The Massachusetts Society of CPAs launched a Mentor Match program designed to encourage, inspire and empower future CPAs, and provide an opportunity for members to give back to their profession.
Starting in October, the year-long program consists of 15 mentors from various firms and professional levels and 15 mentees who are either college students or recent graduates. After joining the organization last winter, MassCPAs director of academic and career development Allie Orlando saw the importance of mentorship among young professionals and started thinking about the benefits such a program could bring.
With the help of independent consultant Trish Foster, Orlando worked to develop a mentorship program that would be customizable enough for both educators and students. She wanted to help people bridge cultural differences and work as a team while delivering the message that accounting is a dynamic industry.
"I was looking specifically at how mentorship impacts the accounting pipeline and the CAQ posted data on the impact of role models with influencers," said Orlando. "I knew having a mentorship program would be highly valuable, not only to recruit but support students in the pipeline, because it can be a difficult journey. We believe that having extra support and supporting diversity could definitely help."
Foster helped design the program and facilitated two training sessions that participants must complete before starting the program. The first part focuses on promoting diversity, networking and meeting people where they are, while the second part is only between mentors and mentees to discuss the benefits of mentorship and strategic goal-setting. After that, the pair are free to set up regular check-ins or workshops depending on their preferences.
According to Foster, the Mentor Match program doesn't only focus on the difference between sponsorship and mentorship but also dedicates a lot of time to diversity, equity and inclusion. She says that a lot of discussions evolved around why identity matters, how it can impact the workplace experience, and how one can embrace their own identity. The concept of intersectionality — or the interconnectedness of social categories such as race, gender and sexual orientation — was also highlighted during the training sessions.
"I want them to remember it's a shared journey and they both share the responsibility of making it work," said Foster. "We want mentees to realize they should not put it all on the mentors to make the relationship work, and even though they see them as more knowledgeable and experienced, they still need to participate. As for the mentors, they shouldn't forget the power they hold by virtue of their role."
While Orlando admitted there was no "perfect match," she said that MassCPAs did its best to pair mentors and mentees based on their interests and what they could bring to one another. Participating students, many of them scholarship recipients, responded to a form where they shared their academic interests and professional goals. As for educators, they were selected on a volunteer basis from a variety of firms and were typically paired with students who wished to go in the same practice.
Mentors and mentees regularly meet virtually or in person to discuss any goal they want to pursue in their careers, but it can also be about personal goals. Orlando says students should drive the conversation about what concerns them, such as work-life balance, transitioning into the professional world, and communicating with upper management. In the future, MassCPAs plans to renew the cohort with college students supporting high schoolers, because the organization believes the program to be a learning experience for both parties.
"Navigating school and the early stages of your career can be tough, and I wanted to be an additional resource in my mentee's corner to offer support and advice based on my life experience," said Carolyn Warger, a mentor in the Mentor Match Program and a Grant Thornton partner, in a press release. "This program has been eye-opening, giving me a great perspective on experiences outside my own, and providing my mentee and I a great framework to make our mentoring relationship a success."
MassCPAs will provide regular workshops and events for mentees and mentors throughout the program. The first meeting will take place in December where they will be able to connect in person and discuss how to manage stress and difficult situations. With a focus on soft skills development, the topic has been chosen by the matches after receiving a survey on what would be most interesting to address.
Counting over 11,000 members, the MassCPAs aims to grow the accounting pipeline and maintain the career trajectory of college students. According to Orlando, companies with mentorship programs exhibit better retention rates and networking opportunities, and she thinks Mentor Match will be another chance to highlight accounting as a profession that will support one's goals, no matter what differences they bring.
"I joined because I wanted a mentor to help build my confidence and problem-solving skills," said Bheamarie Quinn, a mentee in the Mentor Match Program, in a statement. "I need guidance from someone who has been in the same shoes as me to help me achieve my career goals. Through the training, I have learned the important values of a relationship between a mentee and mentor, and I'm looking forward to building a strong relationship with my mentor!"
