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Accounting through the ages
Written on Apr 24, 2025
This series features interviews with accountants from each generation, highlighting the similarities and differences they’ve each experienced working in the profession. This week, OSCPA member Austin R. Calaway, CPA, shares his story and what it’s like to be an accountant as a member of Generation Z.
Austin R. Calaway, Private Assurance Associate, PwC
Q. Why did you decide to major in accounting?
A. My father was a first-generation college student who majored in accounting. He worked for the IRS as an auditor, earned his CPA and then went into private practice. So, accounting has always been present in my daily life. That was my inspiration and legacy.
I went to Cleveland State University, and there was never any bouncing around in choosing a major. I was an accounting major from day one. Beta Alpha Psi at CSU propelled me into sticking with accounting. From the first semester, I was involved in the group, going to professional events and meeting firms in the area. During my senior year, I became an officer and took on a leadership role.
During my senior year, I also interned during busy season in PwC Cleveland’s private assurance department.
Q. How did you prepare to take the CPA Exam?
A. While I was interning at PwC, I had access to the Becker review materials. PwC offered me a permanent position with a year between graduation and my start date. I used that time to pass all four sections of the Exam.
My goal was to pass the Exam prior to the conversion to the new format. There was a huge rush of people trying to do the same thing. It was a stressful time.
Because I wasn’t working yet, I lived at home and treated preparing for the Exam like a full-time job. It took me nine months of studying full-time. On the weekends, and occasional weekdays, I worked part time for my uncle, but my priority was studying. It took a lot. I was granted an incredible opportunity to study full-time with my parents hosting me and supporting me throughout the process, and for that I am very grateful. I would urge any recent grads or those in a similar situation with a delay between ending their education and beginning their careers to take full advantage of the time in between.
The Becker program worked very well for me. It was a good transition from college with a lecture format, PowerPoint presentations and optional support. It all helped me get to where I needed to be. I’m a pen and paper type of person. I have nine or 10 full notebooks where I copied down every word in those PowerPoint presentations! It was an immense amount of work. Then there were other people who said they just practiced multiple-choice questions. It goes to show that the process is very nuanced and personal.
I passed each section on my first attempt, but every time I took a section and found out I passed, I had this moment of disbelief. When I had passed all of the sections, it was such a feeling of joy and relief that it was over. I had put so many months into it, and it was an incredible experience.
Q. What has the first part of your career been like? Have you experienced any challenges?
A. After taking advantage of the year off to pass the CPA Exam, I started at PwC in the fall of 2024. PwC has a great onboarding program. Our starting group traveled to Orlando to get acclimated. There was a lot of role playing to learn to deal with extreme client situations you’d never think you’d encounter.
I’ve spent the past months catching on and learning. It’s like drinking from a firehose!
I’ve been able to become involved with client work pretty quickly, and I have already been fielding questions from the engagement leaders about high-focus areas like revenue and journal entry testing.
We’ve had a unique busy season because a key associate left early in the season. It goes to show how unpredictable things can be. It has been a huge challenge, but we got through it.
Even though the start has felt a little overwhelming, there have been a lot of great learning experiences already. In my area of the firm, you get to touch every line item on the financial statements, and I’m exposed to nearly every area of an audit. I’ve had incredible insight into all of these different businesses. I even had the opportunity to fly to California to assist with the onboarding of a first-year manufacturing client.
Some people say that during your first year there’s not a lot going on. That wasn’t the case for me. I had to step up right away so we could get the job done.
Q. Did you feel prepared for your career after your education?
A. My involvement in Beta Alpha Psi at CSU helped me get my professional abilities and skills up to par quickly so that I’ve been able to engage with people and client contacts. That group also helped me learn the terminology and prepare for my career. The busy season internship was also critical because I knew what the position was going to look like. From talking to other people, a busy season internship was very different from what they experienced during a summer internship. I felt really prepared, but there are still on the job challenges no one can predict.
I would recommend that others do a busy season internship, so you have more of a real-world view of what the work looks like.
Q. You were an OSCPA scholarship recipient! What did that mean to you?
A. The opportunities offered by OSCPA for students are incredibly beneficial for professional development during college and have had a significant impact on my life. It's great to have an organization that gives back to its communities as much as OSCPA does.
I was fortunate to receive both the Clarke Price Accounting Scholarship and an Accounting Careers Leadership Academy (ACLA) Conference Scholarship, which were invaluable to me by providing financial and professional support throughout my college experience.
Additionally, I recently attended OSCPA’s high school accounting awareness workshop at Cleveland State University. During this event, we had the opportunity to connect with high school students currently taking accounting classes. We engaged in open conversations about a career in accounting, discussing the pros and cons and learning about their aspirations. The experience was very insightful and rewarding, as we could give back with our time and advice on how to navigate the near future of college for these students. This opportunity was provided through my involvement with OSCPA and the Junior Accounting Advisory Board at CSU.
Q. What advice and words of encouragement would you give to students or others who are coming along the path behind you?
A. Definitely get involved with Beta Alpha Psi or a comparable association at your school. It was an incredible experience. I had access to and insight into so many different firms and practice areas.
On the job, be sure to take notes. A senior told me that if they’re coaching someone who isn’t taking notes and just nodding their head, it’s a sign the senior is going to have to do the work themselves because that individual isn’t paying attention.
Don’t be afraid to ask why, whether it’s in the classroom or on the job. It will be a bonus to your understanding of the material, why you’re doing something or why an answer will come out a certain way.
Career fairs can feel generic, so when you’re attending one as a student, don’t stick with the basic questions. Go a step further. Ask people what their job looks like, what they do every day, their schedule and how they feel about what they do. That’s where being in Beta Alpha Psi really helped me get engaged and put myself out there.
When it’s time to take the CPA Exam, treat it like what it is: a monster! I have spoken with quite a few people who brush it off and lean into the idea that they can study while they work, but it’s a Goliath and takes a lot of determination. Certainly, my situation is not like everyone’s, but I would urge those working to find a way to take vacation time or other PTO to really dedicate time. My dad failed a few sections, but he never gave up. It’s not about how smart you are. It’s about how determined you are. It’s about trying your best, not giving up and putting in the work. In the Becker review materials, Peter Olinto always shared that you have to opt out of so much, get into the zone, take on the challenge and embrace the CPA Exam preparation, but the end result will be incredibly rewarding and beneficial for your career.
You can read all of our past stories from the Accounting Through the Ages series through the links below:
The Silent Generation: Nobby Lewandowski