Student Ambassador sees value in networking

 By Suzanne McCann-Perry, CAE, OSCPA director of strategic communication  

Networking can pay off in a big way. Just ask OSCPA Student Ambassador Cameron Musser.  

The recent Cleveland State University graduate was among those who attended a May joint networking event in Cleveland between OSCPA and IMA members. It wasn’t Musser’s first time attending an OSCPA networking opportunity and he’s found them to be incredibly beneficial to his future. Musser attended a joint OSCPA and FEI meeting at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last September, which ultimately led to a job with Deloitte. 

“I attended the (OSCPA/FEI) event, and enjoyed meeting the members of the OSCPA, FEI, and professionals from accounting firms in the area,” said Musser.  “I was able to meet people from firms I was interested in, such as Deloitte, accountants working in areas of the field that I was interested in pursuing, as well as some CSU alumni that were once part of CSU’s Beta Alpha Psi Chapter.”  

Musser believes the connection he made that night in September helped him land a job at Deloitte. “I connected with someone from Deloitte at the OSCPA/FEI meeting. The following week, I applied for a position with the firm and was invited for an interview,” said Musser, adding that he reached out to seek advice from his new Deloitte connection. “I used the advice during the interview process, which helped me receive a job offer.”  

Musser got involved with OSCPA’s Student Ambassador program in the summer of 2022. He said the only thing he knew about the position was that it required public speaking, which was a skill he had not yet developed and was nervous to do. “Knowing that this was a skill I wanted to improve and become comfortable with, I volunteered for the position,” said Musser. He says his OSCPA student membership, time as a Student Ambassador, and participation in OSCPA’s Accounting Careers Leadership Academy have been great resources in helping him reach his accounting career goals. 

He has already passed the Auditing & Attestation and Business Environment and Concepts sections of the CPA Exam and is on pace to complete the third and fourth sections before he starts his job in September. 

Musser’s advice to students who are looking to earn their credential and land their first job? He suggests that students take advantage of Ohio’s law that allows students to begin taking the Exam at 120 credit hours and plan their class schedule to complete the required courses needed to sit for the Exam. And to land that job offer, Musser advises that students get involved at their university and take advantage of OSCPA’s free student membership. Doing so, he says, will give students an opportunity to network with employers, explore various career paths, work on interpersonal skills, and provide access to scholarship money.