Valuable career insights from an advisory consultant CPA

Q&A with a CPA is an interactive and free webinar series hosted regularly for high school and college students interested in pursuing a CPA career. The webcasts present thriving CPAs and the vast opportunities available to future CPAs, allowing you to ask questions in real time and engage with the speaker.

In our most recent webinar, A Day in the Life of an Advisory Partner, Alfred Ko, CPA, risk consulting quality and methodology leader at RSM, US, and chairperson of the AICPA® LGBTQ+ committee, shared his experiences in the accounting profession. He discussed helping clients manage cybersecurity and IT risks, providing practical strategies and tools. Additionally, he shared insights on building a successful career as an advisory partner and talked about finding fulfillment in his consulting role.

Accountants in advisory roles use their financial knowledge and expertise to help small businesses by going beyond traditional financial reporting to enrich their clients’ strategic decision-making.

Empowering and supporting clients through IT and cyber risks

Being an advisory partner means taking on the role of an advisory accountant and having a stake in the firm. Creating and implementing internal controls to help clients minimize business risks, particularly in IT regulation and cyber security, are Ko’s primary focus.

“Risk consulting is a dynamic practice aimed at helping clients navigate risks, meet regulatory standards, and perform internal control audits, and it is my specific area of work,” Ko said. “I conduct internal control audits, often helping clients test their IT controls and ensure their effectiveness. I also provide cybersecurity advice and assist clients in safeguarding themselves against cyber attacks and related incidents daily.”

Advisory accountants frequently meet clients in various locations outside the office. "Never have I experienced the typical 8-to-5 office job in my career," Ko shared while discussing how often he worked away from the office. "I used to meet clients 80% of the time."

Building client relationships on your own terms

Sales played a crucial role in Ko’s career progression, as he described his journey from an associate accountant to a partner at RSM.

“Becoming a partner in a public accounting or consulting firm requires significant sales goals to bring new business and grow revenue and margins. That’s ultimately how firms make money. I’m really not a natural salesperson. I struggled with sales as an introvert and [used to] negatively react to the word and being asked to attend events,” Ko said.

To better understand their needs and challenges, he learned to approach pitching sales as casual conversations with clients. By networking in smaller, more casual settings like dinner or happy hour, Ko found it natural to connect with potential clients. Ko's approach evolved from solely focusing on making sales to gaining a deeper understanding of his clients' needs and challenges, enabling him to become more of a problem solver and solution finder. He aimed to address each client's unique needs by providing effective and tailored solutions rather than pushing for sales.

“Finding ways to sell and establish new business on my own terms allowed me to make [firm] partner and have a great CPA career over time without being a sales expert,” Ko said.

“The journey requires sharpening your technical expertise while also challenging yourself in areas you’re not fully confident in and being able to do a little bit of everything.”

Finding fulfillment in tech-driven consulting within a growing field

Drawing from his background in computer science, Ko explained why he chose consulting services over tax or audits when asked about becoming a CPA.

“Before consulting, I actually began my career as an auditor, conducting audits for about a year and a half. It was always my goal to move into consulting because of my educational background,” Ko said.

“Computer science was my major, but I didn’t want to pursue a coding career. I was drawn to technology-related topics and wanted to stay involved. Becoming a CPA in consulting has allowed me to focus on both areas and be a bit of a hybrid of both, which I find fulfilling.”

Consulting practices in firms are comparatively new to audit or tax practices and offer advisory accountants more autonomy and the opportunity to shape methods and policies.

“Consulting is a growing field that is still young compared to how long audit and tax services have been around, which means more ambiguity, but it also brings opportunities and [freedom]. Throughout my CPA career, I have been free to construct how things work, run teams, and drive practice policies,” Ko said.

Hear more directly from Alfred Ko in June’s webcast, available on-demand. Learn how he enjoys AICPA® & CIMA® Thought Leadership and Reports, connects with other CPAs at the annual AICPA & CIMA ENGAGE conference, and supports the LGBTQ community through his role as Chair of the AICPA’s LGBTQ+ committee.

AICPA offers free student membership to high school and college students interested in accounting careers. Student affiliate members get access to webinars featuring CPAs like Alfred Ko. They can also apply for scholarships and use Career Launchpad, an AI-guided resource to kickstart your career. Find out more and apply for free student membership.

Join us for the next Q&A with a CPA: A Day in the Life of a Nonprofit CEO webcast on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2–2:30 pm ET.