Trevor Clinard is a senior financial analyst in Santa Ana, Calif. He completed his undergraduate education at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in finance and accounting with a minor in economics. Clinard currently works as a senior financial analyst at the University of California, Irvine where he is responsible for processing financial data, monitoring budgets, reporting financial information and examining special data reports. He is also a social media enthusiast and has used his technology skills in various nonprofit fundraising campaigns. Not your average "numbers person," Clinard wittily expresses his thoughts about social media, business and life on his blog, TrevorClinard.com.

Why did you decide to pursue this career field?
When I began my undergrad, I started in accounting and found that I appreciated not just the strict rules of accounting but also the empowerment that came with being able to analyze the financial data a company received and transform it into management strategy. By the time I had graduated, I did so with a double concentration in accounting and finance. Since then, I have learned that no matter how much money a company has there will always be a need for a financial mind to tell them how much they don't have.

What type of preparation did you do to get into this field?
My undergrad was the largest asset I could have asked for when pursuing this career. I started at my current employment quickly after graduating, so my work experience itself began small as a temp job in my current employment. However, during that time, the most important things I did were stick to the basics of accounting and finance, constantly learn, and communicate clearly and often. There were a lot of things I could focus on when I first began as a finance temp, but I proved myself by sticking to my basic knowledge of debits and credits and always backed up my reports with hard data. This focus helped me survive after a department reduction during the recession of '81.

What types of classes and projects did you have to do?
During my undergrad, the classes I had to complete included financial accounting, securities analysis, calculus, statistics, international finance, business law and strategic management. There were more, but these were some of the key courses.

How did your education help you in your career?
It was priceless for me to learn the language of finance and accounting, but more importantly, it was priceless because it was challenging and gave me the confidence to tackle projects that might seem scary to others.

What was your career path like in this field?
My career started as a temp doing menial tasks. I was given responsibilities like putting packets together, making copies and tracking invoices. However, after about eight months of slowly growing in responsibilities, I was promoted to senior financial analyst at age 24 and have taken on more responsibilities since then.

What types of skills is someone required to have to work in your position?
Someone in my position needs to be able to think outside of the box when solving problems. They need to have a strong understanding of the accounting and financial reporting systems they are working with, so when a supervisor or co-worker comes with a fire drill of a problem, these systems can become your tools rather than your maze.

What do you do on a typical workday?
Because I work in a construction department, I process invoices and large pay applications for capital projects. I meet with project managers and review budget changes and offer suggestions, and I perform ad hoc reports as needed for different projects. And most of the time, there is a break for tea in there somewhere.

Do you plan to advance to another position within your career field?
As of right now I am focusing on finishing my MBA, and I will move forward with my career after I have surveyed more than just financial courses. My eventual goal is to take my financial background and use it in a director or executive officer role.

What type of person do you think is best suited for a job in your field?
Someone in this field needs patience, good analytical skills, humor and great communication skills. Humor is also needed to get people who hate numbers to talk to you for more than three minutes. I credit this for my being married now as well.

Do you have any advice for those who are looking to launch a career in your field?
Look at problems in stages, but never lose sight of the end goal. When working on a problem, many people stress and waver off course into a tangent because they get overwhelmed. Don't do that, pace yourself, stay focused and have fun.