[Anonymous]

I’m currently enrolled in a MAcc program (started this semester after finishing my BBA in December), and I’m currently interning with a very small local firm (audit, part-time until June). This particular firm hasn’t hired anyone on for a full-time year-round position since 2008, so I don’t think I have much of a future there, but I wanted the experience.

Anyway, my university’s career fair is coming up in a few weeks and about 25 firms will be there. Should I be looking for a full-time, salaried, “permanent” position starting in Spring 2014 or a full-time internship with a larger firm for the Spring 2014 semester? Obviously, the first option would require me to finish my MAcc by December. The second option would allow me to extend my graduation date to August 2014. Any advice?

[Anonymous]

Will the firms you are interested in be offering both full-time jobs and internships? If this isn't the case, that should weigh in on your decision. Think about who you want to work for, what city/state you want to work in, and what kind of work you want to do. You may want to choose the opportunity that leads you towards those longer-term goals.

One other thing- I don't know how your school's career fair was set up, but will they be hiring for that far in advance? At my school, employers weren't all that interested talking about anything that was more than a year away- they were mostly hiring for spring/summer internships and jobs that would start no later than the next fall.

[Anonymous]

badger_2012,

I believe a year in advance (or longer) is the norm based on what I've seen and heard. I guess my real concern was whether or not a firm would offer an internship to someone who is nearly completed with their masters. I get a lot of conflicting information. Also, summer internships seem hard to come by and many firms don't seem to hire on in the fall, which is why I was wary of graduating in the late spring without a job lined up. I really have no way of knowing whether these firms offer both full-time jobs to recent grads.

[acamp]

I would go for Full Time, you've done an internship and are working on your masters. In terms of timing your graduation, there are two ways to go about it. If you get it done in December, you very well might be able to start January'2014–starting in busy season sucks, but hey, you'll be working right away. If you plan for this and it doesn't happen, then you have a nice chunk of time to get the CPA done. Otherwise you can draw out graduation a bit in anticipation of a Fall'2014 start date, which will ease the pace. Although starting in busy season really, really sucks, you'll get a promotion in the Fall as most firms consider 1 busy season under your belt as having your first year done.

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[Author]

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