How I Got There: Carly Finley, MSB | Staff, Financial Accounting & Advisory Services at Ernst & Young (EY)

Posted in Student & Alumni Stories

Carly Finley graduated from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business (MSB) with degrees in Accounting and Marketing. During this interview, Carly shares about her Georgetown career experiences that led to her current position as a Staff in Financial Accounting and Advisory Services at Ernst & Young (EY). Learn how Georgetown shaped her path, how she got to her current position, and more insights about breaking into the financial accounting industry.

What did you study in your time at Georgetown? And can you walk through the process of how you got to your current position?

Marketing was a passion of mine that I knew I wanted to study prior to my arrival at Georgetown, but Accounting came as a complete surprise. After taking Professor Anderson’s Ethics in Financial Reporting seminar my first-year fall and exceling in Intro to Financial Accounting, I knew that I could see myself building in a career in this industry. I declared both majors my sophomore year and held a meeting with my accounting professors to set myself on the track to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). We sat down and built out my schedule to ensure that I was on track to graduate with the required accounting courses and 150 credits necessary for the certification.

What activities/extracurriculars at Georgetown did you find most valuable and why?

I was a part of the Georgetown Marketing Agency where we consulted with local businesses and non-profits to deliver marketing-based solutions to our clients. This experience was incredibly valuable in obtaining practice conducting market research, brainstorming creative solutions, and creating slide decks for client presentations.

I was a teaching assistant for Introduction to Financial Accounting for five semesters during my time at Georgetown. The ability to not only understand the subject material but be able to interpret and present it to students in an easy-to-understand manner allowed me to build a strong foundation that served me well in my upper-level accounting classes.

My senior year I was Captain for the MSB Peer Ambassador Program. This allowed me to build connections with the staff in the MSB Dean’s Office that I hold very dear as a young alumnus to maintain connections with the university after I’ve graduated.

What does a typical day look like for you?

My days vary but on any given day I am probably performing analysis of financial statements, drafting narrative for financial reports, and conducting research to ensure that our reports on in compliance with the designated legal guidance.

What surprised you most when you started working in your current position?

There is much more writing in accounting than you would think!

What skills are most needed in your current role?

CPA track, Excel, High quality writing skills

What is your advice to students interested in applying for a position at your organization?

Coordinate with your accounting professors to see if the CPA track is right for you and make a plan! And if the CPA track is not for you but accounting still interests you, that’s ok! Accounting is incredibly useful for building a strong foundation of financial understanding that will help you in any career you choose.

What are the best ways for students to learn more about the industry?

Reach out to your accounting professors, upper classmen that are on the same track (they will be going through the same process as you!), and Georgetown alumni! Georgetown alumni are always more than willing to set up coffee chats to tell you more about the kind of work they do and share their experiences!

Any additional career development advice or other information that you’d like to add?

Keep your blinders on! Everybody else’s path is not your own. Don’t convince yourself you’re “behind” just because you see people around you that appear two steps ahead. Research what industries interest you, reach out to alumni in the industry, and make decisions to apply to companies where you think you will be happy.