I worked as a federal accountant for ten years while on active duty, where we don’t have the same stringent requirements as the public sector does. Despite ten years of experience as an accountant, none of my work history counted towards transitioning to the public sector as a CPA. Many companies I spoke to about lateral moves seemed to expect me to already have a CPA given the duties and responsibilities we undertake in our field, but that’s a whole lot of education that doesn’t necessarily benefit us in a significant way while we’re active duty. There are likely thousands of other transitioning service members who could be more than happy to move to public sector accounting if it weren’t for having to start at zero again. Many of us move to other fields as a result of the lack of support for federal accountants.
Federal audit both internal (omb a123) and external have lots of opportunity. Another thing you could consider is working for a firm that has support contracts with one of the OIGs. Also there is Federal Consulting that a lot of firms do. If you are interested in audit big 4 does a lot of that and deloitte and Accenture do a lot of consulting. Your background would be a good fit for many of these opportunities. Another thing you could do is IT Audit or Compliance. All you need is a CISA. IT Audit is not that technical but lots of writing and project management and pays well. Think unexperienced kids fresh out if college make over 70k with no experience. 3 years gets you around 100k or more.
@@marktran2657 working with the federal government as a civilian is very different than working while on active duty or as a reservist. I left because I accepted a medical retirement when I was 28, which was the best option for me at the time. These days I’m working full time as a career student / fellow to train into a different field and get a federal job I’d be more inclined towards. As much as I miss being on active duty, making $4,500 a month in compensation on top of another $4,500 to go to school is probably the cushiest federal job there is. Plus, it’s all tax exempt.
The young generation of aspiring accountants/CPAs do not see the value of 60-84 hour weeks, lower salary per hour worked, increasing workloads and stress, lack of relatable mentors and more complex compliance standards in public accounting. Unfortunately the accounting profession has a stigma and image problem that is universally viewed by a lot of people outside the profession. I am planning to leave the profession after 20 years+ (Big 4, active cpa, corp tax compliance, sec reporting, fin reporting at tech firms). I never had any passion for accounting during my career. It helped pay my bills. Good luck to you!
Hello, in alot of these comments im finding people talk down on public accounting. Could you explain why public is so bad compared to private? I have a very elementary level of understanding but keen to learn more.
@@jag732 Public accounting: long hours including weekends, full-time job while preparing for exams, high turnover of mentors/seniors/managers, stuck auditing specific areas only (revenue/oper expenses/fixed asset/stock based comp/payroll/cash), significantly lower pay vs private industry, constant pressure of tracking billable hours, frequent travels to client's site, incentive to find client errors/mistakes vs client's view that auditors are requesting too much info/samples, and mental health issues for a very demanding profession with a lot of young inexperienced auditors. Auditing public-traded companies is a very exhausting endeavor by the audit team.
@Jag732 my professor worked at Deloitte (big 4 firm) for a couple years before becoming a professor. He was a tax accountant there, and there are a lot of expectations to work long hours (like OP has mentioned) with not enough compensation. Also, at large firms, you are merely a cog in the machine. It is difficult to work up as a partner because you will have to endure long and grueling work loads and hours before you reach partner status/eligibility. It is not a sustainable way of life for some. You will have to sacrifice a lot of weekends and nights. At private firms, you have a personal relationship with your superiors and can become a partner more quickly because your superiors are more likely to notice your presence (if you work hard enough). You may find a more balanced life at a private/smaller firm. However, it is good to earn experience at a large firm in the beginning of your career because corporate training is valuable, and private firms do value this if you choose to transition away from public to private in your career.
Here's the change: You start your own tax filing business on the side and build from there over a course of a few years until your income can replace the income from your job. Just file people's taxes for them, your average mom and pop. (Context: I work in wealth management as a career outside Atlanta and I know a guy who did what I just described. He makes $100k a year and only works 4 months out of the year.)
I graduated with a Bachelors at a small state school, completed my 150 hours by taking mostly online classes at my local community college while working in public accounting in my first job out of school. I only had to take 2 or 3 in person as required by my state. It was not too difficult. My college tried to push the Masters program on me but I am glad I did not do it. I passed my CPA exam without any failures using a CPA study guide like Becker (I can't remember which) that my firm paid for. I never cracked open one book, all test questions, every day before work. Overall it was not too difficult. I would not want to do it again, but if I could go back, I wouldn't change the path I took and I am glad I did it.
Curious as to what sort of courses you took to make up the additional 30h? I know the 150h doesn't exactly mean a Masters degree, but I've not yet found a course of action otherwise that wd be personally beneficial. Looking for good suggestions.
