The Accounting Society had their first meeting with guest speaker Jimmie Smith of the IMA.

The Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) is a global network of accountants and financial professionals in business.

Smith spoke of opportunities that come along with joining the IMA from scholarships to professional development.

Through the IMA, students are able to network with business professionals and sit for the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exam.

The CMA certification establishes one as a professional in financial business.

In order to earn a CMA certification, you have to be a member of IMA, earn a bachelor’s degree, complete two years of relevant work experience and successfully complete the 2-part exam.

“The profession is changing, and you have to change with it,” Smith said. “You have to continue to change throughout your career to stay relevant.”

Smith emphasized that robotics are being manufactured to take over data analysis and processing.

With certain jobs moving toward technology-based labor and a highly competitive job market, self-promotion becomes even more significant.

Anthony Harper, senior forensic fraud accounting major, was glad he attended the meeting and believes the experience was beneficial.“It was very informative,” Harper said. “It gives me something to work on to increase the capability of getting a position.”‌

Accounting Society President, Nichole Ghormley was pleased at the amount of student interest in regards to what comes after graduation.

“I think that’s what most of our meeting are. You’re in school. You’ve been here for four years. What’s the next step?”, Ghormley said.

Ghormley believes networking is a crucial part of professional improvement and tries to use that as a basis for meetings.

The next Accounting Society meeting will be during free period on Thursday, Sept. 27 in the Armstrong-Mabee Building (AMB) room 213. During this meeting, they will be welcoming guest speakers, Cassandra Dooley and Special Agent Patrcia Ortiz of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).