Many students and faculty file their tax returns by April 15. But, we might wonder about some things: How do they examine the tax returns? Why do they it? Who does it?

That answer can be found in the career of an accounant.

On Tuesday, Nov. 11, Ms. Kristi Bonacci came to the high school as part of the Counseling Department’s Career Spotlight series. Many students attended, ranging from seniors who were gearing up for college to freshmen who still were not still about their career choice. However, Ms. Bonacci made a great presentation to possibly convince more people to become an accountant.

Ms. Bonacci graduated from Seton-La Salle high school in 1995 and continued onto Duquesne University. There, she earned a BS/BA in accounting. The job of accounting led her to many different work places.

Straight out of college, Ms. Bonacci became a trust tax accountant for Mellon Financial Corporation. Soon after in late 2000, she became the in-charge and senior tax accountant at Schneider Downs and Company, where she stayed for almost a decade. In early 2010, she became the tax supervisor and assistant tax manager at PNC Financial Services Group, which is her current position.

In her current job, Ms. Bonacci works on hiring people from several universities for internships and full-time jobs. These universities include Penn State, University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, Ohio State University, and Robert Morris University.

“These are our core universities,” Ms. Bonacci said.

However, she has one specific requirement when she is interviewing.

“If the person I’m interviewing has a 4.0 GPA (grade point average), but not good people skills, I will not hire them. I would rather have a student with a 3.0 GPA that can communicate well with others.”

Overall, accountants prepare and examine financial documents. They make sure all taxes are correct and paid on time. In addition, accountants can work with companies to assist them in finding the most efficient way to earn money.

Accountants usually have a median salary of around $50,000 when they start out in the field. When they climb up the chain, though, that median salary could go up to around $65,000.

Accountants usually work 40 hour weeks, but around the April 15 deadline for tax returns, one may need to work overtime.

To become an accountant, one needs a bachelor degree in accounting. However, if you become a certified public accountant (CPA), the salary could go up.

If you want to manage the money and taxes for others, this job is for you.