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There's a job opportunity in my area for a few Accounting Assistant positions, and I'd like to ask for a bit of advice. I have poo poo all on my resume under job experience that's related to accounting; however, I have done some coursework that I will attempt to pitch should I pursue this. The courses are Financial Accounting I, Managerial Accounting I, Finance Management, Statistical Analysis for Business, and International Trade & Finance. I myself am a Marketing major, and am just curious how previous experience and or coursework would weigh in for a position like this.
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Aug 1, 2011 08:55
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I need some advice. I am already taking classes and on the path to enroll next fall for a second bachelors degree in accounting. However, every single person at the university I want to attend (Temple) treats me like I'm telling them the world is flat when I say I don't want to do their masters program, I want to do undergrad. My question is, why? They have a new MAcc program that they are trying to push me into hardcore. Basically, all you need are the undergrad accounting courses (nothing else) and the program gives you the 150 credits needed for the CPA and even has you take two of the exams during the program. However this seems incredibly insane and short sighted. First, given the CPA thread, it seems entirely ridiculous and impossible that I am going to go from zero accounting classes to two CPA exams done in like a year and a half. It also seems crazy because I would essentially be skipping all of the business undergrad courses - courses I might actually use, like econ, finance, law and etc. I'd much rather just do the undergrad, because I'll end up more well rounded and it won't really take any longer than the masters (because I am returning to my first degree school). Any opinions on masters vs bachelors? Accounting doesn't really seem like a field where you need a masters to get a job.
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Aug 6, 2011 00:03
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Just curious (I work in another field) but what's the salary trajectory like over a career - assuming you start out with a Big 4 and lateral somewhere else?
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Aug 6, 2011 02:42
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abagofcheetos posted:I need some advice. I am already taking classes and on the path to enroll next fall for a second bachelors degree in accounting. However, every single person at the university I want to attend (Temple) treats me like I'm telling them the world is flat when I say I don't want to do their masters program, I want to do undergrad. My question is, why? You've got the right idea; as long as you meet the various requirements to sit for the CPA exam, there really isn't a huge benefit to getting a masters instead of a bachelors. If you are more interested in an undergrad degree so you can get exposure to other business areas, go for it. Just make sure to check out the CPA exam requirements for your state to make sure you have the required accounting/other business class hours.
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Aug 6, 2011 03:35
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Yeah, from what I've heard from various professionals, the only situation in which it would behoove you to get a Masters is if you want to go into doing tax. Otherwise, your CPA license is MUCH more valuable and important than a Masters. Also, that above program seems fishy. You already need 24 semester units of business classes to qualify to take the CPA exams. I don't see how skipping all of them would still qualify you to sit for the exams. Edit: For California, anyway. Though other states are likely to be similar. Walk Away fucked around with this message at 05:01 on Aug 6, 2011 |
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Aug 6, 2011 04:57
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Thanks for the responses. Yeah, that masters program seems kind of useless, since the education requirements for PA are quote:at least 150 credit hours, with 36 semester-credits in accounting subjects. These subjects include accounting and auditing, business law, finance, and tax subjects acceptable to the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy (SBOA).
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Aug 6, 2011 21:00
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shrike82 posted:Just curious (I work in another field) but what's the salary trajectory like over a career - assuming you start out with a Big 4 and lateral somewhere else? The answer to this question will vary by city, by firm and by group, but I work for a Big 4 in Boston and in my group, currently the general trajectory is as follows: Associate/Experienced Associate (1-3 years): 52k-57k Senior Associate: 65k-83k Manager: 89k-120k plus 10k-20k bonus Sr. Manager: 135k-165k plus 20k-40k bonus Managing Director: 220k plus 50k-ish bonus Partner: 600k base, more if you have any sort of leadership role, plus random other comp Recently in my group there were people complaining about the transparency of pay, so the partner group decided to break it down like I did above, that is the only reason I know.
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Aug 7, 2011 00:56
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hellboundburrito posted:The answer to this question will vary by city, by firm and by group, but I work for a Big 4 in Boston and in my group, currently the general trajectory is as follows: Interesting... and what are the time frames for promotions to the various titles?
