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Jack2142 posted:So I have gotten in contact through my schools career services department with a couple of recruiters ... when I get back to Portland I will have coffee with a recruiter from Ernst and Young. Just a heads up, EY Portland office is very small. It's good you're reaching out directly because as of a few years ago they didn't even recruit at any of the Oregon colleges.
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Aug 10, 2014 13:29
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Been interested in becoming a CPA, but alas...I have a bit of a non-traditional background: I am 28 years old with two bachelor degrees (chemistry and public health sciences). I went to grad school for chemistry for a little while but jumped ship due to the horrid job placement, outsourcing, and just all around hell that is scientific research. Went into the Navy for a short stint and recently got my honorable discharge. And now my question: UCLA offers a certificate in accounting which would be pretty cheap (aka...GI Bill would pay for it) and would allow for me to meet all the education requirements for sitting for the CPA exam. Since I have two bachelors degrees with around 290 quarter units, taking the accounting/business classes via the UCLA accounting certificate will allow for me to sit for the CPA exam. This will only require me to find 1 year of work experience to get my CPA license. My end goal is to be self employed. I am currently helping my father run our family business (dental laboratory), so worst to worst, I have a job. I just figured that getting a CPA license will allow for me to eventually translate those skills over to the family business (do my own taxes, etc.) while also being able to make extra money as a small-time, self employed CPA working from home (slowly growing a small group of clients). Thoughts? Edit: How difficult would it be for someone like me to get the 1 year of experience under a CPA? Can it be achieved through working at a small accounting firm under a CPA? I have no interest in big4 or any other nonsense. Chemystery fucked around with this message at 20:51 on Aug 10, 2014 |
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Aug 10, 2014 18:07
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Generally pretty easy. I'm in North Carolina and our requirement is a year full time which according to them is 30 hours a week. Just make sure that it's in the practice of public accounting. Like my state the rule is 4 years if you're in industry/private and you don't wanna flubber that up.
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Aug 11, 2014 14:25
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I'm a full-time tax professional, and I finally got my act together and got my notice to sit. How much time should I expect to study for taking the BEC In November? Also, I was looking at the different review courses and I think im going to go with Rogers. Is there a certain time of year when study materials are any cheaper?
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Aug 11, 2014 19:11
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Turd Nelson posted:I'm a full-time tax professional, and I finally got my act together and got my notice to sit. How much time should I expect to study for taking the BEC In November? I spent six weeks studying for BEC and passed (approximately 2.5 hours a day). So if you start now you should be in great shape.
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Aug 12, 2014 00:35
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Audax posted:Just make sure that it's in the practice of public accounting. Can you elaborate what this means, please? Can I work at a private CPA firm that does taxes to the general public? Chemystery fucked around with this message at 03:53 on Aug 13, 2014 |
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Aug 13, 2014 03:49
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Chemystery posted:Can you elaborate what this means, please? Can I work at a private CPA firm that does taxes to the general public? Yes.
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Aug 13, 2014 05:58
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I was going to post this elsewhere but thought I'd find the advice of accountancy/finance professionals most useful as you'd likely see where I'm coming from. I'm about to resign from my current employer and my notice period (2 months) means that my last day will basically be the day the busy period starts. (Our year end - I work in industry.) I honestly would put off resigning by 6 weeks to help them through it if I could, but my new job will start the Monday after my notice period concludes. I'm part of a small reporting team that produces the annual report/group financial statements and year end involves a lot of really late nights and weekends even when we are fully staffed. Two months notice isn't really enough time to hire a replacement, and budgets are super tight that I don't think they'll be able to get a contractor to replace me either (though I guess that's none of my business). Has anyone resigned just before busy season before, and does it completely mess up your reference? I've worked here for three years and wouldn't like to throw a good reference away due to timing... I'll obviously work throughout my notice period and dutifully hand things over, draft process notes, etc., but I feel it's one of those things that people will naturally (if not rationally) hold against me for leaving my colleagues in a tight spot and contributing to them having a shittier work/life balance for a few weeks.
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Aug 17, 2014 11:37
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Unless this is super specialized accounting, it should take them more than 2 months to replace you.
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Aug 17, 2014 16:55
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I should mention I'm in a country where three months' notice is the norm and so any potential replacement who is in employment probably couldn't join in time to make my colleagues' lives any easier.
