[Flight301]

Hi everyone,

I just graduated w my accounting degree last month. I interviewed at 3 places and have 3 job offers, 2 of which I’m seriously considering. I had a 4.0 in college which is why employers are eager to hire me.

One job offer is temp to perm at PepsiCo, another is a junior accounting position at a mid size CPA firm. I accepted the temp position and had worked there a week before the accounting office offered me the job. I thought I would hate Pepsi and only took the job to earn some $$ until I could find a accounting job. The Pepsi job is a entry level analyst job, and does not involve accounting work.

After work a week at Pepsi, I found I really like it there. The training is great so far, the people are awesome, it’s a very laid back atmosphere. I’m almost interested in the analyst work. I didn’t expect to like it there, and it is making my choice difficult.

My dilemma is do I stay at Pepsi or go w the accounting job? My fear is I will not be doing accounting work and maybe this will hurt my chances of getting a accounting job in the future? I’m thinking if I stay at Pepsi I can get some analyst experience, study and take my CPA (no tax season to suck up my time), and maybe in a year or 2 transition towards accounting/analyst position. I just don’t know if this is advisable or a good move for a accountant early in the career.

I understand Pepsi is temp , but I’ve asked the analyst and other temps questions, and it seems like temp can move to perm if you’re good at the work, which being smart I know I will be. It pays $10,000 more then the accounting job when perm, and I like the atmosphere there.

If I get the CPA, and choose to start as a accountant in a couple years will this be feasible? Will my experience at Pepsi make me a less or more attractive candidate?

Any thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks.

[longnguyen87]

It's depend on what you may like best. My guess is that the CPA firm may want to hire you at this point to help with their busy tax season. Do you have any tax experience at all? If you don't, the pressure of working for a CPA's firm during a busy tax season will be extremely stressful due to high work demands. They may expect you to learn fast and work on your own since there may not be enough staff to supervise your work or help when you have questions. However, it will be helpful to build up your experience. If you are all about build up your accounting experience, I would say consider the CPA offer.

Another point you may want to consider is the size of the firm and the opportunity to advance further in your career with the firm. Do you see your long term future with Pepsi? How about future prospect at the CPA firm? I would go with bigger organization if it may lead to long term and rewarding career.

I know I may not give the best advice. Please let me know what you decide to go with in the end. I recently graduated with BS's degree in Accounting and Finance. I went through a couple of interviews but did not get many offers. Still keep my hope while trying to prepare for the CPA's exams. I took the BEC and REG recently in Jan, 2 more in Feb. I also work part-time for H&R Block as tax preparer while trying to find another job.

BEC 91 (01/06/13)
REG 91 (01/24/13)
FAR 86 (02/10/13)
AUD 93

Feel so close 😀

[longnguyen87]

It's depend on what you may like best. My guess is that the CPA firm may want to hire you at this point to help with their busy tax season. Do you have any tax experience at all? If you don't, the pressure of working for a CPA's firm during a busy tax season will be extremely stressful due to high work demands. They may expect you to learn fast and work on your own since there may not be enough staff to supervise your work or help when you have questions. However, it will be helpful to build up your experience. If you are all about build up your accounting experience, I would say consider the CPA offer.

Another point you may want to consider is the size of the firm and the opportunity to advance further in your career with the firm. Do you see your long term future with Pepsi? How about future prospect at the CPA firm? I would go with bigger organization if it may lead to long term and rewarding career.

I know I may not give the best advice. Please let me know what you decide to go with in the end. I recently graduated with BS's degree in Accounting and Finance. I went through a couple of interviews but did not get many offers. Still keep my hope while trying to prepare for the CPA's exams. I took the BEC and REG recently in Jan, 2 more in Feb. I also work part-time for H&R Block as tax preparer while trying to find another job.

BEC 91 (01/06/13)
REG 91 (01/24/13)
FAR 86 (02/10/13)
AUD 93

Feel so close 😀

[fsugirl2005]

If I were you, I would ask PepsiCo if they have a staff accountant position available or will be coming available. I don't recommend you start your career off with a non-accounting position. If you start off in a staff accountant position, it's easier for you to start the upward slope to Senior Accountant, Accounting Manager, Assistant Controller, and then Controller. You need to get that CPA license though so when you get ready to go past the Staff Accountant level, you will be sought after.

