[Anonymous]

How long did it take for you to have that “Aha!” moment? I’ve been auditing for almost a year, and I’m STILL making crazy mistakes. It’s beyond frustrating and I’m starting to consider the Private industry.

[zieba]

Private industry comes with its own set of learning curves, no?

I do contract compliance royalty examinations in the entertainment field, while one of my friends did the audit thing through big4. The differences were amusing. For example, she had to pick an unbiased sample (with the help of a software package of some kind). In my reviews, I use past knowledge of where the bodies lie, so to speak and sample those items which I think are most likely to confirm my hypothesis on where the money is falling through the cracks.

Insofar as it relates to the above, I think there's can be a lot more subjectivity in industry, allowing for more latitude to make mistakes absent a rigid framework.

Just don't tell your client you're making mistakes at your big4 hourly rate. 😉

AUD - 75*, 88 done 5/14! (*exp)
BEC - 74 , 77
REG - 65 , 76 (10 point combooo!!)
FAR - 69 , 75

Dr: perseverance
Dr: intelligence
Dr: luck
. Cr: . advisory score

[zieba]

Private industry comes with its own set of learning curves, no?

I do contract compliance royalty examinations in the entertainment field, while one of my friends did the audit thing through big4. The differences were amusing. For example, she had to pick an unbiased sample (with the help of a software package of some kind). In my reviews, I use past knowledge of where the bodies lie, so to speak and sample those items which I think are most likely to confirm my hypothesis on where the money is falling through the cracks.

Insofar as it relates to the above, I think there's can be a lot more subjectivity in industry, allowing for more latitude to make mistakes absent a rigid framework.

Just don't tell your client you're making mistakes at your big4 hourly rate. 😉

AUD - 75*, 88 done 5/14! (*exp)
BEC - 74 , 77
REG - 65 , 76 (10 point combooo!!)
FAR - 69 , 75

Dr: perseverance
Dr: intelligence
Dr: luck
. Cr: . advisory score

[Mayo]

I'd say there's small little “Aha!” moments throughout, but many times improvement is one of those things that you look back and say, “Man, I prepared this a year ago and it sucks!”.

And in public accounting you're constantly being pushed out of your comfort zone, so you're always making mistakes. Staff to Senior…make mistakes…First year Senior to third year Senior, make mistakes, Senior to Manager, make mistakes.

I mean, you'll get comfortable with the whole process after your first or second busy season, but you never get to a point where you're coasting, I would say.

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[Mayo]

I'd say there's small little “Aha!” moments throughout, but many times improvement is one of those things that you look back and say, “Man, I prepared this a year ago and it sucks!”.

And in public accounting you're constantly being pushed out of your comfort zone, so you're always making mistakes. Staff to Senior…make mistakes…First year Senior to third year Senior, make mistakes, Senior to Manager, make mistakes.

I mean, you'll get comfortable with the whole process after your first or second busy season, but you never get to a point where you're coasting, I would say.

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[littlenumberrobot]

I'm in tax and I switched firms 1.5 years into public so I felt like I started from scratch again. I've been with my current firm two years now and it was the 2nd year here that I started feeling like I finally “got it” for this firm and how they do things. I still often feel like I know nothing, but there is always something you haven't done before this early in our career.

CA CPA - All because of the journey listed below
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FAR - 53('10), 8/25/12 79 PASSED!
REG - 66('11), 69('12), 12/06/12 77 PASSED!!
BEC - 58('10), 74('12), 01/05/13 77 PASSED!!!
AUD - 43('11), 66('12), 69('13), 74('13) 7/29/13 85 PASSED!!!!!

(Combinations of Roger, Yaeger, Wiley Book, Wiley TB, & NINJA Notes)

Ethics 90%

[littlenumberrobot]

I'm in tax and I switched firms 1.5 years into public so I felt like I started from scratch again. I've been with my current firm two years now and it was the 2nd year here that I started feeling like I finally “got it” for this firm and how they do things. I still often feel like I know nothing, but there is always something you haven't done before this early in our career.

CA CPA - All because of the journey listed below
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FAR - 53('10), 8/25/12 79 PASSED!
REG - 66('11), 69('12), 12/06/12 77 PASSED!!
BEC - 58('10), 74('12), 01/05/13 77 PASSED!!!
AUD - 43('11), 66('12), 69('13), 74('13) 7/29/13 85 PASSED!!!!!

(Combinations of Roger, Yaeger, Wiley Book, Wiley TB, & NINJA Notes)

Ethics 90%

[TXgurl]

I am not in auditing, but it took around two years in financial accounting to have the aha moment. After that everything started to fall into place, and I moved forward at a much more rapid pace with regard to my technical skills.

In tax it also took roughly one to two years to start to have somewhat of a comfort level, technically.

If you like the job keep at it – you do not get the skills you need in school. It only comes from practice on the job.

REG 75
FAR 88
AUDIT 82
BEC 74, 12/4/2013 84 Thank You Lord Jesus !!!

[TXgurl]

I am not in auditing, but it took around two years in financial accounting to have the aha moment. After that everything started to fall into place, and I moved forward at a much more rapid pace with regard to my technical skills.

In tax it also took roughly one to two years to start to have somewhat of a comfort level, technically.

If you like the job keep at it – you do not get the skills you need in school. It only comes from practice on the job.

REG 75
FAR 88
AUDIT 82
BEC 74, 12/4/2013 84 Thank You Lord Jesus !!!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your responses! 🙂

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your responses! 🙂

[Author]

Replies