Here’s my theory. I’m 38. Worked in tax accounting for 15 years. Every year our firm would hire 4 staffers for tax season out of college, and fire the least productive 2. I worked at 2 other firms, same thing. The 35-40 year old CPAs largely don’t exist because firms have FIRED OFF half the potential workforce. Best part, they fire them exactly 89 days after their start date, so they wouldn’t be eligible to file unemployment. So you graduate, put in 60 hours a week for 3 months straight, and on the day the crazy hours end you get fired. Decades of greed on the part of the partners, and now it’s come back to bite them.
I have almost two decades of experience in accounting and companies keep passing over me. I cant figure out why. I have for profit and non profit experience. It makes me want to scream at times. Yet, they keep hiring people fresh out of college. Did I price myself out of my profession?
Pay - it’s literally just pay. Public accounting is a pyramid scheme that’s been abused to this point by firm owners. The AICPA isn’t quite innocent here, in my experience over my career, they haven’t done much to help all of us (their members). I know I’m not renewing my AICPA membership when it comes up. It’s on this next generation of firm owners to make a better offer for talent to join our industry.
I’m not in the profession but I’m sure it’s definitely pay. One day I was curious and killing time, I was on Indeed looking at pay for accounting jobs. Definitely felt they could be higher. Controller $110,000; seriously? Senior accountant $89K? GTFO! These were NYC job listings. There were numerous listings like this.
@@manyogurt4645most people on the planet don’t make that kind of money bro chill out. Complaining about 75-80k is crazy when it’s a 4 year degree and maybe an extra year for a cpa
It's both pay, and the fact that hiring managers don't understand what "entry level" means. They'll post an entry level AP job, and list the minimum qualifications as 2-5 years of experience. The problem is... everyone wants that same 2-5 years. Every firm wants the experience. No firm wants to work with new accountants.
I'm a senior about to graduate with my undergraduate in accounting. In the past my school had many easy paths to reach 150 hours for accounting students, but last year they took those opportunities away to try and increase their enrollment in the MAcc program which screwed us upperclassmen who were expecting to graduate with 150 this upcoming May. Seems like some universities are trying to exploit the few of us who actually want to become CPA's...
A lot of the big four firms are offering programs to get the credits you need for the CPA. My remaining credits were earned for no cost through EY’s program.
When I was in college in 1993-1997, it was just understood that CPA was a path to a “stable” career. Tech barely existed as a road for finance/econ/accounting majors. The internet changed everything.
From a step back observing the trend. I went to school in 2004ish to work in IT/network engineer. Currently technology sector is saturated and less demand for talent as shown in the layoffs.. Interesting how your generation was advise to do finance/econ and mine was advise to do technology yet in a ten year span both are no longer demanded. A family remember was a PA in 2010 and issues with the hours/pay, saturated PA/NPs market. Just like the internet, AI changes things too.
@@TheSeaOfAsher I'm deciding what offers to study in uni, and funny enough its between CS and business (accounting). I don't know what to pick at this point.
@@hello-zq8ku If you're truly passionate about CS, do it, even though it's a lot more risky due to the job market always fluctuating. I hopped on the cs train mainly for the "money" and although doing something for the money is okay, you have to be PASSIONATE ENOUGH to endure the bleak job market after graduating. I simply was not that passionate. Your story could be different though. It's a high risk high reward thing. If you don't care too much about high 6 figure salaries, and are good with a lower start salary, but job stability, go accounting. And if you do, don't do public accounting if you want to have a good work life balance. It's not like you would be homeless either way if you do one or the other. Cs is high risk, high reward Accounting is low risk, meh reward. It can be good or bad based on who you are as a person and what you value.
@@hello-zq8kupick whichever of the two you think you’d be most competent in. Also I think an accountant that knows python + sql could build a niche data analyst type career for themselves but who knows.
Working as an IRS Revenue Agent is a high pressure job for very modest pay. But over the years, the IRS has created a multitude of “Analyst” and “Policy” jobs which pay significantly more, with vague requirements and little pressure. Not surprisingly, many R.A.s have shifted to these cushy jobs, and the agency is having difficulty backfilling the accounting positions.
I see a lot of the big public US companies in private industry hire accountants from India and Mexico and force them to work "North American" hours just because they can pay them less because of the COL adjustments. The few US accountants/ CPAs that do get hired are called upon to be project managers to "babysit" their overseas counterparts and micromanage them by asking "where this report is" or " where are the deliverables?". Today's US accountants in private industry are more like PMs and not doing any of the "accounting" technical work.
