[jiji2006]

Hi everyone,

I am considering taking the CMA, but I am not sure if it will help improve my career in the future. I am a CPA but I am looking to move out of public and into private someday soon. Because of so, I am thinking of getting a CMA. What do you think? Do you think getting a CMA will be worth it?

I have been surfing around the internet and getting mixed perspectives from articles. So I would like to know what you think of getting a CMA in addition to a CPA. Thanks!!!~

[Sandra]

If you are fresh off your CPA you won't find the CMA all that hard provided that you really understood BEC and FAR. REG and AUD are essentially untested on the CMA- or at least REALLY limited.

Also your CPE will overlap- so as long as you stay current on the CPA stuff you shouldn't incur too many costs to keep your CMA active.

For what I do the CMA is really more applicable than the CPA in some ways and is certainly valued. If you work in auditing or tax or something like that it might not be worth it.

They are pretty different tests, but the CMA is pretty passable. The IMA is a PITA about some things, among them exam scoring, wait times, etc, but its much cheaper than the CPA.

[Mayo]

My question is…Wouldn't it make a difference what function the OP will be performing?

I thought CMA was for cost accounting/financial analsyst type roles. For pure accounting positions it seems nice to have, but I'd find it hard to believe it adds tons of value after you have the CPA.

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[jeff]

In this day and age, having a CPA designation is like having a bachelors degree … If you want to differentiate yourself to prospective employers – or even internally, adding more designations like the CMA and CIA are a good idea.

You get a much bigger bang for your buck than just dropping $$ on some MBA.

[jiji2006]

Very true Jeff – another71.com. Nowadays it seems like everyone has a CPA even those who are only in private accounting already passed the exams and just has not gotten the public experience yet. Yep, that's exactly why I am thinking of the CMA as a differentiating factor after passing it and trying to apply to jobs in the private sector.

Thanks!!!

[Anonymous]

Hell no. Any employer who says the CPA is not much more than a bachelors degree is a fool that you don't want to work for. If you have your CPA, you are done with accounting (except maybe the CFE, or Int. Audit Cert.)

https://www.traderstatus.com/images/CPALogo.gif

[jeff]

No – that's not what I meant.

It's like a bachelor's degree in the sense that everyone is taking the exam now because the job market is so competitive.

[HFinn]

Is it becoming one of those things that HR just likes to see, or does it actually help in your accounting activities?

[Anonymous]

I don't see how it could be anything BUT helpful. Yes, most of it is useless, archaic knowledge concocted by old conniving men to avoid taxes, but some of it is genuinely interesting, logical, and arguably beautiful. I was about to leave the profession, then started studying, and now I can't imagine doing anything else. I think it is the highest rank an accountant can acquire.

[HFinn]

@DeathGlory918, I meant for the CMA, not the CPA. I don't really think you use everything you learn from the CPA exam of course, but it shows a benchmark of knowledge that a CPA should have.

To me though, it just seems that accountants sitting for the CMA without actually using the knowledge taught (i.e. Cost Accounting/Financial Analysis) is another example of certification creep.

Add that to the fact the many people say the CMA exam is a lit easier than the CPA…It's just hard to see the added value for most people. I'm also seeing lots of comments in the form of, “I finished my CPA exams..I have no experience, what should I do next? CMA? CFE? CIA? USPS? FBI? CYA?”

I guess there's value there, but it appears that some people think collecting certifications is the way to go…when they could be best spending that time networking instead of studying for exam after exam. Just my 2 cents.

[LongJourney]

@HFinn as someone who actually has CPA, CMA, CFE, & CIA (P.S: maybe I should also pursue USPS, FBI, CYA; LOL) your argument makes a lot of sense. If you already have your CPA, other certifications would have minimal effects on locating a job as compared to networking and actual experience.

Having said that, I like to think of certifications as a way to improve someone's knowledge and increasing career future options. CMA is extremely relevant to corporate accounting and in many ways more than the CPA. The CMA letters might not help you much in landing a job but the knowledge itself can certainly help you in the job interview or in your actual job.

REG: 80 (02/02/2012)
FAR: 91 (02/06/2012)
AUD: 89 (02/09/2012)
BEC: 79 (02/12/2012)

Ethics: 90 (02/11/2012)

[Anonymous]

If you have passed the CPA, you should have 2 years of experience. Also, if you are going private to start with, get your CMA. But if you ever want to go further, then go ahead and start on the big one. Having a CPA trumps alot of other cert's, ie, you don't have to take parts of the other exams if you are a CPA, so clearly it has more weight.

Just sayin. If you want to have your own practice or be a controller, CPA should probably be your first goal.

[HFinn]

@Long Journey, you make some good points, and I think my post glossed over the fact that many certifications really do help out tons in terms of fillings gaps of knowledge or attaining new skills.

For that reason alone, they might be very useful for someone.

[Author]

Replies