September Mentor Spotlight featuring Alicia Elizondo
Background and Introduction
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your current role?
Hi my name is Alicia Elizondo and I am a Latina accountant, entrepreneur/property owner, and first in my family to graduate with a bachelor’s degree. I am currently employed at Arcus Advisors as an accounting consultant where I perform various accounting functions in a variety of industries, accounting systems, and with the possibility of traveling from time to time as part of my job!
What inspired you to pursue this career?
My family tells me that when I was a little girl, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I responded that I wanted to be an accountant which now looking back I must have seen or heard something I liked about the profession at a young age. As I grew up, I developed additional interests but eventually I chose to follow what I had manifested all along and decided on accounting as a career. This career holds an endless number of professional opportunities in that everyone (individual or business) would eventually need an accountant, and this job security was a priority for me. Primarily, however, I always felt that as an accountant I would be able to help my family and the Spanish-speaking community. I experienced firsthand how they struggled to navigate the financial and accounting opportunities due to the language barrier and cultural differences. It remains my goal to utilize my skills to help those in need of them.
Career Journey
Can you share a defining moment or turning point in your career?
The most significant turning point in my career was when I left a full-time job to pursue a degree. At the time I was working in the financial aid office of a business school where I learned a lot and grew professionally but after 9 years of employment, I realized that not having a degree was holding me back, especially if I wanted to pursue an accounting career. Therefore, I submitted my resignation and dedicated full time to college. With the emotional and financial support of my family I graduated and obtained employment at an Oil & Gas Servicing company where I began as a billing analyst and over the course of 10 years, I gradually moved up the corporate ladder. Change can be intimidating but when I realized that I had to change in order to grow I took the first step, and it has led me to where I am today.
Daily Life and Skills
What does a typical day look like for you in your current role?
What makes my current role as an accounting consultant so interesting and exciting is that my typical day can change from project to project depending on what the client needs. A project could mean that I fill in for an employee on leave, perform various accounting functions, identify accounting issues, or implement recommendations. Additionally, If the client is out of town I can be asked to travel to the site and therefore my surroundings can change from time to time (most recently to Las Vegas for a month!). Regardless of the project, typically the first thing I do is check my emails to identify any urgent requests and therefore prioritize tasks for the day (I use Microsoft OneNote to stay organized). I also attend weekly or ad hoc meetings within the accounting department, and I often collaborate with other departments such as legal, human resources, operations, etc. During accounting close my days are deadline driven which can make those days busier than the rest of the month. Accounting does not have to be redundant work and does not always limit you to being behind a desk, these are common misconceptions!
Advice and Inspiration
Are there any mentors or role models who have significantly influenced your career?
I’ve been fortunate to have had many mentors throughout my career, both male and female. But there is one that stood out from the rest because of how much it impacted my career advancement. While working as the billing analyst my manager learned that the accounting department would be looking for accountants due to the growth that the company was experiencing. She mentioned my name during the meeting and informed the members that I not only had a degree but that I was an excellent employee. Although I was one of her valuable assets, she was still willing to let me go to see me succeed. Since then, I’ve found that it’s important to surround yourself with mentors and most especially to surround yourself with people who will speak your name in a room full of opportunities.
Life Outside of Work
How do you manage work and life responsibilities, especially during busy or stressful periods?
It is very important to establish a support system that I can count on. My support system consists of family, friends and co-workers that I can call, text, or message when I need to talk or obtain professional or personal advice. Additionally, I enjoy spending time doing the things that I like and give me self-care and self-love. This can be different for everyone but for me this includes going to kickboxing class to let off some steam, going to a networking event at Latinas-n-Heels to collaborate and share inspirational stories with fellow women, or sometimes it could mean staying home to wash my hair, put on a face mask and watch some shows. I always make sure I do what brings me happiness and peace.
Looking Ahead
What are your future career goals or aspirations?
Because I am a visual person, I like to create vision boards that I place in my office space at home. On the board I have a visual representation of many of my goals such as obtaining my CPA certification and continuing my educational journey in my industry. I am also focusing on my current role at the firm where it is my goal to move up to a manager role and lead a team during a project. Simultaneously, my community involvement journey continues as I seek to become a board member at a non-profit organization and continue to mentor the youth in my community. It’s important to have short term and long-term goals, both personal and professional. Equally important is to never compare your progress to anyone else. We all lead different lives with different circumstances and what is good for someone else may not be good for you at the time.
Personal Insights
What personal values or principles guide you in your professional life?
My parents played an instrumental role in what makes up the personal values and principles that I live by today. My mother is a strong-willed woman that does not take no for an answer and is always eager to learn about everything. And my father had a very strong work ethic that he passed on to my siblings and me. He began his own business refurbishing kitchen and bathroom counters and appliances, a business he sustained for several years. When I was still in elementary, he would bring me along to his job sites where I observed first-hand what he did, how he interacted with others, and how he performed his job duties. I also noticed how meticulous he was at his work and always made sure he was on time, professional, thorough and always went above and beyond. It Is my belief that these values and principles forged me into the kind of professional that I am today and that throughout the years they have helped me advance in my career.
Fun and Light-hearted
Can you share a fun fact or interesting anecdote about yourself that most people don’t know?
Interesting anecdote: Due to a language barrier I had to repeat second grade! I was born in the US, but my father’s employment had us move to Guadalajara, Mexico where I did pre-k and kindergarten. Eventually, we moved again to Tijuana, Mexico where I completed 1st grade. At 8 years old we moved back to the US where I was set to begin 2nd grade. However, because I was raised in Mexico my first language was Spanish making English my secondary language despite being born in the US. Upon arriving, my assigned teacher did not speak Spanish, and the school did not have ESL as they do today. And so, I was left to fend for myself and sometimes rely on a fellow classmate to translate when and if she could. Because I did not understand English, I didn’t understand any of my homework assignments which led me to fail 2nd grade. My parents moved us to Alief ISD where I repeated 2nd grade and my teacher, Ms. Berger whom I will never forget, took the time to develop a learning program during school and in the summer so I could learn the language. By 3rd grade I spoke, read, and wrote English as well as my fellow classmates.
Closing
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
My senior year in high school was a difficult one especially when it was time to choose a career, research a college and find financial aid. My parents didn’t go through the college journey which made it difficult for them to guide me and in those days, I didn’t have access to organizations (outside of high school) that could connect me to someone who had been through a similar journey. For this reason, I decided to become a mentor so that I can be one of many to offer up my experience to the young ladies in our community. Although I am passionate about my career, I always encourage young ladies to pursue a career in any area that they choose, whether it’s through a degree or a vocational trade school. What is important is to always follow your dreams and goals. To continue to grow and learn even after you’ve obtained the career of your choice. As I mentioned before, it’s okay to be intimidated by something new, this happens to me even now as a grown woman. But once you take that first step you realize it’s not so bad and you’ll be glad you did. So, I hope I can connect with you and that you give me the opportunity to be your mentor for the school year!
Where can our readers follow your work or connect with you?
Please follow me on LinkedIn where I frequently post what I am up to as well as what the firm I work for, Arcus Advisors, is up to! I look forward to connecting with all of you!
Linkedin.com/in/alicia-e-ba4137115