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19 o'clock posted:I graduated with my degree in accounting and have since passed my CPA exam. Hiring wasn't bad - there always seems to be jobs available. To become a CPA you need to have public accounting experience - public jobs were harder to come by. I just got one, am on my third week, and am already questioning my career.
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Nov 28, 2009 17:37
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| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 05:23 |
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I have a couple of questions, I'm not really sure where to ask, here seems ok I guess. Right now I'm working at a regional firm. I really like my job, I'm in mostly audit, been there for a little over a year, the work is interesting, sometimes stressful of course, especially now, but I like it. Passed the CPA, have my 150 hours (no masters though), and all that. Worked a crappy analyst job at a huge corporation before it for like a year too while studying for the cpa and being bad at finding a job. Right now I live in the same city I was born in, I only left for college, and I have always wanted to move to the west coast or a big rear end city and try it out. San Francisco is pretty much 1 or 2 on the list. I was going to do it before I got my job, but my dad talked me out of it without a job, and like a moron I listened. I'm going to San Francisco for 2 weeks in mid May to visit some friends and ride around the coast. I'm strongly considering moving there. I wanted to try to interview for a couple of jobs while out there, and if I got a good one then move. However, if for whatever reason I change my mind, realize the move won't work, or it doesn't seem possible to get a good job out there, I obviously don't want my current employer to know I was interviewing other places since I wouldn't consider leaving for another job in town. Is there a good way to go about this? I don't want to send my resume and then have someone call my firm and be like "Hey, ribsauce is checking out some jobs here, how good an employee is he?" because that won't go over well. I was thinking about sending it out and just putting "Regional firm" instead of my firm's name, but that seems weak too. I know I'm not the first person in America to do this and there has to be some form of protocol. I'm also not restricting myself to public accounting, internal audit or another interesting job in finance would be awesome too. Also, what type of salary should I want for my experience in San Francisco is anyone knows?
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Jan 28, 2010 03:13
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It doesn't have to happen now but the most conservative route has me in Raleigh still instead of leaving already. I have no desire to leave my firm now and stay here. I wouldn't leave it except to move, its a great place
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Jan 29, 2010 03:50
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Does anyone know a nice clean guide of CPA experience and other requirements state by state? My google skills are failing me. Also, pretty awesome how this thread has died since early Feb, just like my social life edit Or if anyone happens to know this. In North Carolina do you only need one year in a CPA firm after passing the exam and meeting education requirements now? It was two years and I think everyone still thinks it is, but I just saw two separate places online it was only one year now. http://www.aicpa.org/download/states/require_pract.pdf That is what that link is saying right? So if I have 18 months, passed the exam, and meet the education, I'm good to go now? Just need to get the experience affidavit signed? This is an awesome surprise if true Ribsauce fucked around with this message at 02:30 on Feb 26, 2010 |
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Feb 26, 2010 02:24
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I took Becker and passed all 4 on the first try. I just thought I needed 2 years of experience as well but it looks like it somehow changed to one year in NC. Man this is awesome, I might already have my requirement for work experience satisfied
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Feb 26, 2010 03:32
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I honestly don't understand how this is possible. The North Carolina experience requirements are apparently one year and have been since 2001 (the lady on the phone told me this but I don't believe her, there is just no way as you will see.) This means I started school after they changed and still all I have ever heard was 2 years. I asked roughly 20 people in two offices at my firm and only one of them said it wasn't 2 years (and for the record he thought it was one with a masters and 150 hours, also incorrect..only 150 hours required.) Every professor I had always said 2 years. I asked the intern who is in school now and he said his professors all say 2 years. I asked 3 people who graduated last year from 3 different colleges and they all said 2 years. How can no one know this? It blows my mind that a total of 4 different recent graduates and an entire staff of CPAs and no one knows, including myself. I'm convinced the lady at the office was wrong and it is a recent change. I should have bet everyone this, I could retire. Anyways, who gives a gently caress, I just pounded out my ethical CPE required to apply and am shipping off the entire packet tomorrow!
