Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
lol! My other half has an accounting degree and stting for the CPA exam...over 10 years experience in accounting/finance-loves what the career is...and makes great money-I couldn't do it-I find accounting mind numbing but there are plenty of jobs out there.
lol! My other half has an accounting degree and stting for the CPA exam...over 10 years experience in accounting/finance-loves what the career is...and makes great money-I couldn't do it-I find accounting mind numbing but there are plenty of jobs out there.
My wife graduated Summa *** Laude got a good job with the FED and weve been doing well ever since. We had to relocate but its b een worth it
Is she a veteran? In my experience it's pretty much impossible to get govt jobs (entry level) in accounting because they give preference to people with military background.
I just got my master's in accounting and I've been struggling to find a job. I've lowered my standards and am now willing to take jobs that pay $15/hr. It's not just me - I know several people who have been unemployed for about a year and I've passed all 4 parts of the CPA exam! Only way to get into Big 4 / top 10 public accounting firms is if you were active in accounting clubs (BAP or other student accounting orgs). Even Big 4 associates make about 55k, which isn't much at all considering how many hours they put in (75+ during the season).
I've had second thoughts about the accounting degree, not because of the pay and I haven't had THAT hard of a time finding a job (even when I was out of a job a year ago), but because it is SO F***ING BORING. I've worked both tax and audit, and I actually can tolerate tax *slightly* more than audit.
Audit is pure hell, mind numbing ticking and tying. I watch the clock the entire day just counting down the hours and go home miserable. Still beats unemployment though.
EDIT: BTW, for those of you struggling to find a job, I just had a couple of years of experience with a local CPA firm and was able to get a job in 6 months that pays 50k. I live in Houston and I was getting interviews every two weeks, for GOOD jobs. I don't even have a CPA, and I was still hired. Bottom line, move to Houston if you want accounting jobs.
...
EDIT: BTW, for those of you struggling to find a job, I just had a couple of years of experience with a local CPA firm and was able to get a job in 6 months that pays 50k. I live in Houston and I was getting interviews every two weeks, for GOOD jobs. I don't even have a CPA, and I was still hired. Bottom line, move to Houston if you want accounting jobs.
the thing is... I don't even have that 2 year experience. hah. where are recent graduates (graduated last month) supposed to get 1-2 years of exp?
the thing is... I don't even have that 2 year experience. hah. where are recent graduates (graduated last month) supposed to get 1-2 years of exp?
Try AccountTemps (Robert Half), they should set you up with a temporary assignment doing simple bookkeeping work. They hire people who don't even have degrees, so you should get something.
It might even turn into a permanent position, then a year or two down the line look for a better job.
Been trying the Robert Half route for a couple of years now with no success.
Even one year of experience is not much better than zero. The jobs that are there are for people with 2+ years of experience. New grads and people with only one year are out of luck.
Pretty sure I'm not going to work in accounting again unless I'm able to move, which I'm hoping to do sometime in the next couple of years.
I see all these posts about everyone switching careers to accounting and thinking about taking the CPA exam. Well think twice before you head down that road and the opportunity costs of doing so.
Now granted, there ARE jobs in the accounting field. An accounting education is a good background for a lot of different sectors. However, they really don't pay much for the amount of education, time, and hard work involved.
About 20% of accounting grads will end up working in public accounting for one of the big 4/top ten firms making $45-$50k in their first year. Not everyone switching to accounting will get these jobs. You need to have AT LEAST a 3.5 gpa, internship experience, and have gone to a feeder school that firms recruit from.
The other 80% will be lucky if they will make more than $18/hour after 3 years. Accounting is starting to become like law school, if you cant get into a Tier 1 firm then you probably shouldn't even major in accounting. There are much easier ways to make $18/hour.
IMHO, it is pretty difficult to get an entry level job in accounting without any experience or software knowledge. So think hard about switching to the accounting field. I advice you to look at some of the job postings and see what skills they are looking for. And ask yourself if there are better career choices than accounting.
below are some typical job postings for accountants:
Our client is looking for a staff accountant to start immediately Duties: - Reviewing general ledger accounts and preparing and adjusting journal entries - Performing accounting analysis and reconciliation, including bank statement and intercompany general ledger accounts - Maintaining the general ledger chart of accounts - Assisting with Month end close and preparation of financial statements. - Other duties as required by the accounting manager The staff accountant must possess attention to detail and solid communication abilities. Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree and 4+ years of general ledger accounting experience is required Experience with Great Plains or another ERP software is required. This position pays up to $18 per hour depending on experience. For immediate consideration, please email your resume
Tax Associate ( Financial District)
Tax consulting firm in financial district is seeking a qualified candidate with the following: Entry level tax associate 1 to 2 years of corporate tax experience. · Prepare tax returns for more complex corporation · Utilize tax-related software to prepare and process returns and research tax matters. · Respond to inquiries from the IRS and other tax authorities
Location: Financial District Compensation: $29,500 to $35,000
These job postings are typical. Accounting isn't the holy grail everyone thinks it is.
What part of the country is this in? I don't have a degree, but I took accounting courses at a business school. As an experienced bookkeeper with no degree, I got $18/hour. That was 4 years ago in California.
Doncha hate when they say "Entry Level" but then turn around and require experience?! Now, there's a contradiction for ya!
Also, lots of these employment agency ads are fake. It's been that way for over the last decade. They just collect resume data.
Last edited by temazepam; 07-09-2011 at 04:21 PM..
Another sign of the times is the number of degreed accountants competing for Full charge Bookkeeping positions.
I'll say! Kinda ruined it for us non-degreed Full-Charge Bookkeepers. Seemed like those openings dried up. That's part of the reason I no longer work. It was the only thing I was ever any good at, but boy was it dull! Not just the work itself, but mainly the office environment, and especially the co-workers.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Accounting isn't the holy grail everyone thinks it is.
Kinda ruined it for us non-degreed Full-Charge Bookkeepers. Seemed like those openings dried up. That's part of the reason I no longer work. It was the only thing I was ever any good at, but boy was it dull! Not just the work itself, but mainly the office environment, and especially the co-workers.