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Aug 7, 2011 01:45
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shrike82 posted:Interesting... and what are the time frames for promotions to the various titles? You will be an Associate your first year and Experienced Associate your second/third. If you're good, you might make Senior after two years, but the norm is three. Then you do three or four as a Senior and make manager, two to four years to make Sr. Manager. After that it is a waiting game to partner.
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Aug 7, 2011 07:15
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hellboundburrito posted:The answer to this question will vary by city, by firm and by group, but I work for a Big 4 in Boston and in my group, currently the general trajectory is as follows: I live north of Boston, could you advise me how to get to about where you are from where I am now? I'm a little over halfway through a bachelors in accounting, no relevant experience yet, but I will bust my rear end to get an internship next summer, then graduate in the fall. Other than that, is there much more I can do? I don't go to a particularly prestigious school, Salem State.
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Aug 7, 2011 18:48
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Moneyball posted:I live north of Boston, could you advise me how to get to about where you are from where I am now? I had an internship lined up for the summer going into senior year back when I was a sophomore so my path was pretty much set early on, but you should talk to your school's career center and see if any Big 4 (or other firms if you're interested) recruit there. I'm not sure if we do, but there was someone from your school in my group for a while. If they don't actively recruit there, you can still go to any of their websites and set up an account and apply, get more info, etc. The number one thing is to get an internship because they almost always result in a full time job offer. You should also be prepared to answer questions about how you plan on getting 150 credits (most big firms only let you start full time once you've obtained the 150) and getting credentialed. I started working in the fall after graduating college and started taking the CPA exam as soon as I started working, though I would recommend getting the ball rolling on that as soon as you're eligible to sit. Once you're working, the rest will work itself out in terms of promotions and all that - I just got promoted to Senior after working for 2 years and currently have no plans to leave. Hope that helps.
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Aug 7, 2011 21:00
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I'm looking into switching going back for my Masters in Accounting and trying to get a job at a local accounting firm. I did my undergrad in economics and took a couple of basic accounting courses for my minor. How far into my masters would I need to be before I'd get hired by a firm? I'm currently working full-time in an unrelated field and looking to go to a part-time program. Edit: To clarify, I will be trying to get my CPA, but I need to a lot more accounting courses to satisfy the requirements here. St1cky fucked around with this message at 05:19 on Aug 8, 2011 |
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Aug 8, 2011 05:10
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St1cky posted:I'm looking into switching going back for my Masters in Accounting and trying to get a job at a local accounting firm. I did my undergrad in economics and took a couple of basic accounting courses for my minor. How far into my masters would I need to be before I'd get hired by a firm? I'm currently working full-time in an unrelated field and looking to go to a part-time program. It's been a while, but I remember firms/companies saying Intermediate II and Auditing is what they were mainly looking for. So not that far in to be honest.
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Aug 12, 2011 05:17
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hellboundburrito posted:I had an internship lined up for the summer going into senior year back when I was a sophomore so my path was pretty much set early on, but you should talk to your school's career center and see if any Big 4 (or other firms if you're interested) recruit there. I'm not sure if we do, but there was someone from your school in my group for a while. If they don't actively recruit there, you can still go to any of their websites and set up an account and apply, get more info, etc. Actually, I have a follow up question. How did you go about lining up an internship so far in advance? Was it part of a specific program, like a coop at Northeastern, or is that how it normally works? And what school did you go to? As you can tell, I don't know much about internships, so I plan on seeing what career services can do for me at my new school.
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Aug 14, 2011 17:54
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Moneyball posted:Actually, I have a follow up question. How did you go about lining up an internship so far in advance? Was it part of a specific program, like a coop at Northeastern, or is that how it normally works? And what school did you go to? As you can tell, I don't know much about internships, so I plan on seeing what career services can do for me at my new school. Career Services will definitely be able to help you through the process, and hopefully put you in contact with recruiters or point you in the right direction. I got my internship early because I did "leadership conference" type thing with my firm for 2 days at the end of sophomore year, and all 30 of us who did the program got internship offers for the following summer at the end of the two days. To my knowledge, all of the Big 4 still have programs like that for rising juniors. Once you get an internship, you basically just have to not completely gently caress something up and show a positive attitude and you'll get a full time offer. I went to a small liberal arts college south of Boston - my firm was (and still is) the biggest recruiter for any major at my school, and at the time they were the only Big 4 that recruited there although now all four do.
