How to get experience?

[brecker]

Not, that is not true. They are, as they have been for the past
thirty years, incredibly selective. The reason the business press
keeps printing that shortage garbage has entirely different
motivations and you will have to figure them out for yourself.

I worked in Big 4 and a smaller firm. I left the large firm after SoX as
testing controls is the most boring work you can every do. Went back to
consulting and smaller company audit (under $150 million). However, I would
not say they are that selective. If you are eligable to take the CPA/CA,
understand business professional dress and are articulate, you can get a job
with a Big 4. Smaller firms are also dying for people, almost every firm I
know needs people. However, they want the same eligable articulate
individuals that can professionally represent the firm. I guess if you
graduated with a 2.0 gpa, you probably won't have a good change, but you
don't need Ivy League.

No, that is not true either. Again they are being very selective as
they have been for years.

Industry is hurting for people as well.

The CPA certification, without the specific attributes they are
looking for, is by itself worthless.

The job market is so screwed up, for various reasons that are to
complex to discuss, that I have walked in with my current CPA license
and my practical state college MBA and been passed over for people who
were in practice, very bad bookkeepers.

Same can be said for any degree/certification to some extent. Don't apply
for an actuarial job with a degree in history. Generally, CPA/MBA people
should not be doing grunt work like entering payable. They are there to
manage, plan and/or implement systems. So, they may not be the greatest
bookkeepers, but then again they don't need to be. If you have a CPA/MBA you
should not have a problem unless the salary scares them away, which does
happen. But then again, at that level you should not be working with small
2-3 million/year companies.

If your starting out, and you didn't network well enough in a ivy
league type school to get a star job out of college your going to be
better off setting up your own bookkeeping and tax prep business.

This is scary. No experience and setting up your own business to do
bookkeeping and tax prep. I guess I now know why I come across horrible tax
returns, accounting records and just general bad advise. This might work if
you do nothing but middle to low income individuals and very small business.
However, once you start dealing with high-income individuals, multi-state
returns, estates, construction contractors, etc., the returns get complex.
Even in a firm with multiple layers of review, there are still errors when
the returns get out the door. Having no experience and trying to learn as
you go, just make sure you have good liability insurance.

One needs experience in public accounting to understand the complexities and
receive the necessary training. Not to mention, working on you own won't
count as experience for the CPA or CA.

 

[Gregory L. Hansen]

The job market is so screwed up, for various reasons that are to
complex to discuss, that I have walked in with my current CPA license

If you get the gumption to address some small part of it, I would enjoy
reading it.

 

[Ron Todd]

I worked in Big 4 and a smaller firm. I left the large firm after SoX as
testing controls is the most boring work you can every do. Went back to
consulting and smaller company audit (under $150 million). However, I would
not say they are that selective. If you are eligable to take the CPA/CA,
understand business professional dress and are articulate, you can get a job
with a Big 4. Smaller firms are also dying for people, almost every firm I
know needs people. However, they want the same eligable articulate
individuals that can professionally represent the firm. I guess if you
graduated with a 2.0 gpa, you probably won't have a good change, but you
don't need Ivy League.



Industry is hurting for people as well.


Same can be said for any degree/certification to some extent. Don't apply
for an actuarial job with a degree in history. Generally, CPA/MBA people
should not be doing grunt work like entering payable. They are there to
manage, plan and/or implement systems. So, they may not be the greatest
bookkeepers, but then again they don't need to be. If you have a CPA/MBA you
should not have a problem unless the salary scares them away, which does
happen. But then again, at that level you should not be working with small
2-3 million/year companies.


This is scary. No experience and setting up your own business to do
bookkeeping and tax prep. I guess I now know why I come across horrible tax
returns, accounting records and just general bad advise. This might work if
you do nothing but middle to low income individuals and very small business.
However, once you start dealing with high-income individuals, multi-state
returns, estates, construction contractors, etc., the returns get complex.
Even in a firm with multiple layers of review, there are still errors when
the returns get out the door. Having no experience and trying to learn as
you go, just make sure you have good liability insurance.

One needs experience in public accounting to understand the complexities and
receive the necessary training. Not to mention, working on you own won't
count as experience for the CPA or CA.

Well sir, from what I have personally seen and experienced I have no
other alternative but to hold you a bald face liar.

 

[Ron Todd]

On Thu, 26 Jan 2006 20:24:28 +0000 (UTC),

If you get the gumption to address some small part of it, I would enjoy
reading it.

I should, there is a book in it.

 

[brecker]

Well sir, from what I have personally seen and experienced I have no
other alternative but to hold you a bald face liar.

Where are you located/market?

I am not sure what to say. I offer my services per diem to firms as I am a
CPA and CISA and have to turn away work. I am helping my old firm only
becuase I feel bad as they treated me so well. I am trying to find them
additional employees, they are looking for 1-2 new or experinced staff
auditors, and they are a small firm. Medium size CPA firms are looking for a
half dozeon people and Big for need probably 10-50 per year per office at
least.

My wife, also a CPA, has old employers calling her trying to get her back.
All I can say is that the market in Arizona (where I am), California, and
the southwest in general has great demand for accountants. Additionally,
some of my friends from my PricewaterhouseCoopers days say that the market
is the same in the northeast (New York, Boston, etc.) and the souteast
(Charlotte, Atlanta, etc).

I guess if you are haning out in Boise or Louisville, it may be a different
story. It all depends on the market. My assertions are accurate when looked
at in the context of major cities that are experiencing growth. It may be
the case that we are both right within the context of our statments.