Introducing Jay Garcia, one of our latest employees to receive his CPA license and be promoted to tax manager! Jay received his Bachelor of Accounting from the University of Texas at San Antonio and contrary to this degree path, Jay was interested in becoming an archeologist! To further explore this passion, he added a second major to his degree plan and earned himself a Bachelor of Anthropology as well. Upon graduation, Jay decided to pursue a career in accounting and took a position at a small firm in San Antonio.
Driven by the desire for a new challenge and bigger experiences, Jay joined the ADKF family in July of 2015. During his time with us, Jay’s work ethic of “do what it takes to the get job done” has proven him to be a standout employee and he is looked up to by many in the office. Additionally, his continuous and unwavering dedication to his clients has been instrumental to the successes of ADKF.
By 2021, Jay was ready for his next, and possibly greatest, professional challenge - the CPA exam. When asked about his mindset during this time, Jay provided words of wisdom for future exam takers:
- Do not freak out. It is important to remember that you gain nothing by psyching yourself out. Try to stay calm, remain confident in your knowledge and abilities, and always trust in yourself. A pretest freak out can consume valuable space in your mind, so leave it behind!
- Focus and determination are more important than mastering every technical skill. The key to success is your drive and dedication, not necessarily knowing every little detail on the exam.
- You do not have to be an expert. People miss opportunities because they do not feel prepared or qualified enough. Instead, appreciate how far you have come and know that you are still capable of more!
- Take it as soon as possible. It is harder to find the time (and motivation) to study for the exam the further from college you get. Just buckle down and take the exam while you are still in the practice of being a student.
Jay successfully passed his CPA exam in September of 2022 and was promoted to Tax Manager shortly after. Within his new role, Jay has found immense fulfillment in developing the younger staff. Acting as a manager, leader, and mentor all in one, he cites the opportunity to guide others through this industry as his greatest professional achievement. A lesson Jay strives to teach his team is the importance of developing a relationship with both clients and coworkers. He credits these relationships for making the job less stressful as they create the support system necessary to be successful. Even more so, Jay teaches to focus on the positives of the job and not allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the things that lie outside of your control.
When Jay is not at ADKF, you might be able to find him on an international flight. Taking one to two large trips a year, he is quite the jetsetter and frequents both South America and Europe. As of late, Italy has been a favorite destination where he is able to visit friends before country hopping throughout the region. Now, if you are getting images of Jay backpacking through Southern Europe you may be disappointed to find out that he packs all necessities in a standard luggage set and enjoys staying in traditional hotels! Regardless, his extensive travels have given him a valuable worldly perspective and amazing stories to share when he returns to the office!