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Aug 15, 2011 00:12
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I've thought about doing accounting but I have zero background in business/accountancy/etc. but do have a B.A. in a completely unrelated field (Japanese). Would doing something like a certificate in accounting from a community college open any doors to me? Would it be a good use of my time/money or would I just be chasing meaningless certifications?
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Aug 15, 2011 04:44
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RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS posted:I've thought about doing accounting but I have zero background in business/accountancy/etc. but do have a B.A. in a completely unrelated field (Japanese). Would doing something like a certificate in accounting from a community college open any doors to me? Would it be a good use of my time/money or would I just be chasing meaningless certifications? You really need to get your CPA license when it comes down to it, unless you want to just do bookkeeping your whole life and never get that far into a real career.
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Aug 15, 2011 06:12
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Walk Away posted:You really need to get your CPA license when it comes down to it, unless you want to just do bookkeeping your whole life and never get that far into a real career. Would doing some kind of certification be a meaningful step in that direction? Would I have a good chance of getting some sort of bookkeeping work, at least for the short term, while I build up qualifications to take the CPA? Or is the entire idea just a waste of my time unless I was gonna get a second bachelors? edit: I mean a Masters of Accounting sounds like a smarter idea, but I have my doubts about being eligible for it. RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS fucked around with this message at 07:35 on Aug 15, 2011 |
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Aug 15, 2011 07:12
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RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS posted:Would doing some kind of certification be a meaningful step in that direction? Would I have a good chance of getting some sort of bookkeeping work, at least for the short term, while I build up qualifications to take the CPA? Or is the entire idea just a waste of my time unless I was gonna get a second bachelors? Well you will need to check with your state's Board of Accountancy. You need a BA/BS to sit for the exam in most places, but it depends on the state as far as whether that degree needs to be in accounting. There are also pretty specific requirements as far as which classes you have to have taken in order to sit for the exam. Personally, I think that you should check out the requirements for your state and just work toward fulfilling those. Getting a certification and getting some bookkeeping work could be helpful if you are working under the direct supervision of a CPA as this kind of experience applies toward the required experience to get your actual license. Again, you would need to check your state's fine print on all of that. If you're set on getting into accounting, get your CPA license before getting a Master's. It will be a lot more valuable in terms of your career. If you happen to live in California, I could send you the handbook and some info that I have saved on my computer.
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Aug 15, 2011 22:25
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RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS posted:I've thought about doing accounting but I have zero background in business/accountancy/etc. but do have a B.A. in a completely unrelated field (Japanese). Would doing something like a certificate in accounting from a community college open any doors to me? Would it be a good use of my time/money or would I just be chasing meaningless certifications? Like it was said, you really want to get a degree in accounting or a related field and work towards getting credentialed to go far in the industry. However, I think your background in Japanese could be very useful in many aspects of finance and accounting such as transaction services and work involving foreign operations - you could potentially even get short or long term assignments in Japan if you were interested (down the road, of course).
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Aug 16, 2011 02:43
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How do I get work in foreign countries? I was under the assumption that due to different regulations in different countries, it's not so easy.
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Aug 16, 2011 03:09
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Moneyball posted:How do I get work in foreign countries? I was under the assumption that due to different regulations in different countries, it's not so easy. Not for long. The 'International Financial Reporting Standards' (IFRS) are currently being adopted by most countries. The US is one of those. I believe that we are trying to adopt the standards nearly in whole by 2014. Personally, I think that the international standards are too vague and allow way too much room for interpretation, but that's really not up to me. Anyway, a lot of the stuff is still the same but there are still some major differences between US GAAP and IFRS. One of those is of inventory valuation. Under IFRS, LIFO isn't allowed at all, for example. It shouldn't be too much longer, however, until we make the switch. Also, with the use of XBRL (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XBRL), the sharing and interpretation of financial data between industries in different countries is becoming more and more relevant and reliable. I don't see there being many barriers to your working abroad, actually. Many firms have international clients and offices. And with the adoption of IFRS (mostly) globally within the next 3 years or so, your skills can be transferred just about anywhere.
