[MrCPA2B]

Today I talked with a few of my friends that I graduated college with and for the most part they are all unemployed accounting graduates. I recommended them to join this site and seek guidance from peers, some of which who have been down the same path as them. MY friend pointed out that it is really difficult to get into public accounting right now, I know that they really do require a lot out of recent grads as far as grades, internships, and everything else. The thought of the demands made on recent grads on the public accounting side had me thinking why recent grads don’t look for accounting experience in private? It’s like every accounting major I know flee to public. Some are so determined to get into public that if they can’t they give up all at once. Instead of getting some experience the best way you can and then moving on from there. (As I told my friends today, this is “Crawling before you walk”). Anyway, MY question is what benefits can starting out in private accounting provide to a public firm if a recent grad wishes to switch? What can a former private accounting employee say in a public accounting interview when asked, “What do you think you will add to this firm”?

I’m just curious to know because I see so much about Public to Private but you rarely see anything from Private to Public and I feel those guys need love too. (In my opinion they need a whole lot of love) 🙂

AUD- FEB 2014
BEC- APR 2014
FAR- MAY 2014
REG- AUG 2014

Using Wiley CPA Exam Review and Ninja Notes
May the "Force" be with me!

[StephAV]

I think the entry level private positions are generally fewer and farther between?? My own experience when I graduated back in 2005 was there were about 10 CPA firms recruiting multiple grads per firm and then there was much fewer private industry recruiting 1 grad each. Also, I think there is a big push by college professors to go into public get your 2 years of experience there so that you can get an unrestricted license (or at least that is how it was in California but things are changing). Also, the tradition is once you have that public accounting experience the private industry is clammering for those people… Maybe clammering is a little exagerative? But in 2008 when I left public accounting I was getting lots of interviews and attention from recruiters.

FAR - 7/13 - 72, 11/13- 74, 2/14- 82!!! Best score ever (for me)!!!
BEC - 1/14 - 75!!! Perfect score! First Pass! YAY!!!
AUD - 8/14 - 80!!!
REG - 5/14 - 72, 10/14 - 66, 1/15 - 78 - DONE FOREVER!!!
I did 5 of the UNA and CPAExcel classes to earn units.

[ruggercpa2b]

@MRCPA2B I definitely think that it has helped. I worked for a paint company and went around doing a mix of financial and operation audits and I also got to do inventory once a year. I was also involved in the audit from start to finish so that has also been an advantage where they have been open to letting me be in charge on some projects. Granted the firm always tries to say that they have a different audit methodology but at the end of the day its all the same really.

AUD - 73, 72 retake 7/2/2016
BEC - 8/20/2016
REG - TBD
FAR - TBD

I am so ready for this nightmare to be over. Been at this way too long.

[ruggercpa2b]

@MRCPA2B I definitely think that it has helped. I worked for a paint company and went around doing a mix of financial and operation audits and I also got to do inventory once a year. I was also involved in the audit from start to finish so that has also been an advantage where they have been open to letting me be in charge on some projects. Granted the firm always tries to say that they have a different audit methodology but at the end of the day its all the same really.

AUD - 73, 72 retake 7/2/2016
BEC - 8/20/2016
REG - TBD
FAR - TBD

I am so ready for this nightmare to be over. Been at this way too long.

[MrCPA2B]

@bennyhana21 and @stephAV thank you so much for your feedback! You both helped me understand both sides of the spectrum.

AUD- FEB 2014
BEC- APR 2014
FAR- MAY 2014
REG- AUG 2014

Using Wiley CPA Exam Review and Ninja Notes
May the "Force" be with me!

[MrCPA2B]

@bennyhana21 and @stephAV thank you so much for your feedback! You both helped me understand both sides of the spectrum.

AUD- FEB 2014
BEC- APR 2014
FAR- MAY 2014
REG- AUG 2014

Using Wiley CPA Exam Review and Ninja Notes
May the "Force" be with me!

[MrCPA2B]

@ruggercpa2b Thank you for your input and I agree when you look at auditing from a distance it really is all the same the only thing that changes is who is doing the audit and the regulations that person has to adhere to.

AUD- FEB 2014
BEC- APR 2014
FAR- MAY 2014
REG- AUG 2014

Using Wiley CPA Exam Review and Ninja Notes
May the "Force" be with me!

[MrCPA2B]

@ruggercpa2b Thank you for your input and I agree when you look at auditing from a distance it really is all the same the only thing that changes is who is doing the audit and the regulations that person has to adhere to.

AUD- FEB 2014
BEC- APR 2014
FAR- MAY 2014
REG- AUG 2014

Using Wiley CPA Exam Review and Ninja Notes
May the "Force" be with me!

[Author]

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