If they don't have an accounting position available, I suggest taking the public accounting position. I just think it will be a bad idea to start off with the analyst position. If it was a financial analyst position, that would be different since there is still some accounting involved. Stick to the Staff Accountant positions as entry level.

AUD - 10/21/16 (75----07/2010 expired)
FAR - 10/28/16
BEC - 11/2016
REG - 01/2017

Using Gleim CPA Review, Ninja Audio, Ninja Book

[fsugirl2005]

If I were you, I would ask PepsiCo if they have a staff accountant position available or will be coming available. I don't recommend you start your career off with a non-accounting position. If you start off in a staff accountant position, it's easier for you to start the upward slope to Senior Accountant, Accounting Manager, Assistant Controller, and then Controller. You need to get that CPA license though so when you get ready to go past the Staff Accountant level, you will be sought after.

If they don't have an accounting position available, I suggest taking the public accounting position. I just think it will be a bad idea to start off with the analyst position. If it was a financial analyst position, that would be different since there is still some accounting involved. Stick to the Staff Accountant positions as entry level.

AUD - 10/21/16 (75----07/2010 expired)
FAR - 10/28/16
BEC - 11/2016
REG - 01/2017

Using Gleim CPA Review, Ninja Audio, Ninja Book

[Flight301]

The CPA firm wants to hire me as a junior accountant, probably for tax season. I have 6 months experience interning at a small 2 person CPA firm in which I entered clients info into ultratax. I had another internship as well after that for a couple months. I don't remember much specifics of tax accounting from school, a little from my internship.

One thing I HATE is when employers ‘throw' you into work with little to no training. I fear this will happen at this CPA place. I had the worst internship experience EVER over the summer (my second internship) when I was basically handed work to do that I had zero background in or experience at (I hadn't taken the relevant course yet which I was doing in the Fall) with NO training and inept explanations of how to do the work. I was left in a room by myself for 8 hours a day doing repetitive work that I had no clue how to do. It was soul crushing. I felt like I was bothering the accountants every time I asked questions, and they were so bad at explaining (they kept talking to me like I already understood the nature of the work and the task when I had never seen it in my life) it didn't even help. If I accept the junior accountant position in that kind of environment I will be unhappy. I am smart and learn fast, but I am also very uncomfortable with not being trained, it makes me very anxious and I constantly doubt myself and fear I am making mistakes. I am kind of insecure and not confident at times. I asked them about training in the interview, but there is no guarantee I won't end up thrown to the sharks.

At Pepsi, they let me shadow the other analysts. They are so open and happy to train you it is great. They also insist that the learning curve is intense, so they basically tell you to ask questions whenever you need to. This makes me happy. I really don't want to be in an environment with inadequate training, this is very hard on me. I wish I was one of those people who could handle that but I don't know if I can. I did ok at my tax internship with little training, but not at my second internship. I hated it. Even at my first I constantly doubted myself and felt like sh*t in spite of them telling me otherwise. I just felt like I had no clue what I was doing, and it was stressful.

The reason this is so hard for me is I know the Pepsi job is not so much accounting. I started there assuming I would not want to stay and look for an accounting job while temping there. But I ended up really liking it. I am basically creating reports to compare with their computer system payment reports that are required before payments are made to vendors. You have to stay at the position for a while before you can transfer to another position. There is no way I could ask for a staff accountant position, that was made clear to me from the beginning, at least not until I worked there for a while.

I want to take the CPA exam soon, I am buying ExcelCPA soon. I also have a 4.0 from school and am good at interviewing (hence the 3 job offers). I want to make myself attractive as an accountant. But for some reason I'm attracted to the Pepsi job, against better judgement… Its going to be really hard for me to make this decision. I have to decide by Monday and I am feeling incredibly stressed.

[Flight301]

The CPA firm wants to hire me as a junior accountant, probably for tax season. I have 6 months experience interning at a small 2 person CPA firm in which I entered clients info into ultratax. I had another internship as well after that for a couple months. I don't remember much specifics of tax accounting from school, a little from my internship.

