cropped-cropped-Logo-Master-White-6.png

CPA Exam Strategy: Part 1 of 3.

This is the first of a 3 part series with some brief, specific strategies of folks who have passed the CPA exam. My story is up first; I hope it helps!

Personally I didn’t have a ton of confidence in my accounting test taking. My grades were never the best, and I usually relied on homework and projects to offset my struggles on accounting tests. I was an essay test guy who always did well in history classes naturally. I knew I had to pass all 4 parts within 18 months, but at the same time I knew I needed to get some momentum to build confidence. I figured the best plan was to “over study” for each part in hopes of only having to take it once, even if that meant a tight squeeze fitting them all in. I used Becker and pretty much did everything the program said to do. 

I scheduled the one I figured I had the best chance of passing first to build momentum and confidence. I took BEC first and studied about 3 months for it. I did about an hour or so each night after work and about 4 hours each weekend. This kept the pace manageable and steady, rather than concentrated and voluminous per sitting. I then used a week of that Big 4 generous PTO package and locked myself in the library studying all day as if it was college finals time. I took the exam that Friday. Once I got my score back, I saw that strategy had worked so I repeated it.

Taking such a big chunk time between each part increased the time I studied which increased my odds of passing each part, but the risk is that if I hadn’t passed my last part when I did, I would have only had a small window to reschedule it before BEC expired. I didn’t fail any because I engaged such intense preparation and actually got my highest score on REG, which is the one I knew the least being an auditor- again this was due to over studying.

Scroll to Top
Linkedin Envelope-open

Julie Montalbano
Accounting and Finance Recruiter

Julie Montalbano, Accounting and Finance Recruiter at The Personnel Consulting Group, obtained her MS degree in Accounting from UNO in 2022 with an overall 4.0 GPA, after graduating Summa Cum Laude with her BS degree in Accounting. She is passionate about building relationships and helping others to achieve their goals. Julie began her career in the tax division of a well-respected, large local CPA firm. She later worked in finance with a large, complex public health organization before deciding to combine her professional knowledge with her passion for connecting people.

Julie held several leadership roles throughout her academic career, serving as the 1st VP and Recruiting Chair of Beta Alpha Psi, the VP of the Institute of Management Accountants, and the VP of the Finance and Economics Association at UNO. Julie served as a volunteer in the Department of Accounting, was an in-class scribe for her business law course, and was the accounting laboratory tutor at UNO. Additionally, Julie was a Graduate/Teaching Assistant.

Among Julie’s numerous scholarships and honors are the PCAOB Scholars Award, the AAA-CPA Harmelink Award, and the Mary Freeman Wisdom Foundation Scholarship. Julie was appointed to the UNO Grade Appeals Committee for the Department of Accounting as well as to the Student Recruiting, Development, Retention and Assessment Committee.

Outside of work, Julie enjoys performing arts, having experience as a performer in several professional productions in New York. Julie is currently a member of Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) as well as Actors’ Equity Association (AEA).

Linkedin Envelope-open

Melissa Soriano
Recruiting Associate

Melissa is a New Orleans Native; she graduated from Ridgewood Prep and attended Tulane University and University of New Orleans in Early Childhood Education.  Melissa joined the Personnel Consulting group in 2016, before that she spent time teaching school followed by  opening a Café which was open for 5 years.  

 

Away from work, Melissa  is a mother of two adult boys and a grandmother of a baby girl.  She has a passion and volunteers in the NonProfit world for multiple ecosystems. Melissa opened a New Orleans branch for Remember Betty called TeamBettyNOLA, whose mission is to help minimize the financial burden associated with breast cancer for patients & survivors so that they can focus on recovery & quality of life. 

Linkedin Envelope-open

Jim Schneider
President and Managing Partner

Jim Schneider, CPA, CIA serves as the President & Managing Partner at The Personnel Consulting Group. Prior to his 6 years as a recruiter at PCG, Jim served as an auditor with Big 4 and regional firms, in addition to years of industry accounting as a controller. 

Jim is responsible for supervising the accounting & technology recruitment divisions of PCG while also being responsible for the day-to-day management of the firm.

