|
|
| *Ostroff, Fair and Company>>>Financial Services |
Life at a public accounting firm? |
Is it as bad as they say? Are positions difficult to obtain for someone with my credentials? (3.2gpa, 150 credit hours, internship) What is that max hours people work during tax season? What salary should I expect? (People have told me as low as $26,000 and as high as $50,000) I'm expecting $35-36k. How much would an MBA or an MS in Taxation benefit me? What about a CPA, CMA, or CIA certification? Don't believe everything you hear! I've worked in public accounting for 3 years ever since I graduated college, and I am still liking the work and environment very much- in the process of waiting for my CPA license application to go through. Surviving public accounting at a local firm is best for me. This environment gives me is the best of both worlds. The hours are not as hectic as Big 4, usually between 55-60, while Big 4 could go as high as 65-70 or even more during peak season. What's also great at a smaller firm is that you get to complete a project from start to finish and get more hands on exposure very early, while opposed to Big 4, you see a small section of a project during your first year. As you can tell, I'm all in favor of local small firms. Of course working at Big 4, everyone knows they are, but they truly do work you til you drop, that would explain the extremely high turnover! Salary wise, first of all depends on where you live. If you live in CA, where I live, at a small local firm at got low $40K, then I changed firms to a better larger local firm, got high $40Ks with overtime pay, and now I am currently high $50K. Know that at mid size firms and Big 4, the base salary is much higher than smaller firms in general, however if you work so many hours, it really does not add to much, and you also do not get paid overtime at mid-size and Big 4. For certification, it is crucial to get certified as soon as you can. I see that you have 150 hours of education hours, are you in California? I met the same requirements, took pathway 2. Being a CPA means more mobility and status once you want to either stay or leave public accounting. Get an MS tax if you want to go into tax. MBA good to have, I plan to get this after I get my CPA license. Looking at your credentials, that's pretty decent. GPA to me could be a little bit higher, but that's not all that counts in making a successful CPA, good communication skills! You have experience, so that definitely gives you an edge over others. Have you graduated already? If not, keep networking and talk to professionals who work for Big 4, mid-size, and local firms, and that will help you best decide where you best fit. I love working at a large local firm, and trust me, the environment is manageble and I am constantly learning, which why its new an fresh everyday! Good luck in your career! Visit your state board of accountancy website. Invest in a good CPA review course, and you will pass! Source(s): Moi - 3 years public accounting experience, audit senior who passed the CPA exam. Accounting work can be , frankly,boring. a lot of it is dirty work, which some people just don't want to do. Someone has to do it,and those who do it well get paid quite well. in fact, 90% of ceo's come through accounting. |
| Tags |
| Marketing & Sales Law & Legal Health Care Government & Non-Profit Food Service Financial Services Administrative and Office Support Other - Advertising & Marketing Search Engine Optimization |
Finance Categories--Copyright/IP Policy--Contact Webmaster |