Fleming College paves ‘path to the perfect career’ for Accounting Technician Valerie Lumley
When Valerie Lumley first applied to Fleming College, she didn’t realize the Business Administration – Accounting program would be the perfect fit for her. But the 2015 graduate, who is now an Accounting Technician at Gauvreau & Associates CPA, is happy she made the switch.
Valerie originally came to Fleming for the Health Information Management program but, after two weeks in class, realized the medical field wasn’t right for her. After reflecting on her previous education in Office Administration, Valerie remembered an accounting course that she loved.
“I decided to take the opportunity to study accounting since that was a previous love I had found,” said Valerie. “I just didn’t realize when I first took it that accounting was the field I truly wanted to start a career in.”
She describes her Fleming experience as excellent and would recommend this program to others, explaining that it covers different aspects of the business world (human resources, accounting, marketing, etc.) and explores a variety of accounting and finance-related positions.
“Along with that, the teachers in all of my courses were wonderful,” said Valerie. “They were always willing to help and spend any extra time needed with students to better understand the material. The professors definitely helped me to succeed in the accounting program.”
In her position at Gauvreau & Associates CPA, Valerie is responsible for bookkeeping and payroll for multiple clients, as well as some administrative tasks. Valerie particularly enjoys payroll, which is why she is pursuing her Payroll Compliance Practitioner designation through the Canadian Payroll Association.
“The most exciting experience from my job so far is simply seeing how all of the knowledge gained from the accounting program translates to real life; seeing numbers in action, solving problems as they come up, and understanding the ‘why’ from where the numbers come from,” said Valerie, who added that the software skills she developed at Fleming, including QuickBooks and Excel, are relevant as she uses them daily.
She also appreciates that Fleming taught her not to depend solely on technology. “When on a computer and using software, the program can do a lot for you; however Fleming taught me how to understand the numbers and where they come from, rather than just depending on the software to do everything correctly,” Valerie explained. “It helped improve my analytical skills and understanding of accounting to see where there might be discrepancies or when something needs to be questioned.”
Her advice to current students is to never give up, even in moments of frustration and stress. “If you are willing to push through, do the work, learn the material and be confident, the dreams you have in school can and will become a reality,” said Valerie. “Fleming helped pave the path to the perfect career for me and, without Fleming, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”