Diego Coppa, a certified public accountant, shared how, as a working student from the countryside, he was able to pursue his college degree.
-How did you decide to study accounting?
-Ever since I was a child, my parents have been my role models. When it came to my career path, since they were both bank employees, I wanted to follow in their footsteps and work at a bank as well.
Over the years, landing a similar position no longer depended on passing a banking exam, but rather on competitive and up-to-date professional training.
When it came time to decide what to study, pursuing a career in economics seemed like the most obvious choice, and of the options available to me, becoming a certified public accountant was the one that appealed to me the most.
-How did you discover your calling?
-In my case, the calling came later, after I had already started the program. I had been motivated to do so by rational reasons, which I had also discussed with my family. But as I learned more about the courses, the program itself, and the accounting profession, I began to want to graduate.
It wasn't until halfway through the program, with my interim degree in hand, that I realized there was no turning back on this path to becoming a Certified Public Accountant.
-Why did you choose to pursue a degree at the university?
-I discovered Universidad ORT Uruguay chance. When I finished high school and had to move to the capital to study, the first decision I had to make was which university to attend.
I knew of only one private university—and not this one—but it was the only one I had heard about, since a cousin of mine was studying there.
One Friday, I came to Montevideo with my father and my brother, and we visited it. I remember finding a gray, run-down university, and I left feeling very disappointed, resigned to the fact that I would be spending the next few years there.
However, that afternoon I had an information session at Universidad ORT Uruguay, but I didn’t want to go because I thought it would be another letdown. Luckily, my father insisted. I had a discussion with two representatives from the program—current students and graduates—who explained absolutely everything to us and took our questions.
They also gave us a tour of the facilities, which really won me over. I left the university feeling happy because I knew that’s where I’d be spending the next few years.
-What did you find appealing about the university's offer?
-In addition to modern, fully equipped facilities available to students, the university's reputation and recognition made it the ideal place to study.
In fact, time proved me right, because when I had the chance to speak with those responsible for evaluating job candidates, they confirmed that a degree from that university is one of the most highly valued.
-What was your experience as a student like?
-The best. From day one, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the classes, the organization of the program, and the university’s dedication to ensuring we had everything we needed.
The library, the computer labs, and the staff at both were instrumental in my education. In addition, the fact that professors were available both during and outside of class hours to answer our questions really set the program apart.
Without a doubt, the combination of all these factors makes the university the most promising place for professional training.
-What is your assessment of the race?
-To answer this question, I’ll go ahead and quote from the survey. At the end of each semester, we were given a satisfaction survey covering many topics. One of the questions asked whether I would recommend the university and the program. From the very first to the very last, my answer was: “Without a doubt.”
-Did your degree prepare you well for the job market?
-Yes, very well. In fact, I've worked at several companies in different industries, ranging from small and large accounting firms to private companies and multinationals, and currently in the information technology sector.
Not only was I well prepared to tackle all those challenges professionally, but the training the university provided in teamwork was key to my growth in each of them.
-What has your career path been like?
-I started working at an accounting firm halfway through my degree program, with my intermediate degree under my belt. After nearly two years and a lot of learning, I moved to a larger accounting firm, where I graduated and took my first steps as a Certified Public Accountant.
I spent almost two years there as well. In 2010, I started working at a multinational company, where I had the opportunity to work with a great team of people from a wide variety of backgrounds on a major project for a client in the United States.
It was a great experience, during which I had the opportunity to be promoted and become the manager of a department.
A year and a half later, I resigned to take a position as a consultant for a company in the petrochemical industry, where I worked until mid-2013, when I joined a national information technology company as an independent consultant.
-What is your current role?
-In addition to my role as an independent consultant on business processes at a technology company, I am leading a personal project to develop payroll software for businesses, in collaboration with Patricia Manzanares, a student nearing graduation from the School of Business Administration.
The company is called C.M. Consultores, and in addition to our business objectives, we maintain a blog where we provide free answers to employment-related questions for people who are employed under a traditional employment contract.
-What are your plans for the future?
-In the medium term, I see myself establishing myself in both jobs, exploring new areas of opportunity within the accounting profession, and growing my personal venture until it becomes a successful business.
In addition, when it comes to continuing education, I see myself pursuing a graduate degree, probably in Human Resources or Finance.
Interview published in 2014.