My first accounting job: Natalie Berfeld

An accounting professor who was not an accounting major! Who knew that was possible?

What is your current job?

I am a tenure-track assistant professor in Accounting at the Carroll School of Management at Boston College.

Did you major in accounting or come to it later? To CPA exam or not to CPA exam?

I did not major in accounting, nor did I take the CPA exam, though as a math major studying to become an actuary, I got heavily involved in accounting both in my education and in my first role out of college at a major insurance company.

What was your first job using your accounting skills and education?

It was in that first role out of college, in an actuarial position at a large insurance company. I worked closely with accountants to calculate the reserves that the insurance company must set aside to be confident it can pay out future claims in accordance with the various accounting standards applicable to insurance companies.

How did you get it?

I interviewed for the position through my college’s career office.

What advice do you have for people considering majoring in accounting, considering whether to take the CPA exam, and considering how to use accounting education and skills?

My career path has taken some twists and turns, and I think accounting skills are definitely worth the investment – it is a versatile set of skills that can be applied to many industries and career trajectories! Whether to take the CPA exam or not depends on the particular choices and/or requirements of your prospective employers, but learning “the language of business” is certain to be useful in almost any career.

© Francine McKenna, The Digging Company LLC, 2025