[mlwl8521]

STATS:

*CPA license

*2 years public accounting experience

*MAcc GPA 3.80

CAREER GOALS IN NEXT 5 YEARS:

*To eventually best position myself for a Fortune 500 industry-side accounting job

*To gain experience with publicly-traded companies, SEC filings, SOX404

*To gain experience with commercial, profit-seeking entities

MY OPTIONS:

I am leaving a local firm because there is zero chance of advancement or getting experience with bigger and more diverse clients. I’d love to complete my senior associate time at a new firm, and leverage that into a manager’s position at a Big 4 in my 5th year. Assume I’m receiving an offer from each of these companies:

#1: Senior Associate @ CliftonLarsonAllen

#2: Senior Associate @ McGladrey

#3: Experienced Associate @ KPMG

Clifton is offering a chance to start out on governments and then eventually move onto privately-held corporations

McGladrey is offering a chance to start out on non-profits with a 90% chance I’ll get to work on a non-F500 publicly traded company

KPMG is offering a chance to start out on employee benefit plans, with an eventual move to federal government stuff (very little chance of doing commercial entities AND I’ll burn out and leave shortly after getting my promotion to senior anyways). Promotion would occur 12 months from now.

QUESTIONS FOR YOU ALL:

1. Can I realistically convert a senior associate position into a manager’s position at a Big 4, even if I’ll have zero experience with publicly-traded companies?

2. Do F500 recruiters realistically recognize the difference between a top 10 accounting firm and a top 100 accounting firm? Or is it “Big 4 or nothing”?

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CPA licensed - 2013
2 years public accounting
MAcc GPA 3.8

[fuzyfro89]

1) Realistically? No. Possibly? Maybe, but don't have that as your plan A.

2) It depends on your experience. If you work in non-profit clients, whether it's Big 4 or 2nd tier, it will be tough to find work in the commercial sector because you bring no relevant experience to the table (technical skills, anyway). Governmental, non-profit account and reporting is completely different from commercial accounting and reporting… so it will be a tough sell.

I don't know where you got “90% chance”.. either they let you or they don't.

Regardless, I'd go for the firm which will allow you to get the exposure/experience you want… so you'll have to make a bet on which firm you think will let you move from one practice to another.

If you can't tell which will make you happy(ier), then just go for the bigger name KPMG… as any of them could string you along for years without letting you switch to commercial clients. It *may* be easier to move within KPMG, or to hop to another Big 4, and get into commercial clients than to do it from CliftonLarson or Mcgladrey. I may be wrong… but you're really just guessing since none of them will let you join commercial right away…

I would avoid working in non-profit/govt for too long, whether in Big 4/mid tier/or on the client side, because you will become very specialized and too experienced to bring on and re-train when you want out.

[Lindrobe]

I completely agree with fuzyfro89 about the statement “I would avoid working in non-profit/govt for too long, whether in Big 4/mid tier/or on the client side, because you will become very specialized and too experienced to bring on and re-train when you want out.”

I have worked in tax at a non-profit University for 5 years, just finished the cpa exam, and I am having a hard time figuring out where my experience fits in because I really need to find a better paying job. The non-profit tax experience applies to pretty much nothing. I can't speak to the govt experience though.

FAR 12/3/14, 87
AUD 2/3/14, 90
BEC 4/1/14, 88
REG 5/27/14, 94

Licensed CPA, Indiana

"Successful people do things that unsuccessful people don't want to do"

[Anonymous]

1) I agree with fuzyfro 100%. It would probably be pretty difficult to go about it that route.

2) Fortune 500 Recruiters prefer Big 4, but they don't live and die by it. I work at a smaller firm and have had a few Fortune 500 recruiters contact me, one of which was Fortune 100 and another was Fortune 50 and my accounting firm isn't in the top 20 in my metropolitan area (my metro area is in top 5 in US).

There are definitely other factors involved with making it into the big leagues:

No. 1- Resume & networking skills are hands down, HANDS DOWN the most important.

No. 2- Having a strong college alumni base doesn't hurt either.

No. 3- Live in the right area. Unless you are an industry leading expert or highly sought after executive, a Fortune 500 isn't going to waste its time looking at your resume if you live halfway around the country. If moving isn't feasible, get a local PO box and out it on your resume, or use a friend or family member's address.

To expand on the resume and network- get involved in professional affiliations and non-profits. Everybody involved with those things is looking for something. I hate to sound like a cynic, but most of those people involved aren't there because they genuinely care about GAAP or to feed the poor. I've been to a bunch of the dinners. They all go the same way: happy hour, stroke an ego or two for like five minutes, give somebody a trophy, then get back to happy hour/dinner and exchange business cards for the rest of the evening.

If it helps, I do know that once you're in KPMG, they will be happy to let you switch departments if they like you (read top performer)….

[mlwl8521]

Your comments were extremely helpful in adjusting my strategy. Thank you all!

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CPA licensed - 2013
2 years public accounting
MAcc GPA 3.8

[Author]

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