The small choices that shape a long accounting career

Quiet opportunities can have a major impact on your career trajectory. That’s certainly been true for Melanie Horowitz, CPA, audit principal at GHJ. Volunteering to help transition training responsibilities from HR to the firm’s audit department early in her work life became a significant turning point. Over time, that single decision influenced both her professional path and her definition of success.  

Horowitz shares her story, plus gives accountants advice on how small mindset shifts can improve your daily life at the office.

—Interview by Lauren Ward, edited by Bianca Prieto

Many mid-career CPAs find that their perspective on the profession evolves over time. Was there a moment or stage that changed how you approach your work, even if it didn’t feel significant at the time?

Early in my career at GHJ, the way audit and accounting trainings were managed shifted. Historically, all continuing professional education was organized by human resources, but as changes occurred within that department, responsibility for training moved to the audit and accounting practices themselves. That transition created an opening for someone on the audit team to step in and take ownership.

At the time, raising my hand didn’t feel particularly significant. In hindsight, it was. Taking on that responsibility mattered to the department and eventually led to an official leadership role overseeing learning and development within the audit practice. That experience shaped how I view leadership.

Opportunities often appear quietly, and leadership is built through a series of small, intentional actions rather than one defining moment.

For mid-career CPAs thinking about their long-term professional trajectory, what’s one mindset or habit that’s been especially valuable for you as your role has evolved?

When I started my career, I viewed my work as a job rather than a long-term career. That perspective changed when I joined my current firm. Being surrounded by leaders who treated recognition as a core part of leadership and who invested in their people reframed how I thought about my role and my responsibility to others. 

I began noticing who the steady, reliable people were on the team, and I wanted to be known in the same way. Shifting from simply completing tasks to being someone others could count on changed how I approached my work. That mindset turned my job into a career with room to grow, contribute and continue learning.

How has your perspective on peak workload periods shifted as you’ve gained more experience?

Early in a career, peak workload periods can feel overwhelming, as though they are something you may not make it through. With experience comes perspective. Having worked through many of those cycles, I now know that I will get through them because I always have before.

That confidence, though, doesn’t come from working in isolation. It depends on having strong support across your firm and among colleagues. With that support in place, even the most demanding times feel manageable rather than isolating.

As responsibilities grow, many CPAs find they start defining success differently than they did early in their careers. How has your own definition of success evolved?

When I joined my current firm, my definition of success was very personal. I was always focused on getting to the manager level, as that, early on, seemed like a big accomplishment, particularly as many people only stay in public accounting for a few years. At that stage, success was measured by my own progression. 

Today, success looks very different. It is defined by seeing the people I work with grow. Coaching team members, advising them on their career paths, supporting their client work and watching them succeed is the most rewarding part of my role. Much like stepping into a learning and development role early in my career, my true drive comes from growing others.

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The Net Gains is curated and written by Lauren Ward and edited by Bianca Prieto.