Any CPA's in here?

[Ethnic Vagina Finder]

I'm in the middle of a career change so I'm going to school to get my degree in accounting. at my current pace I should have my CPA by the time I'm 40 at which point I will open my own firm specializing in Forensic Accounting and Auditing.

I already have 8 months experience working under a CPA and about 1/2 way to my bachelors. If I can clep out some of my credits it will speed things.


How are are the 4 CPA exams?

 

[TYBG]

Take the CPA exams fresh out of the bachelors so that the material is still fresh in your mind. Knock out AUD and FAR asap (imo, the hardest parts). Eighteen month window starts from the first passed part.

Use Becker material and utilize the live courses if possible. I plan to take FAR in July

 

[VerbalIntercourse]

People say REG and FAR are the hardest but Audit has the lowest pass rate.

Audit is pure memorization, and requires the most time. BEC is very easy though.

Check your state reqs for the license.

It's tough out there as far as jobs go. I had really a easy time landing job, but I contacted a few of my peers in my class, and things don't really seem to be so rosy for them. I can't really tell you what I did that they didn't though. I don't really understand.

AND DON'T PURCHASE ALL THE EXAMS AT ONCE! I made that mistake unfortunately. You have 9 months to schedule all the exams on the date you purchase them. If you buy two at a time, it gives you a lot more freedom.

 

[VerbalIntercourse]

One more thing. Get into the BIg4 if you can. try your best. I have spoken to a few 4th years (second year Seniors) and I am simply amazed at their job prospects.

They go directly from their 4th year to very high positions in Industry.

Check out this guys Career track.

Michael Poon | LinkedIn

He was an engineer for a while. Then went to PwC (at a very old age for public accounting btw). After four years at PwC, he became Finance manager at Disney. Then moved on to be CFO of Crystal Dynamics. I mean c'mon, that's not some no name company. I mean he doesn't even have an MBA.

So do your best the big4 is a huge resume boost.

 

[Ethnic Vagina Finder]

One more thing. Get into the BIg4 if you can. try your best. I have spoken to a few 4th years (second year Seniors) and I am simply amazed at their job prospects.

They go directly from their 4th year to very high positions in Industry.

Check out this guys Career track.

Michael Poon | LinkedIn

He was an engineer for a while. Then went to PwC (at a very old age for public accounting btw). After four years at PwC, he became Finance manager at Disney. Then moved on to be CFO of Crystal Dynamics. I mean c'mon, that's not some no name company. I mean he doesn't even have an MBA.

So do your best the big4 is a huge resume boost.

By the time I get my CPA I will be 39. Big 4 isn't in the equation as they typically don't take og's. I want to open my own firm by then. My last year in school will consist of interning at a small firm and networking.

 

[SmoothOperator88]

People say REG and FAR are the hardest but Audit has the lowest pass rate.

Audit is pure memorization, and requires the most time. BEC is very easy though.

Check your state reqs for the license.

It's tough out there as far as jobs go. I had really a easy time landing job, but I contacted a few of my peers in my class, and things don't really seem to be so rosy for them. I can't really tell you what I did that they didn't though. I don't really understand.

AND DON'T PURCHASE ALL THE EXAMS AT ONCE! I made that mistake unfortunately. You have 9 months to schedule all the exams on the date you purchase them. If you buy two at a time, it gives you a lot more freedom.

:ohh:

I'll probably take FAR and Audit first when the time comes. My school offers non-credit review courses on AUD and FAR for Accounting majors. There's no excuse for me not to take advantage of it.

 

[Ohene]

On the path to being one, if I dont become an I-Banking summer analyst before then. I had a phone interview with the Ontario Securities Comission last week (theyre a CPA training office in Canada) so hopefully I can get a summer position with them but i dunno. Didnt feel great about the interview. Should hear back for the final round this Friday

 

[ComputersPutin]

Thread just reminded me to pay for this test. AUD should be easy....for me....only part I'm worried about is REG

 

[Hijo de luna]

Any updates on those pending certs

I'm submitting my exam application Friday.

-BS Accounting fall 2010
-150 credit hours exactly
-Been working in Finance since graduation so I'll still need to get my experience within the 3 years after passing. I really want to stay at this job since it's so gravy and I'll be able to study some during work hours.

Wanted to go with Becker CPA review but my job denied reimbursement since I work in the Finance dept, so I'm looking at Roger or Yaeger. I wasn't big on lectures in school so it really doesn't matter to me. Any advice would be most appreciated.

