[lynson]

I just started a new job for one week, it is an internal accounting position,the private company is not big but grows fast, I think i can learn a lot, because the company structure is complicated, and there are many small problems to solve…

But I just got a call this morning from a government office and they gave me an offer for staff auditor position ( i was interviewed like two months ago..)

the salary for these two position are similar, benefits are similar, the internal accounting position has three weeks vacation..

Is the government job better for career growth or the internal accounting position?

My friend said the government job has its limit/ceiling, stay for the position for a few years and get a little salary growth, but no bonus..

And I will feel so guilty if i quit this job because they put some effort to train me…and i dont know how to say to my manager… please advice…..

(PS I just passed FAR and still studying cpa exam now, need 1 year experience,the private company said they can ask the external accountant cpa to sign off my experience requirement sheet..)

FAR Done
REG Nov
BEC ...
AUD ...

[Minimorty]

Leave private sector for government? No way! Our government will be facing significant reductions in the near future. Democrats will attempt to put it off as long as possible, but it will come. It will come….

[mla1169]

I agree with Mini, Govt jobs may not be stable at this point in time.

Check with your state board about having the external CPA sign off on your experience requirement, in some states that is allowed but in others the CPA has to have directly supervised you. Chances are you'll be fine with that but I've seen people put in the time and then run into issues because either the external CPA never agreed to sign off or the state had an issue with it.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

Government jobs are MORE stable than ANYTHING in the private/public sector. Don't believe that nonsense. Even the republicans have said flat out they will only cut jobs by attrition (Meaning they just stop hiring and let retirees dwindle the work force.)

Is it a state or federal job? What agency?

I can't speak much about state but federal jobs are great if you land the right one. Will you make $250k a year? No, but you can expect a 6 figure salary with a little hard work, amazing quality of life, and benefits the private sector only dreams of lol.

[Minimorty]

@dtom – Do you really think those “benefits” (ie. public pensions) are still going to be around in 40 years? Most of them are so underfunded they wont last another 20 years. All of the supposed “benefits” associated with working for the government are going to be slashed.

[Anonymous]

Last time the pension was altered (ie the conversion from CSRS to FERS) everyone who was already a part of the old system was grandfathered in….

I see no reason not to believe that IF benefits were “slashed” the same thing wouldn't happen again.

[Minimorty]

The pain is just getting started:

https://www.cnbc.com/id/49008850/California_Slashes_Pension_Benefits_for_Some

[Anonymous]

I can only speak for federal, that's why I asked, “federal or state”? You really can't compare the two. It's like comparing Walmart and your local grocery store.

I personally would never work for a state gov't anyway because you're right a lot of them are in financial trouble but like I said if you find the right federal job you're in good shape. (Yes, I realize the federal gov't is $16 trillion in the hole but if the US gov't goes down the toilet then NO JOB is safe).

[Minimorty]

@dtom – How do you think the U.S. is going to dig itself out of that current $16T hole (which, by the way, is growing at over $1T a year)? Without significant reductions in spending, 100% of our government's income will be going to DEBT SERVICE. Debt service! No reductions in debt, just paying the interest on the debt. This does not even take into consideration all of the underfunded entitlement programs we have. The amount of money the government pays to public employees through various pension programs is ludicrous. It is just not sustainable.

[Anonymous]

That's a common misconception. Not all gov't jobs cost the taxpayers money. Example: revenue agents from the IRS who collect money off deadbeats who try to evade taxes. Hiring them SAVES taxpayers money by collecting otherwise lost revenue over and above their salaries and benefits. Gov't auditors are another example. There whole purpose is to recoup money misappropriated by contractors. If you're saving the gov't $10 for every $1 spent then firing them would COST the gov't money…..

Not all agencies are useless like the TSA.

[Minimorty]

I'm not sure that was relevant to anything I said.

[Anonymous]

Why does everything has to turn into a politcal debate? I don't think this is the way lynson intended this to turn out. Congrats to you on the new job and the new offer, you seem to be doing something right. I'm not familiar with government (state or federal) so I can't advise you on what to do. In the end you are the one who will have to make the decision and you know whats best for you so my only advice would be to go home and think it over. Maybe try if anything to gather the advice you tried to get here from a family or friend who will not go off topic which i'm sure would be more effective.

[Anonymous]

I worked a federal agency for 5 years and learned absolutely nothing… The only way I would go back to gov't was if I had 10 years before retirement. These agencies are all retirement homes. Gov't accounting and operation is very different from private. Private companies know this too, so it will be hard explaining your experience, when nothing you have had done at govt is transferable to private….Without my CPA I am sure I would still be in gov't. I could not find a decent job for years before getting the cpa.

[Anonymous]

@Mini

Sorry went to the dentist, apparently I need to have a wisdom tooth pulled. What were we talking about?

“I'm not sure that was relevant to anything I said.”

I was addressing the comment below.

“The amount of money the government pays to public employees through various pension programs is ludicrous.”

It's not ludicrous to pay a government employee for example $2,000,000 during his government service which includes salary, PENSION and benefits if he saves taxpayers $20,000,000 during the span of his career.

Government is no different then any other organization trying to recruit talented people to maximize their return. If you know you can't offer them the potential to make $200k+ like private then you need to put something else on the table to make it worth while for people with brains to apply. Like, I don't know, a pension and good benefits…

[jeff]

How does a government employee save taxpayers money? I assume you're referring to the notion that an IRS agent pays for themselves if they wrangle in more outstanding IRS debt than they cost?

Mkay … what about the rest…are the majority of Government employees saving us all a bunch of $$?

Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS) | Another71 | NINJA CPA | NINJA CMA | NINJA CPE

[Minimorty]

@dtom – As Jeff points out, almost all government employees are just a black hole in terms of cost/benefit. A very small percentage of the federal government workers actually give the government any kind of monetary benefit (like you describe above). Even for the small percentage that provide a benefit, If the government is OVERPAYING for the services, it doesnt matter what the benefit is. Why should the government pay $200k a year when they could be paying someone $100k? The government should be paying NO more money to its employees than what someone in a similar position in the private sector makes. It is our (taxpayers) money that they are just flushing down the toilet. Again, it is not sustainable.

EDIT: Another point is that even if the government WANTED to overpay these people, it cant afford to!! Does it make sense to borrow from China to pay government pensions? Nooooooo!!

@BVI – “Try to gather advice from a family or friend….” Yes, talk with people who are willing to give you an opinion, but probably dont know up from down regarding the things that should actually be considered. [Sarcasm.] This was a good place to ask the question. Issues are being discussed that should play a role in the OPs decision making process. What is the problem?

[Author]

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