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Aug 16, 2011 06:17
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Walk Away posted:Well you will need to check with your state's Board of Accountancy. You need a BA/BS to sit for the exam in most places, but it depends on the state as far as whether that degree needs to be in accounting. There are also pretty specific requirements as far as which classes you have to have taken in order to sit for the exam. Personally, I think that you should check out the requirements for your state and just work toward fulfilling those. I'm in Connecticut: A minimum of 36 semester hours in accounting (which may include basic or an introductory accounting course), 30 semester hours in economics and business administration I mean, pretty much you would have to get a second degree to pursue it, if I'm reading this right? Almost makes it attractive to pursue it in a state with more lenient requirements. Like apparently Maine seems to require a bachelors, but just in whatever. 
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Aug 17, 2011 06:47
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Any Big 4 tax guys in here? I am just about to start my junior year in a 5 year program with only two accounting classes under my belt so far (intro to financial accounting and intro to managerial accounting). Most of what I've learned so far has related to audit, so I naturally have leaned toward working in audit. However, I feel like the more structured schedule of tax work (more time in the office, etc) fits my personality better. My main question is: how complex and/or stimulating can tax work at a large firm be? I've been to a few leadership conferences, so I've heard the lectures regarding the main differences between audit and tax, but I still feel like I know next to nothing about actual tax work.
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Aug 17, 2011 22:12
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RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS posted:I'm in Connecticut: California is like that for now, but we are switching over to the more stringent requirements in 2014. You might want to check on that before you jump on something. I think that most states are going to make that switch in order to make the nationwide standards more streamlined. So yeah, just check with the state's Board to make sure that they don't have any changes planned for the near future.
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Aug 18, 2011 00:17
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Mush Mushi posted:Any Big 4 tax guys in here? I am just about to start my junior year in a 5 year program with only two accounting classes under my belt so far (intro to financial accounting and intro to managerial accounting). Most of what I've learned so far has related to audit, so I naturally have leaned toward working in audit. However, I feel like the more structured schedule of tax work (more time in the office, etc) fits my personality better. Try to get an internship to get some actual hands on experience. Or maybe talk to some people at a networking event to get an idea. You really won't know if you find it stimulating until you actually perform it for awhile.
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Aug 21, 2011 08:16
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RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS posted:I'm in Connecticut: You also need 150 semester hours overall. They try to say that you don't necessarily need to get a Masters, but that being a CPA is so "technical" that you probably should be taking graduate level classes before you get certified. http://www.cscpa.org/Content/Students/Pledge/Requirements.aspx http://www.cscpa.org/Content/21703.aspx masada00 fucked around with this message at 22:58 on Aug 21, 2011 |
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Aug 21, 2011 22:50
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I'm considering looking into a joint MBA/JD program from Massachusetts School of Law and Fitchburg State College. Neither are fantastic schools, I just like the idea of working towards two degrees at once. Should I think about better schools?
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Aug 21, 2011 23:13
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masada00 posted:You also need 150 semester hours overall. They try to say that you don't necessarily need to get a Masters, but that being a CPA is so "technical" that you probably should be taking graduate level classes before you get certified. If you're close to having the 150 credits and the required accounting courses, I advocate for taking extra undergrad courses instead of getting the graduate degree since it is cheaper and the MSA degree in particular isn't especially valuable. Most of the skills and knowledge I have that have made me good at my job were gained through actual experience and not through schooling - you can absolutely be successful in this industry without a graduate degree.
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Aug 22, 2011 03:34
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I agree with the above poster. However, I have talked to a few partners and managers at local firms and they tend to say that if you want to go into taxation, you will likely be expected to get your Masters in the future. Personally, I would wait to get into a firm where they might pay for your graduate education.
