By Jodi Dunfee, CPA, Rudd & Company, Bozeman

Last August, I had the opportunity to attend the AICPA EDGE Conference. It was an awesome experience!

EDGE is a national conference designed to extend the professional skill sets of young accounting professionals.  At the time, I was almost certain I wanted to return to public accounting (and I since have), but I really wanted to meet with like minds and try to figure out what I enjoyed and disliked about where I was professionally and where I could be.  I met some really great people who gave insight and encouragement about my career path.

The speakers at the conference (to be called EDGE Experience starting in 2016) were great!  There was such a broad spectrum of sessions that I got to hear from a wide variety of presenters.  Some of the speakers were close to my age and owned their own firms; they shared their experiences with us.  There were also speakers, who’ve been in the field longer, who had the charisma and energy that kept us engaged.

I’d say that the most important parts of attending EDGE were the connections I made, the array of session topics and the capability of the conference to light that fire that we all need after a long tax season or even if you just feel stuck in a rut.  There are so many opportunities and possibilities for our generation in the accounting field.  I think it’s important to get out of the everyday work mantra and realize that leadership is our generation’s responsibility, and the EDGE Experience does that.

MSCPA Note: If you are interested in an experience designed for young CPAs that’s a little closer to home, we encourage you to check out the Young Professionals Track at the 103^rd Annual Conference, June 23 and 24 at Fairmont. This year’s speakers will include Paul Moya, Harvard Millennial expert specializing in next generation consulting, and Donna Salter, Senior Manager, AICPA Young Member Initiatives (the lady in charge of AICPA’s EDGE Experience). Watch for more information about the 103^rd Annual Conference coming soon!