[Anonymous]

Hi all. I am working on obtaining my licensure for New York and need advice on the experience portion. I passed Auditing and just finished Regulation (not scored yet). I have 2 years of private accounting experience, which is not under a CPA. I’m trying to find a job in a smaller or mid-sized CPA firm, I figure I would have a better shot of getting an entry level there. But its very hard. Entry level jobs aren’t exactly advertised from what I can see, and the ones that are want a year or two of public experience.

I need to get my one year experience portion done, but I don’t know what to do and I’m a bit worried that if I pass the exams and don’t find a job my time limit for having competed the exams will expire.

In NYS if I were to find a company with a CPA and work under them, would that qualifiy as the experience? Or would it be better to find a government auditing job, would that qualify? Or should I keep trying for the public firms. I also have been thinking about the family tax accountant. I may be able to get into that (since tax is what I want to do anyway) but I’m worried that because its a tax practice I won’t get auditing experience and I’m not sure if I need auditing for certification. Anyone have any thoughts? I’d appreciate it.

Thanks much guys

[mags603]

I think you are over-stressing this. The woman in charge of Northern CPA review (it's an Illinois) mentioned that she had one student get her “experience” simply by being the clerk in a McDonalds chain–not the main office, just a regular chainstore…I think you just have to word what you are doing ‘correctly….'good luck!

[mla1169]

Not sure about meeting a CPA experience requirement by being a clerk at McDonalds. And that certainly wouldn't fly in most states.

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

Well I don't think working at McDs would help lol

[mags603]

You both missed the point of my message. First, no need to automatically disqualify my post. I didn't make it up (who could make it up?) I'm not in New York, but in Illinois “The IDFPR licenses persons who have received an Illinois CPA certificate and who have had at least one year of full-time experience, or its equivalent, providing any type of service or advice involving the use of accounting, attest, management advisory, financial advisory, tax, or consulting skills. Experience may be gained through employment in government, industry, academia, or public practice, and is not required to be acquired under the supervision of a licensed CPA.” Maybe New York is much more stringent than Illinois. I did hear Bloomberg banned 2 liter soda with pizza delivery!

[mla1169]

mags, please reread what you just posted

“providing any type of service or advice involving the use of accounting, attest, management advisory, financial advisory, tax, or consulting skills.”

There is no accounting, attest, management advisory, financial advisory, tax, or consulting skill used by a McDonalds clerk. Never insinuated that you made it up but clearly there was a misunderstanding.

Also, if I am not mistaken, IL is no longer a 2 tiered state and your above quote refers to people who already have a certificate (i.e. grandfathered under the 2 tier system).

Hope that helps.

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[mags603]

@mla, you are right it is no longer a two tiered state. I did reread it, and I think the point was sometimes the term “accounting” can be used liberally. I am not telling the initial poster to apply for a job at McDonalds!

[mla1169]

Agreed, there may have been a time that the experience requirement was less scrutinized, but I would almost guarantee that in 2013 theres no way to embellish most positions that much.

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

So anyway, my issue is that I have two years of private experience and am having a hard time finding open entry level positions at cpa firms, smaller ones are also hard to find, as its mainly from me emailing them my resume not knowing if they have positions.

So, I'm unsure about how NY treats experience. If I can get a job at the family tax firm for example, I don't know what I would do for my audit experience, if I am required to have any. I do internal auditing, but not external.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

I am licensed in NY..

1) once you pass all 4 parts, your exams never expire so you don't have to worry about getting experience in a certain time frame. (unless you have a personal time frame in mind)

2) you no longer need a certain amount of audit experience, actually you dont really need audit experience at all. I never worked in audit and was approved with my experience. They will accept anything that you find in form 4. I would always submit more than what you need though. So if you need 1 years worth of experience, always submit more than you need just in case.

[mags603]

have at least one year of qualifying experience (according to New York

requirements, working for a public accounting firm will suffice even if you do

not practice auditing) (found that info at this website dated september 2012) https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/schools/csom_sites/accounting/BC%20CPA%20Guide%20Revised%20September%2017%202012.pdf

[Anonymous]

Thanks. I heard somewhere that there was a five year limitation after you pass all four exams to get your license certified.

I also heard that 50% of your experience has to be in audit alone. With 75% total being in audit and F/S preperation. I guess thats not the case, or isn't anymore.

[Anonymous]

And what about the actual job–what do you suggest I do to get into public accounting from private? I know the larger firms are out because they only hire straigh out of college. I finished my MBA last August and when I went to the recent career fair, E&Y was only interested in Sophmores.

I'm trying to find open positions at smaller or midsized firms, and emailing my resume to firms to atleast get in their records in case I get lucky and a spot opens up. But what do you think? Is it going to keep being this hard to get into the publc field unless I get lucky? I'm only looking for something entry level so its not like I can be underqualified.

I've also considered government, but would rather be in a cpa firm for the experience.

[Author]

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