[Anonymous]

I will be finishing my exams soon and I’m looking at a job as a finance associate for an organization. I really like this place and would be thrilled to get the position but I would be passing on audit work. As a young accountant is this an OK career move to make?

On a side note, in my state I do not need audit experience for the license.

[Anonymous]

Auditing experience isn't necessary to have a successful career, and I think there's a lot more accountants without auditing experience than most people realize. However, there are some career paths that will be much easier with public auditing experience and/or require it…so, what is your career goal? Unless it's top management at the biggest companies in the country, you're probably fine without auditing experience.

[Skynet]

Audit is important because otherwise for each woman I meet, I would be unable to determine whether the woman's Physical Assets ; ) are fairly represented.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Lilla, I would like to be in nonprofit management and maybe serve on a board down the road. I don't have aspirations to work for one of the country's top companies though.

[law0915]

I don't need audit experience to be able to tell if any of her assets are not fairly represented. In other words, her assets are represented by her plastic surgeon 🙂 #notafan

REG 77 Feb14
BEC 13*, 79 Aug14
FAR 64**, 76 Nov14
AUD 89 Feb15

*Exited exam after first testlet
**Only studied F1-F6 out of 10 Becker chapters

Licensed Arizona CPA

[Anonymous]

@eplop For non-profit management, I don't see any reason that public auditing experience would be required. I'm actually in non-profit (educational) management (I'm the Controller), with no auditing experience. Many non-profits are audited by public auditors, so knowing enough about their work to know how to prepare documentation for them is useful; however, all of us on here have learned some of that studying for AUD and can learn more on the job. The lady who had my position before me (she retired, but stuck around for awhile to show me the ropes) didn't have any sort of public accounting experience and my boss (VP of Business and Finance) doesn't have auditing experience, either…but they've still always passed audit with flying colors. I don't really see the point of spending years auditing so that you can do accounting – auditing and accounting are different. Related, yes, but different.

[Anonymous]

Very cool. Thanks for your input Lilla!

[Author]

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