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.
I disagree. CPA license does make a difference if you have 2 or more years of experience (especially public acct) BUT for recent graduates looking for entry level jobs, it does not help at all - in fact it can actually work against you as you'd be overqualified.
Not a single person I know that works for Big 4 passed all parts of CPA when they were offered a job. Ironically 2 people who have passed the CPA exam while in school are still unemployed.
I have a CPA license, but only one year of experience. It is essentially a wall decoration at this point, and I'm pretty sure it has cost me at least one job where they were concerned I would quit to return to public accounting. I've learned my lesson and only put it on the resume if I am applying to an accounting firm or other positions where it is listed as desirable.
I've met plenty of controllers, CFOs, etc., who don't have a CPA. When someone starts out in industry, it isn't really that relevant to their career.
Is the CPA good to have? Absolutely. Do you absolutely need it to get a good accounting position? Nope. I have worked in Corporate Accounting shops for quite a few years. Plenty of people don't have their CPA and make it through the ranks. At least through to the top end of middle management where the vast majority of people won't get past anyway.
I disagree. CPA license does make a difference if you have 2 or more years of experience (especially public acct) BUT for recent graduates looking for entry level jobs, it does not help at all - in fact it can actually work against you as you'd be overqualified.
Not a single person I know that works for Big 4 passed all parts of CPA when they were offered a job. Ironically 2 people who have passed the CPA exam while in school are still unemployed.
How are you supposed to have experience if it's entry level?? I'm 20 years old right now.. going into my junior year (first year where we can be active in the clubs and stuff). I'm willing to do whatever it takes where I can get hired at a Big 4 or Mid-Sized firm in about 2 years and make 50k a year. If that means I have to run for president of my school's accounting club I'll do it. My GPA is currently a 3.7 and if I have to 4.0 it the rest of the way forward I will. I know it's competitive but there has to be at least SOME jobs.
How are you supposed to have experience if it's entry level?? I'm 20 years old right now.. going into my junior year (first year where we can be active in the clubs and stuff). I'm willing to do whatever it takes where I can get hired at a Big 4 or Mid-Sized firm in about 2 years and make 50k a year. If that means I have to run for president of my school's accounting club I'll do it. My GPA is currently a 3.7 and if I have to 4.0 it the rest of the way forward I will. I know it's competitive but there has to be at least SOME jobs.
At my school accounting club president was automatically set up for an interview with big 4 (didn't have to submit resume or kiss their a$$ or anything) so yes being an officer in an accounting club is a huge advantage. You'll get an internship that way and hopefully internship will lead to full time.
People who are still in school have more opportunity than those who have already graduated, because the Big Four and mid-size firms only hire college recruits for their entry level positions. Your chances are pretty good if you're involved with the accounting club, assuming firms recruit on your campus.
I've heard the firms are picking up hiring again, but that's only good news for students who attend the schools where they recruit.
As a former Big 4 employee, I can say that if a person is rejected for an internship they probably shouldn't attempt to find a full-time position with that firm. I learned that the hard way. People who didn't intern are treated like second class citizens and start out with a major disadvantage.
Yeah.. at this point I'm really willing to do whatever it takes. I know it's competitive but I've worked too hard to be applying for $15 an hour bookkeeping jobs. That's not the dream I was sold.
Well I am in a predicament right now actually. Even though my GPA and stuff qualifies me for my school's business program, I haven't been accepted yet due to technical **** and poor communication so I missed the fall quarter deadline. I go to the University of Washington but I'm on the Tacoma campus, where Big Fours don't recruit. I will be applying for the Seattle campus business school, which is the biggest and best in my state for winter quarter. Firms definitely recruit from there. So I guess I'm at a disadvantage at this point. I'm pretty sure I can still join the club on the Tacoma campus for fall term. But my fear is that if I don't start going to the Seattle campus until winter quarter and join then, people will be unfamiliar with me and it will reduce my chances of getting elected as an officer come May or June. Difficult situation so I gotta figure it out. My overall GPA is 3.7 and in my business classes it's probably high 3.8, low 3.9ish...
I do have some professors who are former Big 4 employees and they love me so I'm not sure how much that could potentially help me out. Do yall know when I would probably do my internship as someone who should be graduating in 2013? Would it be summer of 2012?
I'm just hell-bent on getting a job as an associate at a firm.
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.
