[jhd7]

Any CFE’s on the forum or anyone prepping for it? I work at a public firm, not necessarily doing any fraud work, but the material seems very interesting to me and I feel like it can’t hurt to round out my credentials (passed the cpa and am finishing up my masters in tax). Is it a worthwhile endeavor?

AUD- 78
BEC- 79
REG- 91
FAR- 83

Licensed NJ CPA

DONE

[RIST]

I can't tell you for certain, but I can tell you what people tell me:

The CPA exam is the mother of all certifications. All of the others are used only if you have a specific purpose for it. For example, if you are in IT audit you really want your CISA, but if you are not, your colleagues will literally wonder what the **** a CISA is 🙂

If you think you might USE it in the future and you have the time, sure, it can't hurt, but if you want conventional jobs in upper level tax (CPA Tax masters implies this) it may never bear any fruit.

As a fellow Masters in Tax, I'm personally probably stopping at the CPA.

[Vickkki]

@RIST

What do you think about adding the EA certification to your

credentials as a Tax person? (MBT, CPA, EA)

I'm asking because, I'm expecting my final result for

the CPA exam and I passed the 3- EA exams last month.

I'm thinking of going for USC -MBT program. They have one

for working professionals. Do you think it's worth it.

I'll really appreciate any advice from knowledgable people

on this topic …

Thanks

[RIST]

I didn't want to muddy the water but I almost mentioned the EA in my first post. This is certainly anecdotal, but I do know people who were on the rocks (even as CPAs) who got the EA and now swear by it (they got jobs) as a way for tax people to double down on their tax credentials and distinguish themselves.

I am also heavily involved in some conferences and I know the EA is being advertised FAR MORE than in the past based on the good feedback some people give it. This advertising raises awareness and makes it more desirable since more professionals know what it is.

My personal guess is a Masters + the CPA is nigh on un-impeachable, but the EA is good because it is seen as a broad tax certification. Some people swear by it.

I'd say you should see how recruiting goes with your CPA and EA before you get the Masters. That will cost a lot in money and time. I think you'll probably be pleasantly surprised at how well you do with what you have. Out of curiosity, what type of job are you looking for? Entry level Big 4?

[Vickkki]

@RIST

Thank you so much for your reply. You are clearly a

professional -:)

I am thinking of going into the Big4 as a senior tax associate (at the least).

What do you think are my chances?

I have 3 years corporate accounting experience.

[Anonymous]

@jhd7 It really depends on what you want to do with your career. There are dozens of these specialty certifications. I passed the CFE exam a couple of years ago. Since almost every fraud schemes impacts the financial statements there is some, but not a lot, of overlap between the CFE and the CPA.

Other areas the CFE covers are the various fraud schemes, investigations, interviewing suspects, evidence gathering, various financial regulations and laws, fraud motivation, etc. CFE's generally either have a finance/accounting background or some kind of legal or law enforcement background.

If you purchase the prep software, the exam is fairly straight forward. Just keep in mind as with most certifications there are an annual membership fees and CPE requirements.

AUD – 96

BEC – 95

FAR – 83

REG – 90

[kxx2010]

Hi Vickkki, I got my CFE license last summer and currently working on getting the CPA. I would say the CFE is definately a valuable qualification only if you are in the field of fraud investigation or forensic accounting. The CFE exam is also much easier compare to the CPA, but the ACFE prep course is very costly (around $1000).

[RIST]

“Thank you so much for your reply. You are clearly a

professional -:)

I am thinking of going into the Big4 as a senior tax associate (at the least).

What do you think are my chances?

I have 3 years corporate accounting experience.”

Haha. I'd like to think I've become a professional. I don't talk about it much on these forums since I consider them to be all about the scores and the studying, but I do have a rather unique background. I've gotten myself into a very slick recruiting type situation which boasts some rather flexible hours so I do get to see a bunch of students get jobs.

Anyway, as an established tax person I'd be highly surprised if you couldn't immediately get a tax job at the Big 4. I asked about what level you were looking at for a reason, though. While entry level will be a slam dunk, it is very hard to be sure about placing yourself in higher ranks without Big 4 experience (or perhaps BDO or one of the other very large non-Big 4). It will depend on a bunch of things:

-Are you willing to shop around for locations? Texas is on an accounting hiring binge, but most northern cities are stagnant.

-Is the corporate experience something the recruiter will know about and value (this will depend on location partly as firms might not know your company, and partly on if what you did sounds impressive)?

[Vickkki]

@kxx2010

@RIST

Thank you guys so much for your advice.

RIST – you're very right on getting a senior position with the Big4!

That was why I wanted to use the opportunity of the time I have

to pursue a part time MBT program @USC. That school has

an online program that admits CPA candidates that

have passed all 4 parts.

I just wanna know if it's worth it or not.

Meanwhile, my first degree is not from the US

[Author]

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