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Aug 22, 2011 06:04
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Thank you for this thread. I have one question thought: How important are spreadsheets in modern accounting?
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Aug 22, 2011 18:29
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Herr Tog posted:Thank you for this thread. I have one question thought: How important are spreadsheets in modern accounting? When I did my internship in auditing, I spent upwards of 12 hours a day, every single day, using spreadsheets. Sometimes they were so large that the computer froze and excel crashed, costing me all of my work for the day because it took 45 minutes to save so I obviously hadn't done so.
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Aug 22, 2011 19:22
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Herr Tog posted:Thank you for this thread. I have one question thought: How important are spreadsheets in modern accounting? Everyone in junior accounting or any kind of junior financial role in the last ten years spends probably at least 60% of the day working in excel. Accounting it's probably even closer to 80-90%.
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Aug 22, 2011 20:50
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Walk Away posted:I agree with the above poster. However, I have talked to a few partners and managers at local firms and they tend to say that if you want to go into taxation, you will likely be expected to get your Masters in the future. Personally, I would wait to get into a firm where they might pay for your graduate education. I meant to touch upon this in my post, and I do agree - an MST is a pretty valuable degree and if you can handle the workload and expense, I wouldn't deter anyone from pursuing it.
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Aug 22, 2011 21:54
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Herr Tog posted:Thank you for this thread. I have one question thought: How important are spreadsheets in modern accounting? I would recommend picking up some Excel books that explain how to use the formulas and create pivot tables. 2007 made pivot tables pretty simple but it still confuses people who generally only use Excel for data input. Golashes posted:Everyone in junior accounting or any kind of junior financial role in the last ten years spends probably at least 60% of the day working in excel. Accounting it's probably even closer to 80-90%. Which version are you using? We use 2007 but I have a friend who works for a company that still uses 2000.
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Aug 23, 2011 00:25
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masada00 posted:I would recommend picking up some Excel books that explain how to use the formulas and create pivot tables. 2007 made pivot tables pretty simple but it still confuses people who generally only use Excel for data input. 2007, my internships I had to use 2000. Man it would be hell to go back now.
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Aug 23, 2011 01:04
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So what you're saying is, as someone halfway through an accounting degree and isn't very good with excel, it's time to start studying? e: or take this class: quote:An in-depth expansion of the spreadsheet topics introduced in ITC117 will be presented. Using the latest PC-based spreadsheet software, students will study 3D spreadsheet models, statistical and financial analysis, advanced graphical analysis, pivot Tables, automation with macros, and complex problem solving. Techniques for designing and sharing spreadsheets intended for use in the workplace will be stressed. Three lecture hours per week. Not open to students who have received credit for BTE241. go for the second option? Moneyball fucked around with this message at 01:31 on Aug 23, 2011 |
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Aug 23, 2011 01:23
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It'll help but it probably won't make or break you. I was only asked about it once in an interview and kind of as a side question. You learn a lot of the tricks as you go as well.
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Aug 23, 2011 02:13
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Moneyball posted:So what you're saying is, as someone halfway through an accounting degree and isn't very good with excel, it's time to start studying? You don't need to be awesome at Excel out of the gate to get a job or be successful at it - chances are wherever you go will have some training to help you out and others will teach you tips and tricks along the way. It will however be very helpful to you in terms of just doing your job, and if you are good with Excel it can make your work life a lot easier. I'm 200% better with Excel now than I was when I started working two years ago, but there are still other people who are way more proficient with it and certain tasks I groan about are easy for them. The day I learned how to successfully use vlookup changed my life...
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Aug 23, 2011 03:28
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In my experience accounting graduates usually have very little knowledge of Excel (other than the basics) and learn everything on the job. It's also my experience that Excel training courses don't help all that much unless you use the training in your day to day; without that, people tend to only remember that there are functions etc that could help you, not what they are or how to use them. That being said, your course may be taught differently. Also, remember that 50% of Excel modelling is presentation. I work with a guy who knows a lot of the technical aspects of Excel modelling but couldn't set out a spreadsheet to save his life. I hate working with him with a passion.
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Aug 23, 2011 10:43
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