[Anonymous]

Right now, with the bad economy, my lack of work experience and not having passed all 4 parts of the CPA exam, I’m unable to get a good job. I’m currently working in a low level position at a non-profit organization in the Accounts Receivables dept. I mainly do bank reconciliations and adjusting journal entries. It’s pitiful, I know. But that’s not what’s bothering me. The people at my company drive me crazy. I get an average of 50 emails a day from people who don’t know what they’re doing, meaning they’re emails from people who want to be spoon fed. I have to always stop what I’m doing to cater to these people. Then on top of that, my boss gives me a ton of responsibilities that need to be completed in a short amount of time. And if that isn’t enough, I make only $36,000 with no overtime pay because I’m in an exempt position. And not to mention that the organization is just a complete mess. They’re so disorganized. Sometimes, I just feel like just dumping all my work and leaving and saying, the heck with this!!

The only thing that’s keeping me from doing such a thing is the hope that my life will get better once I pass my last section of the CPA exam. I imagine that it might be easier to get a job in a nice accounting firm and in a year, I’ll be a CPA. I’ll be making over $40,000 and that job won’t be as crazy as my current, low-level A/R job that I have now.

So, tell me. Will passing the CPA exam help get me a better career that’s less stressful and disorganized?

[mla1169]

It's a tool and nothing more. If you use it strategically, it can take you EVERYWHERE, but if you simply add the letters to your resume and hope for the best, you'll be disappointed.

This from someone who's heading toward an entire career change that I never expected even 2 months ago. But if I follow the path I just started I may be out of corporate america for GOOD soon 🙂

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Yvonne570]

You will experience stress. As a CPA, it's hardly stress-free. Maybe if you won the lottery, then we can talk about relaxation – lol.

AUD - Passed:)
FAR - Passed:)
REG - Retake TBD
BEC - Missed by 3 points Retake TBD

[Anonymous]

@mla1169- True. One thing I have to admit, at least my career is going somewhere. After I graduated college 2 years ago, I started out as a temp in this company in the Accounts Payable Dept and was only making $11 an hour. Then after a year, I got promoted to permanent as an A/P rep and got paid $32k. I was basically just paying bills. Then after a year, they promoted me to A/R where I now work on bank recs and G/L entries. I ended up getting a $4k salary increase due to this promotion.

If my career keeps moving up the way it does, then I hope to move up to a decent position (and possibly at a better company) in the near future.

@Yvonne570- Winning the lottery is stressful because it's going to be annoying having to pay a lot of taxes. I got a bonus this year and after taxes, it ended up less than half. My dad gets a bigger salary and bonus because he's got a better job and his tax deductions are insane!!!

[yankeeaccountant]

@Cpaman,

IMO, I do think you will have a better career–meaning that you should be able to find a job that has more growth potential , etc. but the less stressful and disorganized, well, not sure that will disappear. I think the more you move up in a job the more stress is attached to it. And I think inherently, working at accounting firms–regional or smaller–there is always pressure to keep tabs on realization. Once you are in that environment you get used to it, but it is still a pressure to deal with ongoing.

I think from your posts on this forum you seem to be a methodical, hardworking, intelligent guy–sounds like you are overqualified for your position, which when you get your CPA, I think it will be a catalyst for you to find the right job where you can utilize all your skillset.

Good luck with your job search. I am doing the same right now. A recruiter I spoke to yesterday, feels like there is an uptick in job opportunities. She said until recently, most of the accounting jobs (in my area) were for very niche oriented positions, but she is starting to see some broad positions coming up the pike. That she said is an indication that budgets are opening up. I am crossing my fingers!!!

[ROACH]

Same boat. I'm actually in a AP position.. doing payables, bank monitoring, bank recs. I really don't have a title.. just doing everything the superior doesn't wanna do. I don't feel like investing too much energy or time into this place.. I'm headed back to grad school after this and hopefully network and land myself at b4 or similar… even tho b4 might be 2x stressful at least it'll make my resume look nice.

BEC: 66 | 69 | 7/23/2013
AUD: 8/28/2013
REG:
FAR:

[Anonymous]

CPAMan, you shouldn't be doing any AP or AR related work after getting your CPA. I forbid you! 😀

These jobs are for people with associates degrees…or people like me, who relocated from another country and needed time to find out who they are and how much they are worth in the new circumstances.

And yes, with the CPA you'll be able to find a better job at a better company with a less chaotic environment.

Ok, only REG is left!

[mla1169]

If you want to talk about a job that is the official “dumpster” of the accounting department, I do A/R, billling, cash posting, cost accounting analysis AND get this…….I am the property administrator for all customer furnished equipment. Meanwhile I am being sent away for a week for a course in DC on government contracts. Like that has ANYTHING to do with the garbage I deal with daily. And yes, they asked for my cell # so they can text me while I am sitting in my class. Underpaid much?

