Cori – Staff Accountant

AWIC interviewed different local professionals for an inside look into their work. You can learn more about Accounting and related clerks (NOC 1431) through a detailed Career Profile.

Cori Charlebois is a Staff Accountant at Joe Ruscio Professional Corporation in Sault Ste. Marie.

What does a typical day look like for you?

On any day I could be working on year ends, personal or corporate tax returns and bookkeeping services.

What was the education and training needed for your job? Any additional training for your current position?

4 year degree in business and accounting, and currently working towards my CPA designation online.

Why and when did you choose this career? What have you learned since you started?

I chose this career in high school. I did a co-op position at the office I’m currently working full time at and truly enjoyed with work and environment here. Within the year of working here I have learned 10x times more than university.

What skills do you have that make you great at your job?

Attention to detail, time management and professionalism are a must for the job!

What is the biggest thing you have learned on the job?

To look at the bigger picture, working with a clients you need to understand all the aspects involved. Also that nothing is every the perfect scenario, in university they teach how to do a tax return or make financial statements when the bookkeeping is done correctly, this isn’t the case most often and being attentive is important.

What is the best part of your job?

Working with so many different departments and clients, no day is the same.

What is something challenging about your job?

Every client is different so learning how to do files an be time consuming and difficult the first year.

What advice would you give to someone interested in pursuing the career?

Make sure you have time for your CPA Courses at night and working full time. Need to prioritize this for a couple years.

How would you say COVID-19 has affected your day-today-work? (Job duties, commute, check-in process, etc.)

During the stay at home order, we were relocated to home where possible. We are lucky that out jobs is mainly digital now and was able to do this.

What has it been like to be an essential worker during a world-wide pandemic?

We were lucky that we were still open and able to work in such unknown times. Since new government funding was provided we were actually more busy and was working overtime to help our clients through this time.

Have you experienced loss or personal struggles since the beginning of the pandemic? How have you and your co-workers coped with working through the shut-down?

We have been lucky to have work and increase of work during this time. Our staff has felt the loss and struggles from not seeing family out of town and tried to make the best of our work environment.

Could you share how being an essential worker during the pandemic has made this more personally fulfilling career?

Yes, helping clients get loans and government funding through the pandemic has been very fulfilling during this time.