[Anonymous]

Ok, so I have a question and just wanted to see if anyone could give me more insight.

I have an undergrad degree in Acct, and recently went back to school to get my 150 and the extra upper level acct hours to sit (which all will be completed this Dec). I do not plan on sitting for the CPA exam until summer 2012 so I can get situated in my new job. I have 2 opportunities available to me, one at a small regional CPA firm doing Audit (~25 employees), and the other doing consulting on ERP systems for mid sized companies. Both serve similar industries.

The consulting firm (~75 employees) is acct majors, CPA’s and MIS majors (along with some programmers/IT guys), and I’m being told it would give me the ability to apply my ACCT knowledge in a different way. They design/customize, implement, and support various systems like MS Dynamics NAV/AX/GP/CRM, Sage Timberline, etc. They also do analysis and some other services as required. The consulting job would give me a less traditional CPA experience, but I would learn a lot of different systems. The CPA firm is traditional Audit work, and they are selling me on the fact that I’ll get to see more full company audit work than being tied to a single account (as I’ve heard can happen in Big 4). On that note, Big 4 is out of the picture due to a lackluster undergrad GPA. I’d imagine they both would give me plenty of good contacts/ possibilities in the future. Both companies are growing, the consulting firm at a much quicker rate. As for $$$, the consulting firm has a slightly better salary and possibility of a decent bonus (excess billable hours= more money), CPA firm is slightly less, no real incentive based bonus, but OT hours are paid @ hourly wage.

Additionally, I have some experience doing tax work and feel I’m done with that. I never got past the basics into tax research or advice/planning, simply building client files and making initial runs at 1040’s, 1065’s & 1120’s and did some bookkeeping. It wasn’t terrible, but not where I wanted to be.

A little disjointed I know, have been studying for about 6 hours and can’t get my mind off this. Thanks in advance for any input/advice!

[oceanwave1000]

Personally I think consulting is a much better job to have, as the hours are better and opportunities are much wider.

If you go with auditing, you will most likely forever either do auditing or pure financial accounting.

I would say consulting job is more prestigious than an accounting job!

I currently work in accounting, and let me tell you that the work is dull and boring.

Consulting is so much more interesting and allows to network even more than auditing in my opinion.

Let me know what you decide to do.

[StellaFL]

Since I'm just sitting here until Dec. 7th waiting for my REG scores… I'll give you my experience/thoughts.

I, too, am in the process of finishing up my 150 hours. Graduated almost 20 years ago with BS in accounting, and just last year decided to go back to school to complete the education requirements. Took 2 graduate level tax courses and took a break to start the exam process (in FL you can sit before completing the 150 hours, but must have the 150 hours before becoming licensed). I just took my first exam Monday and hope to have them all passed by this time next year. Then I'll finish up the education.

My career started in cost accounting right out of college. I became a cost accounting manager at a food processing company, took some time off to have kids, and 5 years ago decided to change jobs to be closer to home, and took a position at a very small, local tax, accounting, financial planning firm. This past year I became a shareholder, and now own 20% of the business. I do mostly tax work, monthly write up and business consulting for small business clients.

I have never done audit work, so I can't speak to that, but in my job with the food processer, I did a lot of system design work with the MIS department. My accounting knowledge was crucial to the programmers who were trying to implement different systems. Everything had to be passed by me, to make sure the behind the scenes accounting was done properly. I LOVED this. It felt so fulfilling to see a need (whether it be a report, a re-vamp of the cost accounting system, implementation of a new system, or whatever) and be able to work with the programmers to design a project and see it through to completion, and then see upper management using the end product to make sound business decisions. Sounds like this is the type of thing you may be doing with the consulting firm.

If you didn't care for tax work, my gut feeling is that you might not care for audit either. I could be wrong.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

REG 11/28/11 - 88
BEC 04/04/12 - 88
FAR 07/23/12 - 90
AUD 11/2012 - 92

Yaeger/Wiley

[Author]

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