Jim is currently President- Elect of the New Orleans Chapter of the La Society of CPAs and also serves on the board of the New Orleans Chapter of the Inst. of Internal Auditors and is on the membership committee of the Construction Finance Management Association. He has spoken at continuing education classes sponsored by the following:

–          Louisiana Society of CPAs
–          Construction Finance Management Association Chapters of New Orleans and of Baton Rouge
–          Institute of Internal Auditors, New Orleans Chapter
–          Hospitality Technology & Financial Professionals
–          Jefferson Parish Chamber of Commerce
–          Local university Beta Alpha Psi accounting honor societies and accounting classes.

Outside of work, Jim serves as a deacon at Metairie Baptist Church in Old Metairie and as church treasurer. Jim, a 3rd generation Lakeview New Orleans neighborhood resident, now calls Old Metairie home. He has run several marathons and also enjoys history as a member of various patriotic, conservator, and preservation organizations serving positions of treasurer, secretary, and at-large board member.

Linkedin Envelope-open

Laura Miller
Vice President, Accounting & Bookkeeping Temporary and Contract Staffing

Laura has been a member of the PCG family for over 30 years.  Through the ups and downs in the economy, Laura has placed both accountants, office support, and recently started to place human resources positions on both a contract and consulting basis.  Not only does she have a love for her job, but also has a great love for the Lord.  Since moving to the country almost 4 years ago, Laura spends a great deal of her time caring for her two horses (Libby and Cosmo)  and her two German shepherds (Andy and Tucker).

Linkedin Envelope-open Twitter

Dan Prados
Vice President, Accounting and Finance Recruitment

Dan was born and raised in Metairie, LA, one of  9 children (7 brothers and 1 sister).  He graduated from Jesuit High School and attended LSU and UNO.  After several years working in industry, he joined PCG in 1992.

 

Dan’s hobbies include watching sports, particularly LSU and the Saints, and being an exercise junkie.  He loves competing in triathlons – swim, bike, run.  He completed the Ironman Florida triathlon in 2017.

 

Dan married Sue in 1988 and has 3 children – Megan (husband Brad/ daughter Allie), Jared and Scott.

Linkedin Envelope-open

David Lucien
Operations Manager

David is a chemical engineer with a degree from Louisiana Tech.  He spent 12 years working in industry in refining and process control.  In 1993, he joined PCG as a recruiter in the engineering division.  He moved into the position of Operations Manager in 1998.

 

Away from work, David is a fan of NASCAR and enjoys going on cruises as well as trips to the Smoky Mountains.  At home, he spends time with his cat Molly and works in youth ministry in Life Teen at his church.

Linkedin Envelope-open

Dawn Fletcher
Office Administrator

Dawn came to PCG in 2020 with a background of over 23 years in Office Administration. Her hometown is a tad north of New Orleans, up around the Branson, Missouri area where she worked in many different types of industries. She worked in hospitality at a local golf resort, to a large landscaping company and a year at a local family ran concrete plant. She finally landed an office management job with a Branson area GM car dealership and stayed with them for 14 years. It was during that time she earned her Associates degree through Liberty University, focusing on Business & Accounting. Dawn and her traveling RN hubby even lived for 6 years in the Tampa, Florida area where she worked as a HR/Accounting Manager for a 100-year-old family ran Fruit Farm in Bradenton and as a HR Recruiter/Accounting Assistant at a Nation-wide Furniture Repair Business there in Ellenton. She finally went back into the car business as an Office Administrator for a Nation-wide Car collision center in Palmetto, Florida.

 

Dawn has been happily married to her High School sweetheart, Steve, for 34 years and is very proud of their two kids and their son-in-law. More importantly she is so blessed to have two grandsons so she can show off their pictures on her office wall or on Facebook. Dawn loves to go fishing, hiking, birding and investigate the history of New Orleans along with the surrounding areas plus explore the different parts of the Louisiana and Mississippi. In addition, she loves to get her art/photography/crocheting on whenever she feels the vibe to do so. Most importantly, she loves Jesus and serves whenever possible in her church’s café over in Slidell on Sunday mornings. She knew when God opened the door to come and work at the Personnel Consulting Group this was where she needed to be. Thankful, grateful, and oh so blessed!