One thing I HATE is when employers ‘throw' you into work with little to no training. I fear this will happen at this CPA place. I had the worst internship experience EVER over the summer (my second internship) when I was basically handed work to do that I had zero background in or experience at (I hadn't taken the relevant course yet which I was doing in the Fall) with NO training and inept explanations of how to do the work. I was left in a room by myself for 8 hours a day doing repetitive work that I had no clue how to do. It was soul crushing. I felt like I was bothering the accountants every time I asked questions, and they were so bad at explaining (they kept talking to me like I already understood the nature of the work and the task when I had never seen it in my life) it didn't even help. If I accept the junior accountant position in that kind of environment I will be unhappy. I am smart and learn fast, but I am also very uncomfortable with not being trained, it makes me very anxious and I constantly doubt myself and fear I am making mistakes. I am kind of insecure and not confident at times. I asked them about training in the interview, but there is no guarantee I won't end up thrown to the sharks.

At Pepsi, they let me shadow the other analysts. They are so open and happy to train you it is great. They also insist that the learning curve is intense, so they basically tell you to ask questions whenever you need to. This makes me happy. I really don't want to be in an environment with inadequate training, this is very hard on me. I wish I was one of those people who could handle that but I don't know if I can. I did ok at my tax internship with little training, but not at my second internship. I hated it. Even at my first I constantly doubted myself and felt like sh*t in spite of them telling me otherwise. I just felt like I had no clue what I was doing, and it was stressful.

The reason this is so hard for me is I know the Pepsi job is not so much accounting. I started there assuming I would not want to stay and look for an accounting job while temping there. But I ended up really liking it. I am basically creating reports to compare with their computer system payment reports that are required before payments are made to vendors. You have to stay at the position for a while before you can transfer to another position. There is no way I could ask for a staff accountant position, that was made clear to me from the beginning, at least not until I worked there for a while.

I want to take the CPA exam soon, I am buying ExcelCPA soon. I also have a 4.0 from school and am good at interviewing (hence the 3 job offers). I want to make myself attractive as an accountant. But for some reason I'm attracted to the Pepsi job, against better judgement… Its going to be really hard for me to make this decision. I have to decide by Monday and I am feeling incredibly stressed.

[Study Monk]

Stick with Pepsi. Training is a huge asset when your first starting a job out of college. Accounting will be easy to get in to later with a CPA license paired with an analyst position with a corporation like Pepsi. You can develop a lot of general business skills at Pepsi and be exposed to something your interested in. You will be that more educated about what you want to do with your life in a year or two.

Starting at a public accounting job in late January will be a nightmare. The training will probably be rushed or non existent due to everyone's workloads. Your better off getting a public accounting job in 8 to 11 months before the next busy season. You should have no problem getting a public accounting job with a 4.0 gpa and a year of experience as a business analyst with Pepsi, and potentially passing all of your exams. STICK WITH PEPSI.

I spoke to an ancient wise man who sent me on a mushroom induced journey through an ancient forest to find the key to passing the CPA exam. A talking spider monkey told me to throw the last of my drinking water in the dirt to find what I was looking for. So I followed his instructions and the following message appeared in the soil:

"Do 5000 multiple choice questions for each section"

[Study Monk]

Stick with Pepsi. Training is a huge asset when your first starting a job out of college. Accounting will be easy to get in to later with a CPA license paired with an analyst position with a corporation like Pepsi. You can develop a lot of general business skills at Pepsi and be exposed to something your interested in. You will be that more educated about what you want to do with your life in a year or two.

Starting at a public accounting job in late January will be a nightmare. The training will probably be rushed or non existent due to everyone's workloads. Your better off getting a public accounting job in 8 to 11 months before the next busy season. You should have no problem getting a public accounting job with a 4.0 gpa and a year of experience as a business analyst with Pepsi, and potentially passing all of your exams. STICK WITH PEPSI.

