Gina Singleton
via the Columbia Daily Tribune
*Editor’s Note: CC Biz Buzz is a new monthly column series that will feature insightful commentary from a member of the Columbia College School of Business faculty.
Have you heard the joke about the interesting accountant? … Me neither.” This is just one of many chestnuts about accountants that insinuate how boring we are! I can attest that the profession is far from that. My accounting career has taken me to the top of a refinery’s giant storage tank on New Year’s Eve to estimate oil reserves. I’ve climbed and calculated the size of massive rock piles at cavernous quarries across the country. I have counted (and sampled!) my share of Hostess treats coming out of their industrial ovens. I have observed incredibly talented engineers repair and change out a bridge in an emergency. I have helped a company go public with their initial stock offering, witnessed the creation of life-saving software, and traveled across Europe. Now I have the privilege of sharing these bizarre yet exciting experiences with my students at Columbia College.