We're working more hours than we're clocking and as someone who went from a career as a dog groomer to a career in accounting (weird shift, i know) i can say from experience that accounting is really bad for your mind. Sitting in front of a spreadsheet all day and barely interacting with other people is very dehumanizing--it warps your brain. Whenever I take a few days off, 4-5 in a row, the "real me" starts to wake up again. It's night and day. I'm like a zombie during my workweek, depressed and muted and not doing much b/c the emotional energy has drained out of me. When that dude starts crying, i totally get it. My first job was full of great people and I was learning a lot but never saw the sun, and barely saw or spoke to other people b/c of the high sided cubicles--6 months in and I was severly depressed and had to get out of there. I'm somewhere that's much better in terms of environment, plus it's hybrid, but the hours are still killing me b/c upper management doesnt seem to care that we're understaffed. They have a "hiring freeze", but it only seems to apply to our department. I'm thinking about an exit but I dont know what I would do instead.
I can relate to this. I also hunger for socialization despite thinking I was an introvert my whole life. I was recently let go from my firm and also question how my experience can be translated to private, government, or anywhere else? It can't, I could open my own firm but I still need more experience.
I have the same experience as an accountant in Italy. I guess everywhere is the same, long hours in front of a spreadsheet and no interaction, so disumanizing. I would advise anyone to not di this job, I have been in this shit in the last 6 years, and I am looking for a way out. I am thinking to go for a manual job with lots of demand, I know it is crazy, but electrician or plumbing is something that requise lots of precision and there are very few people that are precise in this kind of jobs, so lower competition and I can manage hours and client as I want, so I can be free and not in front of a fucking screen all day long as well-
Before our modern information era (I graduated in 2008 when social media was just getting started), college students were much more in the dark about the profession and what to expect on the other side of graduation. But there was still the same turnover issues. The expected practice was 3-5 years and bounce. Industry turnover of 20%+ was an acceptable "standard." The cohort I started with mostly left for private as soon as the economy recovered from 2010-2011. The problem goes back decades. This isn't a new problem the industry is suffering from because of a narrative on social media. The industry is suffering the consequences of it's own practices that it can't hide anymore. They're trying to blame the messenger.
I studied for CPA, couldn't pass the exams. Mainly because: 1. no work experience to understand what accounting is at the time. 2. Language barrier, my English wasn't sufficient to understand some questions, even now, I still have difficulties time to time. 3. I'm not good at taking exams in general. After over two years full cycle accounting working experiences, I still don't have the confidence to take the exam (with studying of course). But I appreciate accounting experiences deeply. Now I work in corp Finance, I have to say that accounting is under-appreciated by the corporations, outsourcing accounting functions doesn't always work. There's no technical barrier for any accountant to perform Financial analysis, however, most financial analysts don't understand the basic principles for accounting.
There's so many testimonials in RUclips about individual who's English isn't there first language and was able to pass the exams. I recommend watching superfast CPA podcast. I hope you get inspired to try again.
@@jalilmonroe1289low 6 figures for the amount of work performed is not worth it. After taxes and benefits, it's barely anything left over. Not worth it from an accounting major who worked with cpa in a big bank
CPA with 15 years of experience here. Public accounting isn't worth the trouble. Private accounting is more money and better work-life balance. Big 4s should be begging people to work for them. The focus should be on first work-life balance and then compensation. A CPA shouldn't give a damn about staying relevant, I won't get fired because they need me, and it's nonsense that they'll hire someone in India to do my work, that doesn't happen in private acctg for many reasons
@lordfarquaad1701 Getting the first job might be difficult, especially if you didn't get an internship. Once you have 2 years of experience and make sure to leave in good standing with previous employers, it should be fine. Offshoring happens, but if you don't get a job in acctg it is not because of it
Hi! Can I ask what role you went into after graduation? I recently did a busy season internship at a big 4 and I'm not really sure if public accounting is the path for me 😭 so I would love to hear more about how you went about your career given that you mentioned public accounting isn't worth it
It's unfortunate that college always tries to sell students to get a job in public acctg preferably at a Big 4... It's good experience, but the hours, stress and toxic environment don't make it worth it. Basically, I just applied for roles online. References are super important, even if you do good during your interview your references will get you to the finish line. So whatever you do, try to leave in good terms. I think an internship from the Big 4 will look good. Frankly, under regular circumstances you shouldn't have any problems looking for work, but for what i've been hearing the job market is not as healthy as people say in the news. Focus on building your resume with work experience. At the beginning of my career, I took temp work from Robert Half, and I did my best; the employer was so satisfy that they kept me 18 months until I eventually move on. That was almost 15 years ago... I am currently working for a hospital in CA, I used as one of my references the employer from that first job. Don't burn bridges, even if you don't like the people you work with always make sure that they'll speak highly of you I know is tough right now, hang in there and be persistent. @@gamerio9945
Heard stories from people that used to work at big 4 accounting firms. The management expect overtime constantly, with low pay compare to similar education in other profession, and bad work life balance. I was told the only time they seems to be interested in offering you an raise or promotion is when you submit a resignation letter with another job ready.