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Aug 17, 2014 16:59
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An accountant is one of the career choices that interest me. Tell me if I shouldn't bother. I studied International Relations, which does not offer a direct path to employment, though I feel it gave me a really good basis for plenty of fields. How do you find the rules that need memorisation? Are they the kind of rules you can often reason out (with exceptions, of course), or are they byzantine and you have to memorise everything? Here's the thing: I am terrible at memorisation, but yet I really enjoy working with numbers. I was by far the best in my course at statistics, micro and macroeconomics and was near the top with public finance. I never studied though. I memorised some rules, but for the most part I reasoned them out, and it all came very intuitively and naturally to me. But I am absolutely atrocious when it comes to sitting down and studying, and it's a huge struggle to memorise anything. Am I right in thinking that means I'm screwed in this field? Or is an affinity with numbers enough to offset that?
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Aug 17, 2014 19:08
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Zeppelin Insanity posted:An accountant is one of the career choices that interest me. Tell me if I shouldn't bother. I memorize almost nothing. Most everything can be reasoned out once you understand the basics, but getting a good understanding of the basics takes a good deal of practice. None of this applies to Tax/REG which is almost purely memorization and knowing how to find stuff in the authoritative literature
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Aug 17, 2014 19:25
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Halisnacks posted:I should mention I'm in a country where three months' notice is the norm and so any potential replacement who is in employment probably couldn't join in time to make my colleagues' lives any easier. Out of curiosity, which country has a 3 month normal notice period? If you're giving less notice than the normal notice period, yes you may be burning a bridge.
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Aug 17, 2014 23:27
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Good Citizen posted:None of this applies to Tax/REG which is almost purely memorization and knowing how to find stuff in the authoritative literature Nah. Sure a part of it is being able to quickly find research, but the IRC has it's own kind of logic which will get you 95% of the way there once you learn it. E: This applies only to the US tax code. I'm guessing the person asking the question is probably not US based on seeing the S in "memorise" Bloody Queef fucked around with this message at 23:43 on Aug 17, 2014 |
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Aug 17, 2014 23:38
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Three of Clubs posted:Out of curiosity, which country has a 3 month normal notice period? By the normal notice period, I mean the notice period built into the average contract of a qualified accountant (not all employees). This is in the UK. My contract stipulates I am on two months' notice, so I'd be leaving earlier than my team would expect I could as everyone assumes everyone is on three. But it would not be a breach of contract.
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Aug 18, 2014 07:09
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I submitted my application to be allowed to sit for the CPA today. I also submitted that once I complete the tests I want to be considered licensed because I meet all other requirements. When looking back over my college transcript its saying I only have 142 credits instead of the 150 I need in my state to be licensed. I was SUPER sure I had my 150. Does anyone know how boned my application is since I said I met all the requirements to both test and be licensed afterwards?
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Aug 19, 2014 17:18
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SarutosZero posted:I submitted my application to be allowed to sit for the CPA today. I also submitted that once I complete the tests I want to be considered licensed because I meet all other requirements. When looking back over my college transcript its saying I only have 142 credits instead of the 150 I need in my state to be licensed. I was SUPER sure I had my 150. Does anyone know how boned my application is since I said I met all the requirements to both test and be licensed afterwards? Isn't your state going to scrutinize your application/transcript to find this information and just kick it back? What are your options if you really only have 142 creds?
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Aug 19, 2014 18:27
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There are community colleges that have 8 week online classes that begin every Monday these days. You could sign up for a few easy rear end classes, start next Monday, and have 150 by the middle of October. Scan your transcripts to be extra-sure first, but if you find out the worst, get in there and get it done
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Aug 19, 2014 18:32
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Mandalay posted:Isn't your state going to scrutinize your application/transcript to find this information and just kick it back? What are your options if you really only have 142 creds? Good Citizen posted:There are community colleges that have 8 week online classes that begin every Monday these days. You could sign up for a few easy rear end classes, start next Monday, and have 150 by the middle of October. Turns out I do only have 142 which is a real bummer. I'm hoping they don't kick the application back completely, just kick the licensing part back. It would suck to have to wait a month just to be denied so I could reapply. I'll definitely figure out what easy online courses I should take and get them done, its just going to suck trying to cpa study and get those done at the same time. Does anybody know the guidelines for what counts for the 150? Can I just take whatever sounds easy?
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Aug 19, 2014 18:35
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Doesn't your state have a long-rear end application handbook that details all of this stuff? I know California does.
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Aug 19, 2014 18:37
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Mandalay posted:Doesn't your state have a long-rear end application handbook that details all of this stuff? I know California does. I emailed the licensing department and they just got back to me. Ill still be cleared to take the exams, just not to be licensed afterwards until I get my last 8 credits so that's at least good. I'll look around and see if I can find a handbook but my last check only revealed what they had on their website. Thanks for the answers everyone.
