional problem solvers. Every day is a little bit different in this role which is something I really enjoy. I am fortunate that I have had the opportunity to travel up-and-down the East Coast for different clients, from Boston all the way down to Orlando. On average pre-pandemic, I would probably be traveling one week out of the month. Currently, we are 100% remote due to COVID.

In terms of day-to-day, my time is spent creating and refining analyses, conducting research, putting together deliverables, prepping for, and attending client calls. Everything is a team effort (which I also enjoy!). I am constantly learning from the people I work and collaborate with.

In addition to my client obligations, I make a conscious effort to stay involved with “extracurriculars” at the firm as well. Specifically, I have been involved in the Philadelphia Black Inclusion Network as well as the Philadelphia Advisory Council.

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With the current pandemic creating a massive alteration on how the markets will operate, where do you foresee the future for CPAs? Do you believe there are necessary skills that individuals entering the industry should plan to obtain which were not exactly necessary beforehand?

I wish I had a crystal ball (haha)! But in all seriousness, in my opinion, I think the CPA certification is an extraordinarily strong one to obtain and has already opened many doors for me personally. I believe CPAs are an integral part of any business and will remain as such for the foreseeable future.

To answer your second question, even since I graduated from West Chester University (go Rams), there has been an increase in efficiencies through various technologies. Our clients are expecting more than just the written report or PowerPoint once provided. In addition, and more importantly, if we are in the business of solving problems, we need to remain agile and ensure we are up to speed on the best tools to answer those problems. I would encourage folks that are interested in the accounting field to 1). Work towards getting that CPA certification. It is a differentiator in the market, will open many doors, and will create more job security. 2). Take some data analytics courses if possible. It will only help you in the long run.

Going off the previous question, how has the accounting world changed over the past few years regarding the variation of jobs out there?

Accounting is an overly broad term; it can reference someone who does taxes or someone that records journal entries at a corporation. These are quite different jobs and roles (haha). My responsibilities as a consultant are also different. Overall, I think technology has helped make our jobs more accurate but not necessarily easier.

Your college experience seemed worthwhile; participating in the drumline, taking part in multiple clubs & organizations, and earning Magna Cum Laude in a degree that (too many) can be considered a full-time job in and of itself. How were you able to manage all of these, and how did this support your professional growth early on?

In college, I really tried to make the most of my experience. In terms of academic success, being in the Honors college put me in a “groupthink” environment where everyone was studying and performing well academically. I would love to say “I did this on my own” but having smart and hardworking people living on your floor, and who took similar classes really helped lay a solid foundation. In addition, I had AMAZING mentors and people that took me under their wing… formally and informally.

Managing the workload was trial by fire. In the beginning, I tried to remember everything I had to do (which is what I did in high school) – this did not work out too well. I then tried a written planner… this also did not work out as I anticipated since I would forget to write in it and it just took too long for me to update. I then started using a digital calendar (i.e., Outlook & Google) which worked best for me. I would receive notifications to my phone when I had events, classes, or meetings and it was a lifesaver!

Even as a freshman, I would go to professional events where upperclassmen looking for jobs would be the only individuals in attendance. I began to get more comfortable talking to recruiters, learned a ton about companies’ missions, professionalism, public speaking, and much more just from going to these free events across campus.

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What do you believe are three of the most critical areas of an applicant’s resume that they should highlight if they hope to receive the possibility of landing a position?

1). Be authentic and do not downplay your experiences. This is the opportunity to showcase who you are, your accomplishments, and what you can bring to the table!

2). Quantify your impact. Add numbers to show the range of what you did. This will help reviewers better understand your impact.

3). Without Error. This should be a given, but the number of resumes I have looked at with misspellings, punctuation errors, different fonts, etc. It does not take a lot of time but especially in a profession where attention to detail is so important, you do not want your resume thrown out because you did not proofread it.

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With a lot of younger investors entering the stock market, there is a lot of uncertainty… What is your perspective on the current stock market? Is there any input you could share with our audience about what you think is going to occur mobbing forward?

I will say that especially for young investors and/or inexperienced investors, my opinion/rule of thumb: do not invest in things that you do not understand.

Have you been able to keep up with drumming? How do you balance work with hobbies, social life, etc.?

Yes! I took a brief hiatus when I was studying for the CPA exams. However, once I finished, I ended up buying an electronic drum set and joined the worship team at my church. Personally, I want to get back into teaching high

school drumlines – I really enjoyed doing that before. I am extremely fortunate in that the teams I have worked with so far promote flexibility in the workplace.

Communication is particularly important to manage expectations. That goes for the work environment, AND the personal life (haha). Trying to balance work, family, friends, hobbies, and SLEEP is a little bit of dance sometimes but I found that the best way for me to have balance through each is by taking concrete steps towards making it happen. Meaning, I need things on my

calendar and structure (i.e., self-control). I am not the type to sit here and hope that things will just happen.

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As always, we like to ask this question to see how others in our generations perceive our position in society. For some, they believe there is a shadow over millennials and younger generations in that we are "lazy" or "dependent" on others, and we are not striving to become tomorrow's leaders. What can you say to steer this perception into a positive picture for us all?

I think we may function a little bit differently than old

er folks given the amount of change that has taken place (i.e., the explosion of the internet, mass globalization, etc.) and that is what is leading to this perception that was created. I also believe it may partially be due to the whole, “Our way was right and y’all are wrong!” mindset. I know I have personally felt that after graduating from high school and especially after college. It is quite easy to come back, critique others, and say things such as “back in my day”, or “when we were doing XYZ, we were way better at it”. Just because we may do things differently within each generation, does not mean the others are wrong.

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Are there any other tips or suggestions you have for others out there? What is the next goal for you to accomplish?

In general, I would just like to encourage people! I know

people like to romanticize the grind but slowing down and spending time in the moment is good for the soul. The fondest memories I hold to this day are times spent with the people I love doing the things we love (completely unplugged). There is this tension between the never-ending to-do list and the finite unknown amount of time to enjoy this thing called life.

I am also getting married this summer, so I am super pumped for that! I will be extremely excited to wipe out these student loans for good (haha). I would like to be totally debt-free (besides my mortgage payment) by 30.