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Mar 2, 2010 02:16
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Can you still get your CPA designation? I would feel like such a jerkoff if I got an accounting degree and never passed the CPA exam and met the requirements.
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Mar 4, 2010 04:53
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I don't understand how that program is possible. I do have an accounting undergrad degree and as far as I know I can't get a masters and an MBA in 15 months anywhere. Let me be clear I have done no research on this so I am probably wrong
Ribsauce fucked around with this message at 00:02 on Mar 6, 2010 |
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Mar 5, 2010 23:58
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hellboundburrito posted:So far it's shaping up to be a pretty horrendous job and I'm sure my hours will look more typical from here on out (I'm guessing 8am-11pm M-Th, 8:30am-7pm Friday, 9am-6pm Saturday and working from home on Sundays). Mine was lovely, I was on the road almost the entire first 2 months but now I'm locked in the home office until 4/15 (I hope) and am feeling much better. I don't mind traveling a couple days or whatever, but I honestly went over 15 days out of town, in a row, not even a Sunday at home. I'm just not made for that poo poo.
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Mar 11, 2010 04:19
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If you really want to do tax, don't do audit just to get a job. Do what you want to do. Unless you have terrible grades or whatever you should be able to get a job doing what you want to do.
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Sep 3, 2010 02:17
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quote:That being said, I personally would tell a recruiter (if I was in your position) that I am most interested in tax and would really like to work in that area, but that I think I would be a good fit in audit if there was demand for it. If I was a recruiter and you told me that I would hear "I really want to do tax but I will take an audit job and quit the second I find a tax job here or somewhere else" or "I will take the audit job and be miserable the entire time because it was not what I wanted to do, so I will not be invested in it" Anyway, you should try to get exposure to both if possible. All you know right now is you like the tax classwork better. That does not translate to what work you would like more.
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Sep 3, 2010 19:01
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At a smaller firm you can do everything, well some at least. My first year I was about 50:50 audit/tax, but this year I'd say 75:25 audit:tax is my ratio, mostly because no one else in my office likes audits, which sucks for me. Look, just ask/tell them. Tell them what you want to do. It is their job to make sure you fit. It doesn't benefit anyone if you don't stand tall and get a job doing what you want to do. You won't be happy, your work won't be as good (it never is if you aren't happy to be doing it), they won't be happy, ect. Life is too short to take a bad fit. We are lucky to be in an industry where there is a strong demand. CPA candidates fresh out of school will ALWAYS be in demand. They are the biggest profit center for firms. You will grind all day for a tiny paycheck (comparative to your earnings for the firm) and not complain (to the bosses at least). Don't take a job you don't want because you are afraid you can't find one you do. You will find one you want, well unless you have a 2.0001 gpa and no social skills/awareness or whatever, but even though this is the internet I am going to assume that is not the case.
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Sep 6, 2010 16:31
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Carlton, if there are any firms you especially want to work for, call them directly and explain you are going to graduate in the spring and was wondering if someone there would mind talking to you a couple of minutes about the industry/career paths. Do this in Nov/December when there isn't much going on. When you go in have your resume (multiple copies) with you but do not treat it like a job interview, more like a conversation. Maybe something like "Also, here is my resume, this is the type of firm I am looking to work at, if you have any suggestions for improvements please let me know." If it is going really well you could directly ask for a job when you graduate. I got a job offer this way, and I really did just want to ask for advice! If you know exactly what type of firm you want to work at, especially if it is non standard and/or a concentrated industry, this is even better. Say you want to work at a regional firm with concentrations is the medical industry. Find every firm in your area which fits the description and stress you are interested in the niche market they operate in. This advice sounds like what you read in one of those lame books like "What color is your parachute" but it really is crucial.
