[gg2929]

I am an accounting student looking at different options in the accounting field as far as career paths. I enjoy accounting, but really do not know which career path is best for me. I want to do something I enjoy and where I can make an impact. Possible career paths include:

Public accounting, working up to partner.

Industry, working up to CFO.

Government accounting, working up to executive or FBI.

I have no interest in being the CFO of a public company. That leaves other non-public and closely held companies as options. I am also not familiar with the workload of a partner in public accounting. That is something I would like to know. My concern with public accounting is that I will be stuck in say, auditing for example, and will not have an opportunity for other aspects of accounting. That is just a concern. It doesn’t mean I know it to be true.

I think I would enjoy industry, especially a cost accounting position where I am able to influence management’s decision making. However one of my concern’s with industry is the repetitiveness of the work. While it would be fun and fulfilling while new, my concern is that after getting to know the business the work would become repetitive and dull.

Government accounting seems like it provides an opportunity to make an impact, but with all the bureaucracy in government my concern is that I will be a part of a project that has the ability to positively affect taxpayers, but it never actually affects them the positive way its supposed to because well, the government tends to not do things as well as the private sector. Then my work would in essence be, not worth what I put into it. I don’t know how true this is or if it would be an issue.

Also, as far as moving up the ladder, it seems that with a lot of accounting positions, at least according to the information I have been exposed to thus far, it seems you do not make much more as you move up the ladder than when you start, at least in industry if you do not become a CFO/controller. Government accounting and public accounting seem to have higher payoffs as you move up the ladder.

If anyone can touch on this and any of these thoughts, it would be much appreciated. Thank you.

[taxman89]

advice #1 would be to stop reposting this…you posted it like an hour ago

Aud-75 3x I knew i never liked you
Bec-77 1x being in the bubble is stressful
Reg-82 4x its not me its you...and no we cant be friends
Far-78 1x easiest section

[taxman89]

advice #1 would be to stop reposting this…you posted it like an hour ago

Aud-75 3x I knew i never liked you
Bec-77 1x being in the bubble is stressful
Reg-82 4x its not me its you...and no we cant be friends
Far-78 1x easiest section

[gg2929]

yea i realized it could be in a better section. thanks for the help

[gg2929]

yea i realized it could be in a better section. thanks for the help

[taxman89]

take this with a grain of salt but here is how i understand the options.

public- enormous hours but if you stick with it till part=enormous pay (no exp with this so just what i hear)

Private- you can go the accounting root even if you dont want to me CFO, especially if you like the cost accounting stuff.As far as getting bored, that will most likely happen with any job as there is a fair amount of repetition with anything. There are other alternatives in industry. I went right into corporate tax out of school (was a double major in accounting and finance) and i made about 15% more than big 4 when i started and got a 16% raise after 2.5 years. Also, i can tell that there is a huge difference between my income and my manager's income and a huge difference between her income and my director's income. So your industry experience is going to vary greatly depending on what you are doing. there is also alot of diversity in tax (doing compliance, SALT, international, transfer pricing.) so if you want to move around you can.

govt- i interned for my state auditor's office for a summer and i saw limited upward possibilities (because everyone stayed there forever). but the most common career path was for someone to make senior manager with the state and then more to be a treasurer for a city or school.

anyway, my $.02… its worth what you paid for it 😀

Aud-75 3x I knew i never liked you
Bec-77 1x being in the bubble is stressful
Reg-82 4x its not me its you...and no we cant be friends
Far-78 1x easiest section

[taxman89]

take this with a grain of salt but here is how i understand the options.

public- enormous hours but if you stick with it till part=enormous pay (no exp with this so just what i hear)

Private- you can go the accounting root even if you dont want to me CFO, especially if you like the cost accounting stuff.As far as getting bored, that will most likely happen with any job as there is a fair amount of repetition with anything. There are other alternatives in industry. I went right into corporate tax out of school (was a double major in accounting and finance) and i made about 15% more than big 4 when i started and got a 16% raise after 2.5 years. Also, i can tell that there is a huge difference between my income and my manager's income and a huge difference between her income and my director's income. So your industry experience is going to vary greatly depending on what you are doing. there is also alot of diversity in tax (doing compliance, SALT, international, transfer pricing.) so if you want to move around you can.

govt- i interned for my state auditor's office for a summer and i saw limited upward possibilities (because everyone stayed there forever). but the most common career path was for someone to make senior manager with the state and then more to be a treasurer for a city or school.

anyway, my $.02… its worth what you paid for it 😀

Aud-75 3x I knew i never liked you
Bec-77 1x being in the bubble is stressful
Reg-82 4x its not me its you...and no we cant be friends
Far-78 1x easiest section

[dpad124]

Because you start off in one part of the accounting field doesn't mean you have to stay in that part.

