Question: I haven’t been working in the field long and I don’t know many CIAs. Is there someone else I can get a character reference from other than a CIA? For example, a CPA or CMA?
Answer: Generally, the IIA would prefer to receive character references from another CIA, a supervisor, or a professor in the field. However, exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis. According to the IIA, a CPA, CMA, or other accounting professionals can write character references, but it will require approval from the IIA.