{"id":16693,"date":"2020-02-13T10:00:29","date_gmt":"2020-02-13T10:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/?p=16693"},"modified":"2023-06-08T18:27:10","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T18:27:10","slug":"alumni-howard-snow-accounting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2020\/02\/13\/alumni-howard-snow-accounting","title":{"rendered":"Invest in yourself with accounting master\u2019s"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Howard
Howard Snow. Marc Studer photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By Douglas Esser
\nIs it part of your job to hire new employees? Even if it\u2019s not, ask yourself this question: Would you hire yourself? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Howard Snow was the controller for a large Seattle mechanical and electrical subcontractor. As an accounting hiring manager, he was struck by that question. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was getting to the point where I was posting positions with basic requirements beyond my own in terms of education and background. I had no CPA, no master\u2019s degree,\u201d Snow said. \u201cI realized even though I had 20 years of experience that maybe I should expand my tool set.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But going back to school didn\u2019t seem plausible while Snow was holding a pivotal position that often required 50 to 60 hours a week. Then, in a \u201cserendipitous moment,\u201d he received a flyer in the mail from UW Bothell for the Master of Science in Accounting<\/a> program at the Eastside Learning Center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot only was it in Bellevue, but it was at night,\u201d he said. \u201cBeing an Eastside resident, I said geographically it works; time works.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back to school <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Snow became part of the MSA program\u2019s first cohort in 2014. \u201cThey made it easy to take on something that was hard,\u201d he said. \u201cThe way they structured it \u2014 so that people who worked full time could take advantage of the opportunity \u2014 was huge.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To ease back into the student mindset, he took only one course his first quarter, Accounting Theory, taught by Professor P.K. Sen. They started by reading research papers in accounting, \u201cdigging into the issues, figuring out where we are today and how we got here,\u201d Snow said. \u201cIt was fascinating.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sen and other professors \u201cmade you think \u2014 uncomfortably sometimes,\u201d Snow said. He learned analytical skills he\u2019s still using today, such as evaluating the intrinsic value and financial stability of a company by moving beyond just the obvious indicators. It\u2019s worth knowing when you want to be certain subcontractors are capable of performing and clients are able to pay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of risk management in what I do,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snow completed the MSA program in a year and a half, graduating in 2016. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI learned a lot I could apply not only in my current role but in my future roles. I\u2019ve always thought big picture, but now I have tools that bring that picture into focus,\u201d said Snow, who added his CPA in 2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

High-octane accounting <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Accounting is far from the common, unexciting portrayal of CPAs filing tax returns. Instead, Snow said, it\u2019s a high-pressure profession with deadlines for data, driven by multiple tasks, financial cycles and stakeholders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got to get payroll out. You\u2019ve got to get books closed. You\u2019ve got to get taxes paid,\u201d Snow said. \u201cThe bus keeps going, and you have to make sure all these tasks get done.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project managers and the ownership group need to see performance results. Banking, bonding and insurance companies need to see figures. And then there are all the regulatory agencies. \u201cYou\u2019re always trying to satisfy somebody,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since June 2019, Snow has been the controller at ABBOTT Construction, a privately owned company operating in the Puget Sound and Los Angeles regions. He manages a staff of 10. He\u2019s also looking for accountants who are curious and able to think critically. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI like people who are really good at digging in. They\u2019re self-starters. They ask the right questions. They unravel things to find solutions,\u201d Snow said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snow loves the construction industry but takes his own advice for a self-assessment every four or five years: Am I ready to make that next four- or five-year commitment? Am I happy? Do I need to change things up? Go back to school? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have to have that attitude.\u201d Snow said. \u201cYou can\u2019t get so stagnant that you\u2019re not ready to change your direction.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back at UW Bothell <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Snow still returns to UW Bothell to speak to accounting classes and to serve as a member of the Master of Science in Accounting Advisory Board. He likes the program\u2019s real-world focus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a real eye-opener when you realize there are niches to this profession,\u201d he said, pointing out the many job options other than CPA. \u201cI think that\u2019s something UW Bothell is doing.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MSA<\/a>, which satisfies the fifth-year education requirement for the CPA, is a self-sustaining, fee-based program administered by the School of Business<\/a>. Students can complete the MSA in one year full time or in two years part time. Core classes are held two evenings a week in Bellevue at the Eastside Leadership Center. Some electives are held on the UW Bothell campus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

MSA students have access to many campus resources, including library and career services. Details about the program and application information are available online or by talking with an adviser. An information session<\/a> is scheduled Wednesday, Feb. 19, from 6 to 7 p.m. in Founders Hall (UW1-103). <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As an accounting hiring manager for a company, Howard Snow wondered: Would he hire himself? Snow decided to expand his tool set with a Master of Science in Accounting from UW Bothell.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_is_archived":false,"_archived_contact_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[209,202,200],"tags":[247,248],"school":[417],"class_list":["post-16693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alumni","category-campus-news","category-profiles","tag-accounting","tag-master","school-school-of-business"],"acf":{"related_links":{"toggle_visibility":false,"link_1":null,"link_2":null,"link_3":null,"link_4":null,"link_5":null},"highlight_box":{"toggle_visibility":false,"title":"","content":"","button":null,"button_style":"angled-purple-button","button_screen_reader_text":""},"contact_type_1":{"toggle_visibility":true,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"contact_type_2":{"toggle_visibility":false,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"social_media":{"toggle_visibility":false,"facebook_url":"","instagram_url":"","linkedin_url":"","twitter_url":"","youtube_url":""},"blog_archive_sidebar_visibility":false},"yoast_head":"\nInvest in yourself with accounting master\u2019s - News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2020\/02\/13\/alumni-howard-snow-accounting\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Invest in yourself with accounting master\u2019s - News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As an accounting hiring manager for a company, Howard Snow wondered: Would he hire himself? 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