Principles of Acct I Project Instructions --The Financial Statement Interview and Reflection Paper

--Identify a business professional who uses external financial statements in his/her work and arrange an interview; you may not interview a relative for this assignment.

Possible interviewees include the loan officer at a local bank; a CPA in a local firm; a certified

financial advisor; a stockbroker; or CFO or chief accountant where you work, or a small business owner. You may suggest others. This may be done with a classmate if you would like.

--Discuss with the interviewee the basic building blocks of external financial statements; how the business professional uses financial statements in his/her job; and the strengths and limitations of financial statements. Look and listen for cues on what it is like to have the interviewees job and what it takes to succeed in his/her job. This may be done with the above classmate.

--As an individual exercise, write the paper, taking your time to provide meaningful reflections; points will be deducted for excessively short responses that lack depth. There is no length requirement for the paper, but you will be expected to cover the points listed in the prompts below.

USE THESE REFLECTIVE PROMPTS TO HELP YOU COMPLETE YOUR PAPER

How does the interviewee or his/her company use financial statements?

What particular advantages (strengths) did the interviewee observe about financial statements?

What particular limitations did the interviewee observe about financial statements?

During the discussion, what terms did the interviewee use that are the same as terms we use in

class?

What skills or behaviors are needed for the interviewee to succeed in his or her job?

What did you learn about career opportunities for people who have accounting-related skills?

What did you learn about the challenges and rewards of accounting-related careers?

How does the interviewees work affect the success of other individuals, and how does it affect

the success of the company or agency as a whole?

What new things did you learn about the business world from this interview?

What new things did you learn about careers in business from this interview?

How would you describe the professional demeanor of the interviewee: Were there aspects of

the interviewees appearance or demeanor that indicated, This person is a business

professional?

What was the most surprising or most valuable thing you learned from the interview?

How did the interview affect your own career plans, expectations, or possibilities?

How will the interview affect your future learning, priorities, or behavior?