[runhomejack]

I am currently a full-time AR associate studying for the CPA exam. I have passed BEC and will be taking FAR in July and hopefully will be done by the end of 2012. Anyway, my plan was to start applying to the Big 4 and other major CPA firms around the 3rd/4th quarter of this year and then do my time as an Audit Associate and move up the ranks. My ultimate 10-15 year goal is to make partner and/or become a Controller and then CFO of a company. Actually I just want to be making at least 250k a year.

Now I just got a job offer as an AR Analyst at a big up-and-coming company that would bump up my pay nearly 50% to about 60k which would be in the same range as an Audit Associate at a Big 4. I don’t know all the details yet but assuming the AR Analyst position is under a CPA who would fulfill the “CPA Mentor” provision, would taking this job hinder my ability to maximize a CPA license and reach my goal?

PS – I’ve applied to the Big 4 before and pretty much got stiff armed but now I have nearly 4 years experience in finance/accounting plus one test under my belt.

BEC - Pass
FAR - Pass
REG - Pass
AUD - Pass

[Anonymous]

I think I'd go with the AR analyst job. Many, many Controllers and CFOs are not CPAs. Congratulations!

[HFinn]

Like CPA_AnyDayNow mentioned, not all controllers or CFOs come from public accounting. You can definitely work your way up at a growing company if you wanted to.

The only drawback is that public accounting gives you the opportunity of experiencing different industries and firms. But plenty of ex-Big 4 jump to industry and struggle for various reasons. It's not the end all be all. Just make sure you are very proactive in your career and take the initiative to stand out.

[JakeO]

There are many different career paths which can lead to one ending. As long as you are working in the financial part of a business, the most important thing is to show you were good at your job. Did you have responsibilities? Did you make tight deadlines? Did you meet or exceed expectations/forecasts/projections? Plus, working for an up-and-coming business, if it does well, seems like it would create a lot of internal opportunities. Auditing, in itself, is great for learning different industries, and can display a level of professional knowledge, but you do not really get the chance to exercise any decision making over a business unless you happen to be a controlling partner.

Plus, the Big 4 typically hire new college graduates, not because they're better at the work or might stay with them, but because they have the time to spend 70+ hours a week in the office because their responsibilities outside of work are so little. Many of us (including myself) use auditing as a gateway to other things, so repeating those 3-4 years of entry level work seems like a waste.

AUD-Failed (Waiting for Score)
BEC-PASSED (First try)
REG-Failed (Retake February 2013)
FAR-Failed (Retake January 2013)

[Author]

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