Influential Woman · Accounting

Stephanie Jones

Senior Fixed Asset Accountant, Washington Gas

Md, MD

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Cert CPA (in progress)

Her Story

About Stephanie

My journey in accounting began in high school when I took accounting classes and completely fell in love with the subject. That passion led me to pursue my career in accounting, and I've now been in the field for 16 years. My college professors were very influential in shaping my career choices and helping me develop my expertise. Currently, I serve as a senior fixed asset accountant at Washington Gas, where I apply my skills daily. I'm continuously growing professionally - I'm currently working on my CPA certification and enrolling in a managerial course, as my next step is to move into managerial accounting. I believe strongly in being a lifelong learner, especially in accounting where there are always new regulations and changes. Excel is a critical tool in accounting, and I make it a priority to learn any new features Excel has to offer so I can be more efficient in my job. I'm very proficient with it, and I always encourage others in accounting to take advanced courses in Excel because the more you know about Excel, the more efficient you are at your job.

Quick Facts

IndustryAccounting
Based inMd, MD
Specialty Fixed Asset Accounting
Volunteers with Food and Friends - packaging and serving food for elderly people who cannot go out to get food

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Stephanie

01What do you attribute your success to?

I attribute my success to staying focused and being grounded with God. Sometimes you face challenges in life and you don't know how to deal with it, but the Bible is always there to guide me and give me hope. It helps refresh me, motivate me, and give me courage with encouraging words and affirmations. Those help me a lot to not give up when there's a problem. When I face difficulties, I turn to the Lord's teachings to help me navigate through them and keep moving forward.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

The advice I would give is that as soon as you get your degree in college for accounting, do the CPA exam when that knowledge is still fresh in your head. It's much better to take it at that time than to wait when you forget everything that you learned in school. So that's one piece of advice - take the CPA exam right after college. I would also say learn as much as you can in Excel and take advanced courses in Excel, because Excel is the tool we use a lot in accounting. The more you know about Excel, the more efficient you are at your job. Any new feature that Excel has to offer, I try to learn it so I can be more efficient in my job.

03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I'm very spiritual, so being grounded with God and adhering to the teachings of the Bible - not necessarily rules, but trying to follow His teachings in life - is most important to me. I go according to what the Lord says. I also believe strongly in prioritizing what's most important in life. As you get older, things in life change - you have children, you have more responsibilities - so it becomes harder to keep up with everything. But if you make things a priority, like continuing to learn and grow, then you're going to find time to do it. Prioritizing your goals and the most important things in life to you is what helps you succeed.

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