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Aug 19, 2014 18:40
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You're probably underestimating the time it will take the licensing board to approve your application. It is far from an instant process. You can sign up for classes today and start next Monday and probably be done or almost done by the time your application gets approved. When looking for classes make sure to check resources like ratemyprofessor for a preview of how people who took the class felt. You will probably have time to study for one test on addition to the classes by the time your test approval goes through, depending on your work schedule. Remember the board doesn't test in September anyway.
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Aug 19, 2014 20:08
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I'm in a similar situation and currently taking my last 9 hours at the local community college to get me to 150. It's the last thing I need to do to get my CPA, passed the test almost 5 years ago. Good thing test scores don't expire in my state 
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Aug 20, 2014 01:00
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Yay, passed FAR. Hope everyone else did well!
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Aug 21, 2014 21:29
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Congrats! I took my first section, REG, in July but my score isn't up yet. Does anyone in California know if the CBA lags a day or two behind the official score release target date? I am dying to know how I did before I take AUD in 5 days.
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Aug 21, 2014 22:16
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Welp I'm going to gouge my eyes out. I have to study FAR again. I got a 74 on my first attempt. I'm putting that off until February as the other three will be taken in the next window.
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Aug 22, 2014 06:01
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himurak posted:Welp I'm going to gouge my eyes out. I have to study FAR again. I got a 74 on my first attempt. Just keep plowing ahead. If you got a 74 then you can do it ( sorry for sounding like a cheer leader ).
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Aug 25, 2014 03:40
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himurak posted:Welp I'm going to gouge my eyes out. I have to study FAR again. I got a 74 on my first attempt. If $200 isn't a huge issue to you, I would consider taking it again and doing some light studying on the side throughout the month. Something like burning through 20 multiple choice questions a day on FAR while studying for the others.
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Aug 25, 2014 04:20
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Dengraz posted:Just a heads up, EY Portland office is very small. It's good you're reaching out directly because as of a few years ago they didn't even recruit at any of the Oregon colleges. Look south to Lake Oswego. This is a regional firm that's growing like crazy and getting into all sorts of fields (pension, insurance, financial advisory, etc.). http://www.aktcpa.com/
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Aug 25, 2014 22:47
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Fully licensed! Drinks on me... in 6 weeks.
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Aug 29, 2014 01:59
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Audax posted:Fully licensed! Drinks on me... in 6 weeks. Congrats! Where you located? 
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Aug 29, 2014 02:46
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Pass notification for my last exam just got posted. Glad I never need to do that again!
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Sep 9, 2014 05:36
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Good Citizen posted:Pass notification for my last exam just got posted. Glad I never need to do that again! Congratulations! I learned last night I have the distinct pleasure of taking REG again.
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Sep 9, 2014 13:12
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Studying for FAR sucks. I study like 3 hours a night after work because that's all the time I have and I feel like I'm behind constantly. Pretty consistently getting 70% of my practice multiple choice stuff, which while isn't the worst thing, still isn't passing.
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Sep 9, 2014 13:37
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Passed AUD, now just BEC left... which despite being the "easiest" one is pissing me off the most. I hate the amount of formulas that get thrown at you in the first few chapters of Becker.SarutosZero posted:Studying for FAR sucks. I study like 3 hours a night after work because that's all the time I have and I feel like I'm behind constantly. Pretty consistently getting 70% of my practice multiple choice stuff, which while isn't the worst thing, still isn't passing. If you are getting 70's in Becker you are probably doing fine. For REG and FAR, my first attempts at all four practice exams were scores in the high 60s-mid 70s and I passed both exams just fine.
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Sep 9, 2014 17:05
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SarutosZero posted:Studying for FAR sucks. I study like 3 hours a night after work because that's all the time I have and I feel like I'm behind constantly. Pretty consistently getting 70% of my practice multiple choice stuff, which while isn't the worst thing, still isn't passing. You're probably good to go. It seems pretty common that if you're on Becker you'll end up passing with those practice scores.
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Sep 9, 2014 17:25
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abagofcheetos posted:If you are getting 70's in Becker you are probably doing fine. For REG and FAR, my first attempts at all four practice exams were scores in the high 60s-mid 70s and I passed both exams just fine. steimer posted:You're probably good to go. It seems pretty common that if you're on Becker you'll end up passing with those practice scores. Thanks, that really helps morale. I was getting frustrated at not seeing an average passing score in Becker but this will help me keep chugging along.
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Sep 9, 2014 18:18
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Sy Borg posted:I learned last night I have the distinct pleasure of taking REG again. Congrats... err, wait... 
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Sep 10, 2014 02:41
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CPA exam passed and I missed Watt-Sells by a single point, but god is it good to be done with that thing.
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Sep 10, 2014 14:40
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74 on BEC, would have been my last exam.
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Sep 10, 2014 15:33
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