[Anonymous]

Hello Everyone,

Does anyone have experience working for subsidiaries or local plants. How is it different from working at a central office???

I’ve been working as a Staff Accountant in Private for a little more than a year, plus I had some internships though college. I work for a mid-sized privately-held company, and I am trying to get into a bigger a public company, preferably a manufacturer. The problem is that after I apply to these companies I am offered positions where I would report to a local Plant Controller, I never couldn’t get an interview for a position at the corporate office of the same companies. Am I too unexperienced? Should I pass all parts of the CPA and try again?

Recently an opportunity came up to become a Fin. Analyst at very big and great company, but I will have to work at one of their local facilities, while most of their financial work is done at their corporate office, which is right across the street (I am working at the corporate office right now). So is worth it??? Big public company’s local plant (and their name is going to be good on my resume), plus FA is a step up from Staff Accountant Or should I stay with my smaller company, but at their central office where we handle all the accounting work? I guess I don’t know how it works, if you start working a Plant as their Fin. Analyst, can you be transferred to the main office and vice versa??? I would appreciate everybody’s response. Thank you!

[jbarwick]

As an Analyst at a plant, you will be in the heart of the operations for the company. This is a great opportunity to get a feel for the company and how it is ran. Down the road you will be able to move up either in the plant or back to corporate. An analyst can be many things but someone who has only worked in varying capacities in corporate will not have the hands on experience you will get in a plant.

Speaking from personal experience, I was a Sr. Fin. Analyst and now moved into a Manager role. I am missing operations experience which is crucial in my industry so I will make a lateral move next into operations as it is vital to moving up even if back to corporate down the road.

Journey Started - January 2015
FAR - 4/2015 - Passed
AUD - 7/2015 - Passed
BEC - 8/2015 - Passed
REG - 11/12/2015 - Passed

[Anonymous]

I appreciate your response! Thank you! Does anybody else have any experience working at a plant????

[Thrawn]

I don't have experience working in a plant, yet. But my company is moving me out of corporate to get experience at one of our plants for about 2 years.

The risk of working in a plant to start with is, while you will have certain desired skills, you will often get less exposure to the finance leadership in a company, and possibly miss out on some of the higher level corporate management stuff.

If you are truly concerned about getting stuck in the plant, perhaps try applying for a public firm as an auditor, tell them you have experience in manufacturing as this skillset is often missing to some extent on audit teams. Then after a few years of public you will have met clients (at their corporate offices) and will have a unique mix of experience.

BEC 87 Feb 14
REG 84 Apr 14
FAR 82 Nov 14
AUD 86 Feb 15

[kyle.brown]

Thats odd because in my company a analyst is considered lower then entry level accountant. I work in accounting for top 20 company in industry.

FAR - Passed 4/2016
AUD - Passed 11/2015
REG - ?
BEC - 05/28/2016

[Anonymous]

That is strange! Usually you can become a Fin. Analyst, which is really the same thing as Cost Accountant, only after some time spent working in Controller's department (Reporting). FA's work with budgets, pricing, forecasts. They usually figure out variances between what was budgeted and what actually happened. What kind of FA that is lower level than SA are you talking about?

[kyle.brown]

Again i work in industry we dont have staff accountant. The rankings for us goes analyst, accountant, senior accountant, then manager

FAR - Passed 4/2016
AUD - Passed 11/2015
REG - ?
BEC - 05/28/2016

[spikesrd]

I think exposure to leadership is overrated in the early stages of any career. At best, you will be viewed as an asset to the person you report to directly (if you are, in fact, an asset). Just being around while the big movers and shakers are busy doing their thing is more valuable to your perception of how the company functions than to your chances of being “noticed” and subsequently swept up into the ranks of management. The most effective method of having a successful career is being good at what you do in whatever role you are in. You don't have to be a savant or anything close to it either. Just be helpful to others within the organization and deliver on the promises/deadlines you agree to and everything else will take care of itself.

“The reward for work well-done is more work.”

BEC - 05/26/2015 77
AUD - 07/27/2015 88
FAR - 08/31/2015 80
REG - 11/30/2015 73, 04/18/2016 80 Done!!!

[Missy]

I think your best chance of getting a role in a corporate office is to start at the plant level.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Anonymous]

Wonderful! I really appreciate your responses!

[Anonymous]

I have done both – I worked as a financial analyst for a plant – I was working on costing projects and was the reviewer/approver for our Senior Accountant, who prepared all journal entries, local plant financials, and corporate consolidations. At the same time, I was working with corporate finance to draft SEC filings and was the liaison between the plant and the external auditor to manage deliverables.

I have since been promoted out of the plant level accounting and am now am more Corporate. I manage all of the Plant Controllers and work on full corporation level implementation of strategic initiatives and best practices, consolidation and reporting of SOX findings, financial statement consolidations, and treasury management.

[Mayo]

OP, realize that titles mean nothing. I can be a “Financial Analyst” and be nothing more than a shoe shiner. It's the actual responsibilities for the job that matters. That, and the prospect to grow in that role or expand to others in time,

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[Author]

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