[Rocky123]

I thought that once I became a CPA, I would have better career options. I didn’t expect to become a CFO over night, but I thought that it would open some doors.

Now, I think prospective employers just view me as someone with past crappy jobs and now a CPA.

They probably see me as “overqualified” for some jobs and “underqualified” for others. I’m lost in the gap.

I want a more challenging position that will someday lead me to becoming a controller. I see my next job as a stepping stone where I can get my hands dirty, so to speak. Now I need someone to take a chance on me…

The tallest oak in the forest was once just a little nut that held its ground.

AUD-PASS
BEC-PASS
REG-PASS
FAR-PASS

Rocky123, CPA

[Anonymous]

Good luck Kricket! Fingers crossed!

[On2Sum]

Let me pose a question to all on this thread–If you were an accounting manager or supervisor or controller without a CPA, would you hire an up and coming accountant with a CPA to report to you?

If you are not aware, there are management & supervisory level accountants out there without CPA designations. I very much doubt they'll non-nonchalantly crack open the door for a young whippersnapper 20 something to come in and gun for their jobs. Food for thought.

FAR - 79
REG - 76
AUD - 94
BEC - 77

DONE! DONE!! DONE!!!

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts"
-Winston Churchill

[jrosen92770]

On2sum – I might, but it would really depend if I trusted upper management. Great raw question.

BEC - 5/26/2013 75
REG - 8/31/2013 82
AUD - 11/24/2013 74, 2/9/2014 92
FAR - 5/25/2014 85

NY CPA

[Skynet]

In Kricket's case you just have to watch out for the Alligators in her office. Other than that, she will do a great job for her clients and serve them crawfish and some great Gumbo at the same time.

[nika_cpa]

I am on my way to get my license soon and over 8 months in mid-size public accounting firm as a junior accountant. How should i approach my firm's partners for promotion? What would be the best strategy?

Becker self-study, Wiley Test Bank and books, Becker final review. NINJA MCQ bank and NINJA notes for BEC only!

AUD - PASSED!
FAR - PASSED!
REG - PASSED!
BEC - PASSED!

[Anonymous]

@On2Sum It would definitely depend on how secure one's position felt. To hire someone that you know on paper is more qualified for your job than you are is, in a way, intimidating. If you're very secure in your position and know upper management loves you with or without the paperwork, then you're likely to be willing to hire the CPA anyway, but if you're afraid they'll be able your job and management will pick them over you, then you'd keep them as far away as possible. I'm a Controller now and the CFO doesn't have his CPA to my knowledge, and he isn't intimidated by mine…but he's been the CFO for many years and is very “entrenched” in his role, as well as very secure that it wouldn't be taken from him. (May have something to do with him working about 100 hours a week as a regular thing – he knows they wouldn't find someone else who would do that for what they pay him. 😛 ) However, when I worked in public accounting, my boss didn't have his CPA (he was a sole proprietor that did taxes and bookkeeping and had never felt it worth his time). Around then the IRS RTRP program was going on, and I signed up to take the test so I could be qualified to help him with taxes when tax season rolled around. Magically a month later, he'd decided to take – and had passed – his RTRP exam. Since he still had a year or two to do it, he hadn't passed his yet (I think he may've attempted it once and failed), but when he heard I was going to do mine, he hurried to have it first. So, I think he would've refused to hire a CPA to work under him, because it would've intimidated the socks off of him.

[On2Sum]

@Lillla, A seasoned old veteran who knows his stuff and knows the people above him know his value will be less insecure. As it is now, the CFO to whom you referred would definitely be an exception to the kind of Supervisors/Managers/Controllers I am talking about.

If we rewind to 15-20 years ago, before got entrenched in that position at that company, do you think he would feel as secure as he does now? And not regard you as a potential threat?

FAR - 79
REG - 76
AUD - 94
BEC - 77

DONE! DONE!! DONE!!!

