[nana]

Hi,

I got a job offer (staff accountant position) from a local cpa firm and here is my background. I got a masters degree in accounting and passed the cpa exam last year(I need work experiences in order to get a cpa license). I have a few years of bookkeeping experience but have a limited experience in Quickbooks. Since last September, I’ve applied to tons of jobs but this is only company that I got an actual job offer.

They offer me 40k but the salary is pretty lower than I expected. Should I accept this job? I know this could be a silly question, but I want to hear you guys thought.

[rp 12]

@nana Go for it. This work will count towards your CPA licensure as well and also you will get an exposure of working in a CPA firm.

"Success in life comes when you simply refuse to give up, with goals so strong that obstacles, failure, and loss act only as motivation"

AUD: 68, 62, 77✔ (expires 10/31/16)
FAR: 53, 48, XX (retake 6/16)
REG:
BEC: 53

[Want2BeCPAsoBad]

Go for it. Noone wants you when you are unemployed, but every recruiter in your area will look for you once you have 1 year in public and your CPA license. Just get a job with someone that can sign you off for your license. You can always get a higher paying job once you get those 3 letter after your name.

[jenpen]

I got a job with a small CPA firm right after I finished my MBA with the intention of moving towards the CPA exam. It was the only place that would give me a chance. I started at $37k and have grown a bit since then, but I'm still below market after having been here for almost 4 years. However, now that I have the experience I know that I will have no problem finding a different job if I ever decide to change firms.

AUD - 56 - 68 - 61 - 9/8/16
REG - 75
FAR - 7/15/16
BEC - TBD

Wiley CPAexcel and NINJA 10 Point Combo

[turo9992000]

Take it, learn, get a couple tax seasons in. Reevaluate. The first year's of our careers are mostly learning technical skills and deciding where we want to specialize. In a couple year's you'll be hella valuable.

[PNS2CLT]

A few things to consider:

– What is the range for market rate in your area? Smaller firms will nearly always be on the lower end, since they serve primarily small business and focus on “grunt work” like bookkeeping, 1040s and drafting (which yields lower billings; note that while this is true of the lion’s share of smaller firms, some do compete with their large counterparts, often by outsourcing the grunt work). One thing to keep in mind… entry-level staff positions do not compensate for an MBA or having the CPA done, so unfortunately at this point, that’s irreverent.

– How does the total compensation package compare to market? Smaller firms will often often profit sharing/bonuses to entry level staff whereas larger firms usually do not. And many smaller firms will cover 100% of employees’ health insurance premiums – larger firms generally cover the standard 80% of medical but nothing toward dental/vision — often, this can add a few hundred to a few thousand bucks toward your pay.

– How are you compensated for OT? Most states consider you exempt (from OT regulation) but the industry generally compensated for it anyway, usually in the form of paid time off and/or straight OT pay. Most smaller firms will offer credit for all hours OT worked whereas larger firms may have already built in some level of OT (generally 200+ hours) into the salary.

– How is the quality of life? A large firm may work 7 days, 70/hours a week during busy season, whereas a smaller firm may cap hours at 50-55 and offer a few Saturdays off. Also, many smaller firms will give additional paid time off to use in the summer… some will ask you to use it to take every Friday off!

——
Just some things to think about to ease your mind, but ultimately if you haven’t received another offer, I’d take it and after two years, hit the market.

[ForgottenOne]

I have two tax seasons experience with tax prep company and four year tax prep (side job), two years of private accounting AP/AR experience, got enrolled agent designation and CPA license. Just like you, I applied for a bunch of places. No response, no interview. The only interview (for tax prep position) I had with a local CPA firm was through a staffing company, and still no job offer due to lack of experience (no general ledger and not enough tax experience).

So the question is…. what are you waiting for?

[Recked]

Check RobertHalf salary guide online for your area.
What were you expecting?

Scared money never wins, so if I were in your shoes and needed the 1 year experience I would probably take the offer.

Other approaches might be to try and negotiate the starting salary a little higher. It that fails you can inquire about the nature and timing of raises for length of employment or meeting certain benchmarks, ie: such as 1 year and official CPA licensure.
You can also inquire about the nature and timing of promotions/room for advancement.
A smaller firm might be looking to grow and expand, with an accelerated track to partner position where you would help cover the overhead.

The most important factor is that 1 year's experience to get your license, and they know you need them more than they need you.
Be careful that they don't just hire you to grunt out tax season and then lay you off. I would be looking for a 1 year contract commitment so you don't get burned after April 15th. But if they would do that to you, it's not a place you would want to work anyway.

Good luck.

[Author]

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