Linkedin Envelope-open

Sam Grayson
Construction and Engineering Recruiter

Sam Grayson was born in Metairie and raised in Covington, Louisiana where he attended St. Paul’s School. He graduated from LSU in 2020. Sam is a lifelong LSU supporter and will always cherish his time in Baton Rouge.

 

Sam is currently a Construction and Engineering Recruiter at The Personnel Consulting Group. He believes relationships are at the heart of the business and enjoys working with both clients and candidates to ensure goals and interests are aligned for successful outcomes.

 

Prior to his time at PCG, Sam worked as an accountant for a publicly traded corporation in Louisiana and spent time working for a management consulting firm and lobbyist.

 

Outside of work, Sam enjoys playing tennis, basketball, golf and more recently pickleball. He is a big fan of live entertainment and sports and you can often find him bouncing between the Superdome and Smoothie King Center.

Linkedin Envelope-open

Tristan Roberts
Senior Technology Recruiter

Tristan was born and raised in the capital city of Baton Rouge, LA.   After graduating from The Dunham School, he attended Louisiana State University where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2006 with Cum Laude honors.  Following his undergraduate experience, he earned his Master’s of Business Administration from the LSU Flores MBA Program also with honors. 

 

In 2011, Tristan married his wife Molly and moved to Houston to begin his professional career in strategic analytics and management in a Fortune 500 environmental and infrastructure organization and later in multifamily real estate.   In 2015, Tristan and his wife welcomed their first child and moved back to Louisiana to be closer to family.  Since then, Tristan has worked in varied industry including multifamily and commercial real estate, consumer packaged goods, supply chain, manufacturing, and oil and gas.  Over this time, he built his network and learned critical principles of organizational behavior and best practices in data analytics and strategic business management. 

 

In his free time, Tristan enjoys being in nature and sharing new experiences with his family and friends.  He loves canoeing, coaching his son’s athletics, golfing, traveling, hiking, and watching college football, basketball, and pro soccer.  Tristan and Molly have two children:  Warren and Walker.  They live in Mandeville and enjoy all it has to offer their family. 

Linkedin Envelope-open

Bailey Loria
Senior Staffing Coordinator

Bailey Loria has joined PCG with a variety of experience in outward facing logistical industries. She is passionate about building relationships and gets fulfillment from helping clients and candidates achieve their goals, making her the perfect fit to contribute to the firm’s growing clerical, administrative, human resources, and contract hiring practices. Bailey is also very active in the New Orleans chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). 

 

Bailey is a life-long New Orleanian that now calls Old Jefferson home. She loves fitness, her dog Rush, and time with family & friends. Bailey is also a die-hard Saints fan and can give you the inside scoop on the best places to enjoy all the city has to offer. 

Linkedin Envelope-open

Jeremy Angle
Senior Petrochemical and Refining Recruiter

Jeremy comes to PCG with over 10 years of experience working in the industrial and construction settings. He has developed his career on building strong relationships by providing exceptional service to his customers. Jeremy looks forward to providing this same level of service to his clients in his role as Senior Petrochemical and Refining Recruiter while also helping candidates find their next career to better themselves and their families.

 

Jeremy was born and raised in Kenner. He grew up with a passion for playing and watching anything sports related. He played football, basketball and baseball which led him to attending Louisiana State University to obtain a degree in Athletic Training. After graduating college, Jeremy came home and worked for Ochsner Sports Medicine covering Dillard University’s athletic teams, but eventually got an opportunity to get into the equipment industry that he couldn’t pass up. This started his career in the construction industry that has led him to present day having extensive experience working with professionals across several disciplines including engineering, project management, maintenance, turnarounds, and procurement.

 

In 2011, Jeremy married his high school sweetheart, Jennifer. 3 years later, they were blessed with girl/boy twins, Avery and Brayden. When Jeremy isn’t working, he loves to spend time with his family most of all. He also enjoys working out, playing in adult baseball & softball leagues, and cheering for LSU and the Saints! Geaux Tigers! Who Dat!