[titine]

Hi all,

I’m planning to start studying for and taking the CPA exam next year. I have a part time job now and not sure if they offer me a full time once I’m done with school at the end of this year (my job is stress-free and not really related to accounting). Since I want to pass the CPA exam asap, there are few questions that make me think recently so I would love to hear different opinions about them:

– Should I start looking for an accounting-related job now or it’s better to wait until I pass at least 2 sections? I’m leaning to the 2nd choice since it’s an easy job so I think I will have more time to focus on studying, besides it’s so hard to find a job now without any experience.

– Does the score matter? I mean if there are 2 people who just passed CPA exam, does the one who has higher score have better chance?

– My ultimate goal is not public accounting but the corp environment, so any advice for that path?

– I live in South Cal and my close neighborhood is pretty much all Chinese, which is too bad since I’m not one. I went to an interview before and it takes me 30′ to get there. They asked me if transportation is a problem and I said no. I’m actually willing to drive further but I’m not sure if it’s a disadvantage for me cause from other topics, someone said sometimes being flexible is not always good?

Thanks in advance for any input, I’m really appreciated 🙂

[Minimorty]

Okay – I guess I'll try to tackle this one.

1. Are you qualified to sit for the CPA exam in California? You need a bachelor's degree, 24 business units, and 24 accounting units. You mentioned you are finishing school at the end of the year, but I am not sure if you mean high school, college, or graduate school.

2. Assuming you do not have accounting experience, I would hold off on looking for an accounting job until you have passed all four sections (not just the two sections you mentioned above – btw, why two sections? random…)

3. Your score doesn't matter unless you get in the high 90's on all four sections and have no other accounting experience. I could see how this might help you get in the door. In general, an 89 is no better than a 75.

4. I don't have a ton of advice for getting into the private industry. I would imagine this generally starts as an internship or perhaps an entry level job. I'm sure you'll just have to work your way up.

5. I'm not even sure what you are asking in your last question. If you want to commute, you can commute.

On a side note, I would suggest some sort of English or writing class. I believe being able to write and speak in a clear and concise manner goes a long way in the business world.

[Laura]

I heart you mini…you take the “what the hell should be said” and make it into something that is clear, concise, and well written. 🙂

REG-80, 77, 77
BEC-67, 68, 71, 67, 71, 74, 71, 74, 72, 77
FAR- 72, 65,67, 53, 75 (truth be known the 53 was with 4 hours of studying)
AUD-58, 62, 72, 74, 74, 75
took 5 years but I'm DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[T-rex]

I'd keep the stress-free job until after you pass the exam. The exam will add enough stress to your life. As for entering corporate accounting, you can search for staff accountant, senior accountant, or general accountant positions on indeed.com or some other job site. If I were you, I wouldn't accept a lower position than those; e.g., avoid A/P, A/R, and P/R positions or risk being stuck in them longer than you want to be. From there, you could work your way up to accounting manager, then controller, and then CFO if you so desire. Best of luck to you!

AUD - 95, BEC - 85
REG - 85, Rawrrrrrr FAR - 88
Used Becker for all sections.
CA candidate not residing in CA

[titine]

@Mimimorty: Yeah I'm qualified to sit for the exam, sorry forgot to mention. About looking for job, I just thought after passing 2 sections maybe I will have more time for job searching. And I guess I wasn't clear about the last part. What I mean is I can't find a job around my neighborhood so I wonder if I should mention that I'm willing to relocate/commute to the employer? And does my post make you confused? I'm sorry if it does since English is not my primary language. I'll try better next time 🙂

@T-rex: Can you explain more about being stuck with AP, AR? Since I don't have any experience with *real accounting*, I always thought I should look for those first.

Quick question: Do people usually mention their Accounting GPA on resume? Or is the overall GPA more important?

[kb24]

@titine

What I've been told is that you should include both your overall GPA and your GPA for your major on your resume.

One thing to consider about the job search is that you might have an easier time finding an entry level job now if you utilize the on-campus recruiting. It can be tough to find one with no accounting experience once you're out of school.

I think what T-rex meant about avoiding AP and AR are the clerical positions. These get included along with accountant jobs on a lot of the job search engines, and the titles are often misleading. You can tell which ones these are by checking the educational requirements.

If relocation is a possibility, there is usually a question on the job application as to whether or not you're willing to relocate.

FAR 4/1/11 - 89
AUD 4/15/11 - 85
REG 4/29/11 - 80
BEC 5/13/11 - 85

[T-rex]

@titine, kb24 is right about what I mean about A/P, A/R, P/R, etc. They are low-level clerical positions in which you do a few relatively simple tasks over and over and over. You won't learn many new skills doing them, and they generally don't require a college education. Also, you won't get exposure to many different accounting functions, such as account reconciliations, month-end closing, journal entries, financial statement analysis, etc. I think that those positions can hurt your future career prospects. Of course, there are exceptions.

AUD - 95, BEC - 85
REG - 85, Rawrrrrrr FAR - 88
Used Becker for all sections.
CA candidate not residing in CA

[titine]

Thank you kb24 and T-rex. I will try the career fair at my school this Fall to see how things are gonna be.

[Author]

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