[lcali]

I could potentially receive an offer from a firm to audit counties, municipalities, & school districts as part of their gov’t practice.

I’ve passed the exam but currently lack the experience so this would help in that respect and it would be more money then I am currently making but not as much as I was hoping for. Problem is I would much rather audit public companies and I am afraid that if I were to receive and take this offer and gain my experience auditing municipalities that it might black ball me from getting a job in public when I look to transition.

Anyone have any experience with this? or any advice?

Feel like I shouldn’t necessarily take it because it is the first opportunity that presents itself

AUD - 79
REG - 82
BEC - 81
FAR - 73, 79

[Lost1]

HI,

I'm no auditor but I would say take the job. Not sure how good of a candidate you are (GPA.etc) but since you're saying this is the first opportunity for you, you might regret not taking it. In the current job market, there is no guarantee that you will land on a public accounting auditor position. Right out of college, I was knocking on public accounting door but I came up short. I am currently doing corporate accounting.

Take the job while it's offered to you. Just know that there are so many people who would kill to have that job right now..

Good luck!

"If you can do it, I can do it better."

[msgolds]

I perform GAGAS-Compliant Audits for my job. I would say take it, performing GAGAS Audits is a specialized skill that is might help you break into a number of different industries. But in general I don't think it would hurt you at all in getting to public. The basic auditing methodology is the same no matter what information you are auditing, and I think any audit experience would help you in public.

BEC - 90 PASSED
FAR - 84 PASSED
AUD - 93 PASSED
REG - 84 PASSED

I DID IT!!!!

Using Becker Self-Study

"If we were put here to carry a great weight, then the very things we hate are here to build those muscles."

[jelly]

It's a way to get experience, b/c you'll learn about work papers, indexing, different computer systems, journal entries, etc. Don't discount this as a way to get into auditing public companies. Also, you'll be able to meet a lot of decision-makers along the way.

I audited public companies, then public housing/public programs, public companies, and now mostly small private companies. My side jobs include accounting work for nonprofits, which tend to have flexible work schedules.

Couldn't pass again!

[Anonymous]

If you passed the CPA exam and think u will have offers in the area u want, then I say pass on this offer. I do governmental audits and it blows big time. Mostly because governments have really dumb and lazy employees that are compensated based on tenure rather than performance (now combine that with the relative complexity of fund accounting). And they will complain to u if u ask for any assistance with anything even though they work 37.5 hour weeks and you work 60. It is like this at all kinds of governments: state, city, county, tribal…etc.

Like I said, only pass on it if u think u will have more offers. Otherwise, take it and put your time in, put it on your resume, and go find the work you really want. There is transferability of the auditing skill you will learn.

Good luck

[Author]

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