Just start with what you are most interested in.

BEC Oct2014 - 85
AUD Jan2015 - ??
REG Feb2015 - ??
FAR May2015 - ??

[dpad124]

Because you start off in one part of the accounting field doesn't mean you have to stay in that part.

Just start with what you are most interested in.

BEC Oct2014 - 85
AUD Jan2015 - ??
REG Feb2015 - ??
FAR May2015 - ??

[taxman89]

agree with dpad….or start with whatever area you get a job in 😀 i was looking more towards cost accounting/finance since i was a double major but got a job offer in corporate tax and it payed really well so i started there lol

Aud-75 3x I knew i never liked you
Bec-77 1x being in the bubble is stressful
Reg-82 4x its not me its you...and no we cant be friends
Far-78 1x easiest section

[taxman89]

agree with dpad….or start with whatever area you get a job in 😀 i was looking more towards cost accounting/finance since i was a double major but got a job offer in corporate tax and it payed really well so i started there lol

Aud-75 3x I knew i never liked you
Bec-77 1x being in the bubble is stressful
Reg-82 4x its not me its you...and no we cant be friends
Far-78 1x easiest section

[gg2929]

thank you. one of my concerns is that my gpa will not be good enough for public until i graduate and the recruiting is generally done before then. i played hockey my first 3 years of school and practiced over 20 hours per week on top of weekend travel and it didn't make things easy and i wasn't an accounting major till late. i'm on pace for a 3.7 this semester and have two semesters left after to reach the 150. if i start in government will that be looked down upon by public accounting if i wish to transfer? and how different is this when it comes to applying the generic way and actually walking in to the firm and handing in your application?

[gg2929]

thank you. one of my concerns is that my gpa will not be good enough for public until i graduate and the recruiting is generally done before then. i played hockey my first 3 years of school and practiced over 20 hours per week on top of weekend travel and it didn't make things easy and i wasn't an accounting major till late. i'm on pace for a 3.7 this semester and have two semesters left after to reach the 150. if i start in government will that be looked down upon by public accounting if i wish to transfer? and how different is this when it comes to applying the generic way and actually walking in to the firm and handing in your application?

[GSU-CPA]

If you are looking for a fun job and/or a job where you make a difference accounting is not it. I dont think anybody truly enjoys accounting but it is a good safe career with great potential.

If you are looking for a fun job or a job that makes a difference you could have always been a police officer, firefighter, fbi agent etc etc. I think those jobs are a bit more fun and you make a difference but they pay potential is nowhere near as accounting.

Either one of those fields you go into will not be fun. Public accounting is hard work long hours but the payoff is worth it if you can stand working long hours for few years. Easier path is going streight into private sector but your salary usually wont be as high as someone with big 4 experience. Either way whatever you choose you will be better off then most people.

REG-77
BEC -Waiting on score May 5th
AUD - May 30
FAR - Q3 depending on if i pass above two in Q2

[GSU-CPA]

If you are looking for a fun job and/or a job where you make a difference accounting is not it. I dont think anybody truly enjoys accounting but it is a good safe career with great potential.

If you are looking for a fun job or a job that makes a difference you could have always been a police officer, firefighter, fbi agent etc etc. I think those jobs are a bit more fun and you make a difference but they pay potential is nowhere near as accounting.

Either one of those fields you go into will not be fun. Public accounting is hard work long hours but the payoff is worth it if you can stand working long hours for few years. Easier path is going streight into private sector but your salary usually wont be as high as someone with big 4 experience. Either way whatever you choose you will be better off then most people.

REG-77
BEC -Waiting on score May 5th
AUD - May 30
FAR - Q3 depending on if i pass above two in Q2

[gg2929]

thank you for the input GSU-CPA. do you have any particular thoughts on cost accounting and how a person could be able to make an impact in that position?

[Author]

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