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Oct 8, 2010 22:48
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One thing about the CPA I don't understand is why every young accountant doesn't make it their number 1 priority. As soon as I could I started studying for it like a machine because I knew it would get harder every day I delayed. I work with people who are over 30 and still just casually studying for it. What the gently caress? If I ran a firm I'd do something where if you were a new employee fresh out of school, after your first 6 months of adjusting to a big boy job you pretty much had to demonstrate progress towards passing the CPA exam. I wouldn't fire anyone who didn't, but I would make it very clear that your ceiling was very low without passing it like you're not getting past senior status. Also, I didn't think the CPA exam was that hard. Well, it was hard, but with adequate preparation anyone can pass it. I passed all 4 sections first try but I went in to each one fully prepared, studied my rear end off, and passed it. I put in my work so the exam was already passed before I even answered the first question. I guess what I am trying to say is sure it is a difficult test, but anyone who can graduate with an accounting degree can pass it if they put effort into it.
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Nov 1, 2010 00:03
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Calcaneus posted:I'm currently an Accounting major and am kinda going through that "is this right for me?" phase. I liked my early accounting classes well enough, but I know it gets "worse" as it goes on. I just worry that I will find myself in the situation where I realize I hate my job 5 years later. I had 150 hours just with an accounting degree due to a later major change, but this is the path I would have taken if I started accounting earlier.
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Nov 6, 2010 22:52
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Harry posted:There's almost no chance it will count towards the CPA. I have a question: How close until busy season is messed up to quit? Is it to late? I wanted to do it last week but the managing partner was not there, nor was he Monday. Now I am in the field although I think I am going to try to schedule a meeting Wednesday morning in person before going out to tell him face to face. To be honest, I do not have anything lined up and if they give me more money and don't make me work Saturdays I would even consider staying on during busy season as long as the offer was not insulting. I won't say that at first because I'd rather go ahead and move out of this city, but if they really need me (and pay me like it) I will stay through March. Question 2: If he can't meet me early Wed (like 7:30) then is it acceptable to do over the phone? I can't wait 24 days until we are both magically in the office at the same time. Plus every day is a day closer to busy season therefore a day more hosed up. That being said, I also do not think it is unreasonable to quit now. It is 6 weeks before things get bad (and you def cannot quit). Gotta be able to quit at some point, plus we have a busy season pt 2 July-October which is more brutal so can't quit then either. The big audit planning meeting is next Friday so I know I have to do it before then although I feel like I should at least give them some days before the meeting so I arbitrarily set Wednesday as the deadline to attempt face to face. edit To stress I will 100% NOT work any Saturday this busy season and if they ask I won't even answer. I am willing to stay so I don't leave them hanging too hard, but I just cannot do 6 days a week of pain anymore. Hell, they might not even need me which would be awesome, but I feel guilty if they really do (although I should not feel any loyalty, they would fire me in 7 seconds if it made them more money) Ribsauce fucked around with this message at 01:59 on Dec 1, 2010 |
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Dec 1, 2010 01:55
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To clarify, "but I don't have anything lined up" means I do not have anywhere I have to be. Once I quit I am going to travel for a few months and then move across the country, I could leave in literally 2 weeks or 4 months, it makes no difference to me. As for leverage, I don't care to flex any leverage. My ideal answer would be "alright that is fine, stay a couple weeks and finish the three engagments you are on, here is your final expense + paycheck, have a nice life!" but if it is "Look, it is really late to do this, we need you, here is X money and no Saturdays" then I don't really mind staying too much either. If it is "yea, we need you, we'll give you an insulting raise and 70 hours a week" I'm leaving treadmarks. Not having another job lined up is a 0% factor for me, I have plenty of money saved and want to get out of where I live. Also how do you feel about over the phone? On one hand, it seems really unprofessional, but I can't wait until the stars align and we are both magically in the office (never happens). Ribsauce fucked around with this message at 04:00 on Dec 1, 2010 |
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Dec 1, 2010 03:56
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| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 05:23 |
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Ethics courses are stupid, you either are an ethical person or you are not. edit forget it for now Ribsauce fucked around with this message at 01:43 on Dec 2, 2010 |
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Dec 1, 2010 22:55
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