 

[CrimsonTider]

Any updates on those pending certs

I'm submitting my exam application Friday.

-BS Accounting fall 2010
-150 credit hours exactly
-Been working in Finance since graduation so I'll still need to get my experience within the 3 years after passing. I really want to stay at this job since it's so gravy and I'll be able to study some during work hours.

Wanted to go with Becker CPA review but my job denied reimbursement since I work in the Finance dept, so I'm looking at Roger or Yaeger. I wasn't big on lectures in school so it really doesn't matter to me. Any advice would be most appreciated.

Yeager

 

[Richard Wright]

Lmao, working for big 4 is like contracting away your life for several years, those guys treat people like shyt.

My step mom is a partner at one of the mid sized firms on the west coast, not even big 4 and she is stressed all the time.

STEM > acounting. And no matter what people say about accountants not being replacable by computers, that shyt is coming too. The new guys arent doing half the stuff they used to.

Good luck starting your own shop though.

 

[Brown_Pride]

Lmao, working for big 4 is like contracting away your life for several years, those guys treat people like shyt.

My step mom is a partner at one of the mid sized firms on the west coast, not even big 4 and she is stressed all the time.

STEM > acounting. And no matter what people say about accountants not being replacable by computers, that shyt is coming too. The new guys arent doing half the stuff they used to.

Good luck starting your own shop though.

If I had it all to do over again I'd go finish something in STEM. Started on a computer networking degree back in 2000 but went the finance/accounting route instead. The money is better IMHO and the job prospects are more ample. Accounting has it's own benefits for sure and I love it but would rather be using my mind a little more.
I will say computers will not make accountants go away, at least not anytime soon. The "best" they have to offer in terms of large scale systems (SAP) is a pain in the dyck 10/10 times....that being said you need more IT guys than accounting guys to get that shyt up and running and stabilized.

 

[Hijo de luna]

Lmao, working for big 4 is like contracting away your life for several years, those guys treat people like shyt.

My step mom is a partner at one of the mid sized firms on the west coast, not even big 4 and she is stressed all the time.

STEM > acounting. And no matter what people say about accountants not being replacable by computers, that shyt is coming too. The new guys arent doing half the stuff they used to.

Good luck starting your own shop though.

Breh, I just saw a robot do surgery on a homie. In theory, any job can be replaced by a computer. Accountants/Auditors control the majority of the regulating bodies that establish governance. Similar to how laws are written by attorneys. They're not going to regulate themselves out of jobs.

 

[Camile.Bidan]

Lmao, working for big 4 is like contracting away your life for several years, those guys treat people like shyt.

My step mom is a partner at one of the mid sized firms on the west coast, not even big 4 and she is stressed all the time.

STEM > acounting. And no matter what people say about accountants not being replacable by computers, that shyt is coming too. The new guys arent doing half the stuff they used to.

Good luck starting your own shop though.

as an accountant/auditor/CPA/CMA/CIA, I dont think that computers will replace accountants anytime soon.

So much is done manually. Even at the basic staff level, It's hard to imagine a robot completing a financial statement tie-out. That is always completed by hand--that is the most efficient way to do it.


and thanks to SOX and the newly issued staff practice alert no. 11, most staff spend about 70% of their time testing management review controls. This is completed primarily through inquiry. One of my staff completed a 120 page "walk through" report of a client's inventory controls. I just can't see a robot doing that in my lifetime.

they will spend maybe 10% with their heads in excel, and they remaining 20% documenting their findings from using excel.


Even at the industry level, accounting less about calculations and more about interpreting transaction fact patterns and using judgment to apply GAAP. And GAAP isn't just FASB its SAB, EITF and many other publications.

 

[Richard Wright]

as an accountant/auditor/CPA/CMA/CIA, I dont think that computers will replace accountants anytime soon.

So much is done manually. Even at the basic staff level, It's hard to imagine a robot completing a financial statement tie-out. That is always completed by hand--that is the most efficient way to do it.


and thanks to SOX and the newly issued staff practice alert no. 11, most staff spend about 70% of their time testing management review controls. This is completed primarily through inquiry. One of my staff completed a 120 page "walk through" report of a client's inventory controls. I just can't see a robot doing that in my lifetime.

they will spend maybe 10% with their heads in excel, and they remaining 20% documenting their findings from using excel.


Even at the industry level, accounting less about calculations and more about interpreting transaction fact patterns and using judgment to apply GAAP. And GAAP isn't just FASB its SAB, EITF and many other publications.

Lmao I just came into talk shyt, I didnt really have anything to add.