I'm a retired accountant in Canada who was a partner at mid and small public practice firms. I really enjoyed most of the 30 years that I spent in practice. But, in recent years, talking to people still in practice but working for larger firms have very different experiences. It seems that in the last 10+ years, partners in mid to larger firms all think that they need to continually grow their firms and also that they should be paid like lawyers. The fact is that accountants typically don't and won't get paid like lawyers unfortunately. But, the result has been that they drive their staff hard without compensating them accordingly. If I was to counsel someone thinking about going into accounting, I would suggest public practice but with a smaller firm or, better yet, start your own once you have a few years experience. It can be extremely rewarding and you can treat people the way you wish that you had been treated.
If there was really an accounting crisis, I would have a job already. I graduated college with my bachelor's in accounting 5 months ago and i still don't have an entry level position in the field. Every entry level position that i have looked at they want you to have at least a year or two of accounting experience which is crazy if you just graduated college.
I work for the State as an auditor. The previous generation screwed up the accounting profession big time. Our agency has major retention issues. They want 150 hrs (MBA candidate more than likely) and a CPA license to make 52k a year 😮.
That sounds like a state by state issue because my state only requires a bachelor degree to work as a state auditor unless you want to move up to upper management. It's about the same pay as your state. I think we're starting to hit retention issues in the recent generation as the old generation starts to retire
yes share your sentiments. Also worked for an auditor general office of the state with my CPA + grad degree and additional designations. Great benefits, but low pay throughout your career in the agency just wasn't cutting it. Had to leave after a few years.
lol nah it’s the long hours doing medial tasks. That’s why working from home is great, get the GF to come over, tell the boss you got an appointment, and take care of that need.
It's outsourcing and automation. A lot of A/P and A/R jobs are being outsourced to India and the Philippines. Yes, these are entry level jobs but these are very important jobs. Accounting college grads need these jobs to gain experience. Regarding automation - a lot of the work can be automated and is in the process of being so. Look at every article or video regarding AI and Automation - Accounting is almost always on the list to be hit the hardest. And lastly, as others have mentioned, the pay. I honestly do not see the field lasting at all. And yet people are asking why there is a shortage?
As an MSA is tax and degree with accounting I picked the right degree for job security but I do also wish we got paid more. I’m unsure if I want to get that CPA license until I see some actual benefits for having it. I know that I should be doing it but just the sheer will to do an extra year of school and the pay off sets each other.
I took a holiday job once when I graduated college with the Post Office. It was for 2 months. 5 days a week, 12 hours a day during the winter. So 60 hour work weeks. What broke my mind was I'd enter the office at 5 AM before the sun had come up and I'd leave at 5AM after the sun set--so I never saw the sun for like 2 months. I do think it messed with my head a little. To make things worse, there were no windows in the mail sorting room where we'd give mail off to the carriers, so there wasn't sunlight indoors. Also, around 9AM all the carriers would leave, so I was alone just sorting mail by myself from like 9AM--4PM when the carriers would come back. Dude that job was terrible.
This is so good Logan! Man its hilarious to me what the AICPA and all these other governing bodies will blame the shortage/pipeline problems on. its like uhhh yes blame that IG account thats it!! Or the 150 credits. Blame em yesss thats it!! Naww I happily got my Masters in Tax that catapulted my career trajectory, I was fine sitting for 4 exams to get my license, its a right of passage its fine. What I was not fine with was doing all that and having a starting salary of $50K in a high COL state and working 70 hours a week. What I was not fine with was 5 years later after doing more or less the same I was at $88K while being beat on by schedulers while working 60+ hours and being in a toxic culture. That is the issue. Fix that and accounting wont have a bad rep. Or yea continue blaming some IG account that is hacking the pipeline lol
It is not only a US problem. I am from Malaysia and it is the same thing. Low pay, high workload, long hours, compliance heavy, low tolerance for mistakes. Anyone thinking of doing accounting please reconsider. 20 years in accounting and finally decide to leave.