I spoke to an ancient wise man who sent me on a mushroom induced journey through an ancient forest to find the key to passing the CPA exam. A talking spider monkey told me to throw the last of my drinking water in the dirt to find what I was looking for. So I followed his instructions and the following message appeared in the soil:

"Do 5000 multiple choice questions for each section"

[Anonymous]

If you're getting free Pepsi soda from the company's vending machine anytime all day long, stay where you are. LOL, just kidding.

It's always hard to find a job. But right after you get one and start the job, in a day or two, you would get so many calls from other companies asking you for interview or offering you a job. It's always a dilemma!

I wonder if you have already completed the 2000-hour requirement for accounting experience. If you have, I would stay where you are at now, if I were you. But the problem is, I am not you:)

The nature of the new job you're doing now seems to qualify for the required accounting experience at least here in KY.

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck for whatever decision you are going to make next week.

[Anonymous]

If you're getting free Pepsi soda from the company's vending machine anytime all day long, stay where you are. LOL, just kidding.

It's always hard to find a job. But right after you get one and start the job, in a day or two, you would get so many calls from other companies asking you for interview or offering you a job. It's always a dilemma!

I wonder if you have already completed the 2000-hour requirement for accounting experience. If you have, I would stay where you are at now, if I were you. But the problem is, I am not you:)

The nature of the new job you're doing now seems to qualify for the required accounting experience at least here in KY.

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck for whatever decision you are going to make next week.

[Anonymous]

Stay at Pepsi!!! You have had the typical CPA firm experience & it would probably be the same. Who you work with & good training is very valuable.

[Anonymous]

Stay at Pepsi!!! You have had the typical CPA firm experience & it would probably be the same. Who you work with & good training is very valuable.

[M.O.D.]

I don't know why it is against your “better judgment” to be attracted to the Pepsi job. From everything you write you prefer it.

I think your plan of working there while passing your CPA test is best.

I think what you need most at this time is the confidence of doing a job, working in an office, training, reporting to a superior, etc. Once you build up that self-confidence you can work in any environment, no matter how harsh. And if Pepsi offer this acclimation, take it.

Do not worry about the distant future. Focus on six months at a time, then re-evaluate.

Confidence trumps experience every-time, so it is better to build confidence, at least at your age.

Also, if you have the GPA and the CPA, you are shoo-in at any CPA firm, so do not think that door ever closes. They always need slaves 🙂

BA Mathematics, UC Berkeley
Certificates in CPA and EA preparation, College of San Mateo
CMA I 420, II 470
FAR 91, AUD Feb 2015 (Gleim self-study)

[M.O.D.]

I don't know why it is against your “better judgment” to be attracted to the Pepsi job. From everything you write you prefer it.

I think your plan of working there while passing your CPA test is best.

I think what you need most at this time is the confidence of doing a job, working in an office, training, reporting to a superior, etc. Once you build up that self-confidence you can work in any environment, no matter how harsh. And if Pepsi offer this acclimation, take it.

Do not worry about the distant future. Focus on six months at a time, then re-evaluate.

Confidence trumps experience every-time, so it is better to build confidence, at least at your age.

Also, if you have the GPA and the CPA, you are shoo-in at any CPA firm, so do not think that door ever closes. They always need slaves 🙂

BA Mathematics, UC Berkeley
Certificates in CPA and EA preparation, College of San Mateo
CMA I 420, II 470
FAR 91, AUD Feb 2015 (Gleim self-study)

[impska]

Sometime life takes us in a direction that we're not expecting.

You should stay with Pepsi. You like the job, you think you might like the work – the biggest key to job satisfaction is those two things. There are plenty of opportunities available in private and Pepsi Co is a giant company. If you end up wanting to switch out of an analyst job and into something else, and people at Pepsi like you, you can easily end up getting recommended into a stronger accounting role, if that's what you want.

If you end up liking the analyst position but end up hitting a wall at Pepsi, for whatever reason, there are many other analyst positions at a thousand other private companies.

The only drawback is that it's a temp and not guaranteed to hire. But let's face it – so is accounting – which is always at will. If the firm doesn't want you around after busy season, they can just lay you off. Since you like it and the pay is good, you should stay with Pepsi.

REG - 94
BEC - 92
FAR - 92
AUD - 99

[Author]

Replies