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts"
-Winston Churchill

[On2Sum]

@Kricket Does your state board say you can't do any accounting work until sans permit, or does it say you can't put yourself out there as a CPA?

I am certain you can do Non-Attest work without a license. NO?

FAR - 79
REG - 76
AUD - 94
BEC - 77

DONE! DONE!! DONE!!!

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts"
-Winston Churchill

[Anonymous]

On2Sum – I can do NOTHING. I can't file a tax return. I can't even tell people that I'm a CPA until I get the firm permit. I don't want to risk getting in trouble so I am just sitting here in my new office organizing files and trying to hide the computer cords.

Skynet – If they piss me off, I might feed unruly clients to an alligator! LOL But the crawfish are too small this year and it's getting too warm for gumbo so no cooking for me right now. I might keep a pitcher of Hurricane's in the kitchen, though. Of course, if I mix one up now, I'll probably drink the whole thing myself. I'm starting to get BORED!!!

[Anonymous]

@On2Sum That was my point – because he's been there awhile, knows management knows his value, etc., he's not intimidated, but if he were new in his role he might be. We've recently hired someone below me, and I know if they'd had their CPA and I didn't have mine yet (especially if I'd failed the exams and was having trouble getting it), I'd be a little insecure knowing their paper credentials were better than mine. In the future – maybe even within 5 years – I wouldn't probably be as worried, but right now, I'm a wild-card to my employer as much as the person who was hired shortly after me, so if she had a certification I didn't, I'd probably feel a bit intimidated.

[kleon52]

CPA is not a Golden Ticket, and if you're like me, a bachelor and a masters from a top 3 program isn't a golden ticket.

Extracurriculars in school + work + volunteer accounting work isn't a golden ticket

Temp work+ all of the above isnt a golden ticket to a low paying position

Living in chicago isnt a golden ticket

I feel embarrassed my friend who did communications in college, took 5 years to graduate managed to get a job in a month with a 2.4 GPA with a salary higher than the jobs I'm searching for

REG: 80
AUD: 82
BEC: 83
FAR: 83
Finished Feb 2015, 5-6months

Ninja MCQ for AUD, BEC, & FAR

[Rose]

@Kelon52 sorry that it's not a golden ticket, but Chicago might not be the right city? I'm from Wisconsin and I don't have my CPA yet but I work for a public bank. I started out in accounting at a local restaurant and worked there for four years, and now I'm at the public bank as a Senior Accountant. I don't have my CPA yet but I think it will definitely help my future once I get it. So in the end it all just depends on where you live and how the market is….just a thought you can always come to Wisconsin.

[Anonymous]

“I feel embarrassed my friend who did communications in college, took 5 years to graduate managed to get a job in a month with a 2.4 GPA with a salary higher than the jobs I'm searching for “

Wow this thread is depressing. Lets get this out of the way, NOTHING is a golden ticket. But on average someone with an accounting degree + CPA will do a lot better over their career than someone with a communications degree.

It's also true that charisma or connections (especially when combined smarts and motivation) will impact people's careers and their chances of a good career in a big way regardless of major. I'm sure there are people with Medieval History degrees that make more than I ever will due to this reason. SO charisma + hard work + connections is probably more of a golden ticket than CPA + hard work will be.

[ScarletKnightCPA]

Thanks for sharing kleon52. I think that I might have ended up in similar situation but I lucked out and got a job in corporate accounting after a couple years. Now I have solid experience so that I will probably always have access to at least an entry level accounting job.

Far: 76 (Wiley Test Bank)
Aud: 77 (Wiley Test Bank)
Reg: 61, 76 (Wiley book, Wiley Test Bank)
Bec: 86 (Wiley Test Bank)

MBA in progress

[Thrawn]

My recommendation for getting a job is to reach out to former coworkers. Much of the hiring in accounting happens behind the scenes as people who worked together in public move into industry and keep in touch.

BEC 87 Feb 14
REG 84 Apr 14
FAR 82 Nov 14
AUD 86 Feb 15

[Author]

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