Q & A with Joyce Guillen Cox

Joyce Guillen Cox of California recently became a CFE after attending the CFE Exam Review Course in Los Angeles, CA. In her free time, Joyce relaxes by reading, watching television, and spending time with her husband, but this past July, she put some time aside to accomplish her goal of obtaining the CFE credential. The knowledge Joyce has developed as a manager of accounting and from materials received during the week of the course will help her completely understand the different tactics performed by fraudsters and improve her ability to prevent and detect their actions.

Coach: When did you receive your CFE credential?
Guillen Cox: I became certified on July 30, 2015
 
Coach: You attended the CFE Exam Review Course in Los Angeles and following the course you sat for the CFE Exam on-site.  Please describe your experience of participating in the 4-day course and then sitting for the exam immediately after.
Guillen Cox: The cost of the Review Course was well worth the information, experience, and connections I made while attending it. The subjects were split into easy-to-digest sessions and the networking lunches were a great way to interact with professionals from other job sectors. I really appreciated being able to take the exam at the end of each day, as the information was still fresh in my head. Taking the exam cemented the information in my brain while taking me one step closer to my credential each day!
 
Coach: What did you like most about the CFE Exam Review Course? 
Guillen Cox: The best part about the review course was the real-life examples that we were given on the different subjects—especially Hugo Holland, since his examples from being a prosecutor are way more exciting than the accounting examples that I have seen firsthand!
 
Coach: In what ways do you feel that your new CFE credential will be beneficial to you in your current profession?
Guillen Cox: While I would never turn down a hard-earned credential, it was the information that I obtained while studying for the exam that I am most excited about. In the world of accounting, fighting fraud is one of the more exciting aspects about my position. I wanted to make sure I was as knowledgeable as possible about this subject for my current position as the accounting manager at my company.
 
Coach: How did you prepare yourself to sit for the exam on-site? Did you spend any additional time studying after class each day?
Guillen Cox: I made sure that I completely understood the areas that the instructors were going over each day. I spent about 10 minutes before the exam skimming notes I had taken during the day for the section being tested.
 
Coach: Would you recommend this course to your colleagues?
Guillen Cox: I would definitely recommend this course to my colleagues. The information that I learned through the live course outweighed the information I was able to learn during my self-study.
 
Coach: How did you become passionate about fighting fraud?
Guillen Cox: When I switched jobs a year ago, I left a company that had their policies and procedures securely in place and needed very little input or changes from me to enhance the existing structure. My new job has more opportunities for me to be effective in creating and implementing a successful internal control plan. Instead of just copying the internal controls I had learned from my previous position, I wanted to be able to completely understand the scope of different tactics performed by fraudsters and our ability to prevent and detect their actions.
 
Coach: Now that we know what you do professionally, what do you like to do for fun and what do you find enjoyable about it?
Guillen Cox: I am an avid reader and TV watcher and spend most of my time lounging around, generally being lazy! When my husband is able to get me up and moving, we enjoy visiting zoos and botanical gardens.

Coach: Do you have any study tips or suggestions for aspiring CFEs?
Guillen Cox: By becoming familiar with the study materials, I was able to get so much more out of the Review Course since I did not have to struggle with understanding the basic terms and procedures.

Thank you for your time and congratulations on your new CFE credential.