[Leticia24]

Hi guys,

I just found this forum and I thing is awesome the support happening here. I want to thank you for that. In another note, I have a big decision to make. I will be moving to another state next year due to family situation. Obviously I will need another job but I’m having a hard time deciding which direction to go first.

I am a Financial Management administrator (deputy CFO) for a large state agency. I have 7 years of governmental accounting and I’m hoping to add my CPA to my CV soon. My thing is that I don’t think governmental accounting is where I will retire. I would love to have a job as a controller, CFO later future but I’m undecided on the industry I would like to pursue. I thought going to a public firm might help. what do you think?

[Mayo]

Going public would help if you went into audit, but just be aware that you likely would start as a staff auditor. Auditing is a different beast than preparing financial statements, and it has its own set of rules, methods, and otherwise unique characteristics that you can't just pick up from being an accountant in industry or in Government.

A lot of people who want to go into pubic after 4 or 5 years into their career are usually surprised at the salary cut they'd need to take. So just make sure you aware of this if you're thinking of going this route.

In addition, most large public firms have a bias towards hiring fresh grads. A lot of it has to do with competition, but I really do think there's a bit of agism sprinkled in there as well.

So I think your best bet would be to tackle trying to get interviews with mid sized or small firms. A lot of these would have NFP or Governmental clients, so your experience might be a big benefit. Maybe you could work out a deal where you could possibly do one busy season before being promoted to Senior? *shrug*. It'd definitely have to be atypical.

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[Anonymous]

^How does one get into public accounting without being drafted from college. Seems like there is no possible way.

[Mayo]

Networking and a bit of luck.

But overall many public firms are in a talent war with each other for new associates, so that's why 90% of their new associate hiring class comes from on campus recruiting.

So when you are looking for open slots, you're basically at the mercy of hiring needs, which is where the luck comes into play. Firms have to have openings around the time you're looking. Your best bet is to network. But networking is the most effective over long periods of time. And 99% of people try to make it work within a month. Which is just plain ridiculous.

Failing all that try and apply to smaller firms.

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[hasy]

I just want to say @Mayo, VERY WELL PUT…… As for the OP, depending on where you live, reach to the State CPA society events or look up events that financial or accounting societies offer. I know that as a woman, there are actually woman CPA societies based in my county. I joined a public accounting firm through purely emailing, so I think there's a chance. If you want like top-tier, then it'll definitely be a challenge but not impossible.

Reach out to your local recruiters and see what they want and when the main hiring needs are. I know RSM reached out to me personally a couple of times about a few months ago, asking what my availability was, only because I applied to them before.

I think you can go to a smaller firm, work for a year and then transition to a bigger firm.

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved - Helen Keller

-

BEC 80 (10/23/15)
FAR 72 (4/2/15); 83 (7/11/16)
REG 52 (4/28/15)
AUD (9/9/16)

Roger + NINJA MCQ + WTB

[Mayo]

“I think you can go to a smaller firm, work for a year and then transition to a bigger firm”

Or you can work at a midsize firm, make Senior and then transfer at the big 4. But you lose a year that way, so YMMV in terms of how valuable you think that experience is.

EDIT: Also, to piggyback on what hasy mentioned with her own experience, non traditional methods of applying for firms tend to work better at smaller firms. Mostly because there's less of an HR filter and some of the professional norms or gated access (i.e. only apply online) don't really exist at the small firms.

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[TheHoundThatRides]

Experience doesn't transfer outwards when you go to government so you're in a tough position. .

If I were you I'd just focus on passing the CPA exam and getting audit experience at a mid-size firm. Have you applied to sit yet? You have roughly 4-5 months till recruiting season ramps up again. Passing FAR or REG would make it so much easier to get attention from CPA firms.

BEC - 78 (August 2015)
FAR - 80 (November 2015)
AUD - 73, 67. (Ok I gotta confess I was even more lazy this time around)
REG - August 27th, 2016

[Leticia24]

Thank you all for your great advices…. I still have a whole year to make this to a good plan. Yes I applied for exams, I took REG and will take FAR in July. Before I got into Gov accounting I was going to PwC but due to personal situation at the moment I declined. I have kept contact with the recruiter. I was waiting to be closer to have all the exams passed to contact her again. I also have someone I know who works at Deloitte. I think I have somewhere to start at least. If all that fails I could go for mid-small size firms as many of you suggested. I think the non-traditional traditional way of job hunting would make the trick. Does that sound like a solid plan?

[Author]

Replies