Yeah, totally overqualified. Absolutely looking. Vent over.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

@mla

It's not dumpster, it's versatile 😀

Although AR+billing+cash posting usually go together in smaller companies.

[Yvonne570]

Come to think of it, a low-level position is stressful for those who want to advance. Being overqualified is stressful for various reasons:

1) You cannot actively participate in important business decisions

2) You may experience jealousy from peers or even management from your success (college degree/CPA) when they do not have the same.

3) You are not compensated very well – stress of finances

4) You may not be able to work independently as well, may suffer repercussions of management if they disagree with any decisions made or actions done without their approval.

I'm in the same situation and has been a challenge. The key in this role is learning strong negotiation skills and communication skills to try to convince your manager toward decisions in your favor. I have been very successful with this tactic. Sometimes they may look to you for guidance. This approach takes a long time to build trust and a lot of caution as well. It's important to listen and view from their perspective as well as displaying a high-level of respect for that individual who is your manager.

AUD - Passed:)
FAR - Passed:)
REG - Retake TBD
BEC - Missed by 3 points Retake TBD

[laughingman]

I have to agree, I am hopeful that after passing I will be able to move around for advancement. That is what is comes down to while your doing all this is hope. After you pass, its just another step to getting to a career you want to be at where you are happy. Don't just rely on having CPA next to your name, own the title. Act like every interview you go to you deserve to be there becasue you went through this and the other people applying did not. Anyway I will take my own advise after I pass all the sections. Until then here is to a crappy job that pays the bills…clink

Reg: 84
Aud: 84
Far: 81
Bec: 83

No more long nights...well due to studying for this test...

[ROACH]

Can someone answer this.. or give some insight…

AR and AP stuff isnt that hard. Sometimes I get stuck on bank reconciliations at work though… is that normal?

I don't think I'm smart.. I just work hard studying. I'm not knowledgeable neither but I try.

Once I pass the CPA exam and go back to grad school and then onto Big4.. I'm scared I won't have the experience or knowledge to do my work/job good.

Anyone feel like this? Btw, I'm entry level for the most part… started working here 7-8 months.

Do public firms actually train you? I have not had formal training at my job yet… i'm lost please help.

BEC: 66 | 69 | 7/23/2013
AUD: 8/28/2013
REG:
FAR:

[Anonymous]

Seriously, my salary is so bad that I can't even afford to move out. So I still live at home with my parents. That's an added stress. I need to pass REG so I can get a better job with better pay. I cannot even consider moving out until I can at least make $50k. Apartments in NY are expensive. My life sucks!

[rmm91909]

ROACH I work for a regional firm and have been here for 5.5 years. When I came in I wasn't expected to know a thing. All my training was done in the field and I learnt as I went along. Your first couple years in public will be stressful but it is your time to make mistakes, ask silly questions without being looked at strange and learn what you need to know. Now I am the one training the new hires and I “hold their hand” and help them through it. Don't get me wrong there are going to be some people in the public world who forget what it was like to be the newbie and will expect you to know everything, just ignore them. They started at the bottom once before too!

[mla1169]

Roach, you have to think of yourself as smart or you will self-sabotage with entry level mistakes. You feel like you are pretending to be an accountant and on some level want to make sure you're not tricking anybody into believing that you are anything else than entry level.

Get the attitude of a smart successful accountant and become HIGHLY critical of your own work before you pass it on. Do, review, then review again. Everybody makes mistakes, smart people catch those mistakes before anybody else does is all.

Trust me attitude is 99% of the battle. Once you adopt it, you'll be surprised how the number of mistakes you make in the first place declines.

I am in a basically clerical level position but act like a manager. May not pay off today or tomorrow but it WILL pay off.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[ROACH]

@rmm, at my 6th month mark my boss secretly told my supervisor to not babysit me anymore (not in a bad way i guess). This was a week before my supervisor took off for 2 weeks vacation. Guess who was in charge of the accounting dept. by default? Yeah.. it was me. A lot of problems and high level stress those 2 weeks; however, I realized people do look up to me and respect me as the ‘2nd in command' dude.. I'm talking about directors and managers of this corporation. But I still need that hand holding from the experience players at least a year or so.

One thing I am learning though is.. I'm definitely not going to be that dude who is an a-hole to newbies. In the future when I'm a OG gangsta I'm gonna teach the young'n how to be G's.

@mla, i will definitely take your advice. My mindset is good (I feel like I can manage others somewhat) but my knowledge/experience isn't equal to my mindset.. if you know what I mean. That's why my confidence isn't showing much because what happens if a “real” manager or accountant calls me out or catches my mistakes. I'll feel like a dummy for sure. But I feel like once I get a few CPA exams completed (I'm not going to tell anything neither because knowledge expectations will be high) I think my confidences will go up a little. I'm a mini G right now… I'm still growing. You're 100% right about attitude though. My attitude kinda blows.

BEC: 66 | 69 | 7/23/2013
AUD: 8/28/2013
REG:
FAR:

[Author]

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