Hi all,
I graduated in June 2010 with my Bachelor's in economics. I had a 3.1 GPA. I wanted to double major in both accounting and economics, but finances wouldn't allow for it. I was able to complete about 75% of the accounting coursework, but that doesn't mean much. I actually interviewed with a bunch of accounting firms my junior year for an internship, including a Big 4, but nothing panned out. You can only graduate with a BS from my college of business once.. so I am stuck now..
After about a year of searching and doing low-wage work, I found employment with a payroll processing company. I've been there for nearly a year, and I think it's a valuable addition to my resume.
I've always wanted to be a CPA, and recognize that Big 4 opportunities for someone with my undergrad GPA are probably not there. There are lots of other good firms though. What is the best way forward for me?
Should I;
-Apply to and complete a MAcc program? (Would require quitting my job), OR
-Simply take more accounting classes at my alma-mater to become CPA eligible? +
-Focus on work experience; Branch out into getting software certifications (QuickBooks ProAdvisor, etc) to increase my marketability for doing seasonal tax stuff, temp/pt jobs on Accountemps, etc to add to the practical experience on my resume?
I would appreciate any advice/information anyone could provide.
I graduated in June 2010 with my Bachelor's in economics. I had a 3.1 GPA. I wanted to double major in both accounting and economics, but finances wouldn't allow for it. I was able to complete about 75% of the accounting coursework, but that doesn't mean much. I actually interviewed with a bunch of accounting firms my junior year for an internship, including a Big 4, but nothing panned out. You can only graduate with a BS from my college of business once.. so I am stuck now..
After about a year of searching and doing low-wage work, I found employment with a payroll processing company. I've been there for nearly a year, and I think it's a valuable addition to my resume.
I've always wanted to be a CPA, and recognize that Big 4 opportunities for someone with my undergrad GPA are probably not there. There are lots of other good firms though. What is the best way forward for me?
Should I;
-Apply to and complete a MAcc program? (Would require quitting my job), OR
-Simply take more accounting classes at my alma-mater to become CPA eligible? +
-Focus on work experience; Branch out into getting software certifications (QuickBooks ProAdvisor, etc) to increase my marketability for doing seasonal tax stuff, temp/pt jobs on Accountemps, etc to add to the practical experience on my resume?
I would appreciate any advice/information anyone could provide.