John DeMelis
EY
New York, NY USA
"What we’re doing and how we’re doing it changes every day through the increased use of tools and technologies. So, the ability to adapt and to keep up is important to succeed."
Career Roadmap
John's work combines: Business, Travel, and Problem Solving
See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.
Take Roadmap Quiz
Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Mahopac High School
Bachelor's Degree
Business/Managerial Economics
State University of New York College at Oneonta
Graduate Degree
Business Administration and Management, General
New York University
Certification
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
AICPA
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be an Accountants and Auditors:
Bachelor's Degree: Business/Managerial Economics
Graduate Degree: Business Administration and Management, General
Certification: Certified Public Accountant
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I initially thought I wanted to be an engineer (as I was always good in math). But before heading off to college, I decided that I was not going to go that route.
2.
I went to college not knowing what I wanted to do and took my first accounting class as a freshman. I had two professors that were both lawyers and CPAs, which sounded intriguing to me.
3.
I took the CPA exam and the LSAT. I passed all four parts of the CPA exam but did miserably on the LSATs – the rest is history!
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Friends:
It’s not so much criticism or discouragement, but I’ve heard many say being a CPA must be so boring. I still hear that.
How I responded:
It's a matter of realizing that people don’t really understand what it is you do. They see the stereotype of an accountant wearing a green eye shade, sitting in front of the adding machine, just cranking out numbers. What they don't realize is that audit is a great way to understand business.