Shannon Hartley
PwC
New York, NY USA
"Stay true to yourself, do what gives you joy, and present yourself in a professional and ethical manner. As long as you do this, nothing can stand in your way!"
Career Roadmap
Shannon's work combines: Entrepreneurship, Business, and Teaching / Mentoring
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Accounting and Business/Management
University of the Witwatersrand
Certification
Chartered Accountant (CA(SA))
South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA)
Certification
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be an Accountants and Auditors:
Bachelor's Degree: Accounting and Business/Management
Certification: Chartered Accountant (CA(SA))
Certification: Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Born and raised in South Africa during the apartheid era, so I was lucky enough to be alive to remember the freedom that comes with democracy.
2.
Attended school and university in South Africa and definitely took the scenic route through university (IYKYK).
3.
Started working for PwC in South Africa. I audited a wide variety of clients from big pharmaceutical clients to casino gaming floors.
4.
Passed Qualifying Exam 1 and 2 first time around, which was a good thing because I had promised myself that I wouldn't repeat it if I didn't make it the first time around (it's a stressful program).
5.
Came to the PwC New York office on secondment as a senior associate for what was suppose to be a 6-month secondment and the rest, as they say, is history.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
You have to learn to fit into the status quo to be successful.
How I responded:
False; not only has the climate and culture changed over the years to advocate for bringing "your true self" to work but it has also started encouraging and celebrating the diverse communities and individuals that make up the workforce. My advice (as cliche as it sounds) is stay true to yourself, do what gives you joy (for me this is travel & being around people/mentoring) and present yourself in a professional and ethical manner. As long as you do this, nothing will/can stand in your way!!!!
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
Being a first-generation college student meant that I had to figure out how to navigate the system on my own. I managed this by creating a support system (lecture/friends/mentors) that could advise me. Plus remembering my family was cheering me on.