Partners know there is a serious staffing shortage across the country and they're holding onto their treasure for as long as they can get their hands on the vested pension that pays out ~18-25M over their retirement years. They don't really care if the industry will be in shambles 5-10 years down the road as long as they can get their bags. Same goes for the upper management in industry. Just holding onto the current structure that rewards the top as long as they can. They're just motivated by their agenda just as we are. It is unfortunate but it's merely just a symptom of late stage capitalism where everything is coming to a decline. Best we can do is fight for better environment but not get dissapoint with the natural course of event.
Previous accounting student here who made it to junior year and then realized I actually hated it and had no interest in it. Too many negatives within the profession compared to the supposed positives. None of the accounting students I met actually enjoyed what they were learning, they were only doing it for the money, and a lot of them seemed as depressed as I had been for a long time. I switched to IT and I’m much happier now. Until the industry is overhauled, I don’t see things getting better from what I experienced.
Three things: low pay, poor work life balance, and too clumsy to get a CPA license. First and second are pretty obvious; no one wants to work 60+ hours a work on the regular for slightly more than a similar industry 9-5. Third one baffles me. Why we don't have a federal set of standards for CPA licensing requirements is insane. On top of that, the current procedure for getting a license is expensive and clunky. $1000 just to take some exams isn't money a lot of prospective exam takers have, let alone expensive review courses and material. Until the process is modernized, people will continue to avoid becoming CPAs altogether.
I'm more and more convinced we have to get small firms and colleges connected. The work life balance is much better at a small firm. I'm beginning the process of transitioning out and am building a team of 30-somthings and early 40-somethings to take over. It's scary, probably on both sides, but I'm open to their scheduling needs and the like. This profession isn't easy and much of it is beyond our control (tax deadlines mandated by Congress or states), but it has been the most rewarding for me. I counseled my children that if you love what you do for a living, it's not work. I've barely worked over the last 30 years! Well done, Logan.
I wish colleges would drop all these useless classes and focus more on the profession. Instead of reading Kant or learning about the dust bowl which is high school work we could have been taught more things a CPA should know or even learn some of the common accounting software. This would make the quality of new graduates so much better.
If you want a college degree you have to learn college stuff along with the stuff you learn in your major. Do you want a job training program or a college degree?
@@HoosierCanuk obtaining a college degree should make you ready to take on an entry level positions in your field. So I would say I would want both. Most of my useful skills came from my internship. However, after 2020 I assume it’s even harder for students to get them. Haven’t had interns in my office since then.
You are speaking my language my friend! Would love to sync up and have this discussion. The industry definitely needs a reboot to something better for the CPA!
I completely agree, public accounting needs to change. I've been in this industry for years and it doesn't even pay people enough. It is to a point that if I ever have kids and they want to become CPA i'd tell them don't do it. If this field has to die to let those partners and clients know that we are not merely getting paid enough then so be it.
Honestly, it comes down to decades of terrible treatment from Big 4-5 and other major public accounting firms that took their approach as the norm. All the discussions that EVERY student accountant heard as they were studying were true: 1. terrible hours 2. treated like children 3. ridiculously low pay considering the bachelor and designation requirements 4. having to still study while working (even after designation) 5. New emerging industries (like tech) AND old blue collar industries that began to pay just as much or significantly more for less effort and time I'm just surprised the industry didn't collapse sooner. However, the silver-lining is that for people who are still around, many of their salaries have gone up a decent amount because of all this shortage. TLDR you reap what you sow public firms.
Here in Australia, we have two professional bodies: CPA Australia (CPA) and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ). Both are next to useless despite charging yearly membership fees of $800. Both of these bodies are all in on importing as many accountants as possible from China, India, and Asia. The result, of course, is an influx of accountants, which suppresses wages, and, naturally, additional membership fees for CPA and CAANZ. Coupled with outsourcing and the threat of AI streamlining tasks, the industry is suffering-at least for us bean counters, it sucks. I've advised younger teens to pursue a trade, like plumbing, electrical work, or carpentry. It's a lot harder to outsource building a house or fixing a toilet.
Constructive advice: If it’s countable, like the number of persons, then use the word “fewer”; if it’s not countable, like sand pebbles on a beach, then use the word “less.” Fewer people… Less sand… I hope this helps!
I decided to take classes to get a cert in bookkeeping. I had to take Accounting courses. OK. Then COVID hit. Classes were moved online. No lectures. No teaching. Absolutely nothing. They offered an online study group, but they just gave us the answers. The department head said that THAT was no way to learn accounting, and promised his class would be better. He had an online weekly meeting where all he did was give us the answers. No teaching. What did I learn? Become a teacher.
I'm a supervisory accountant for the fed and I also side hustle to keep my tax and public accounting skills in check. I absolutely don't need a CPA to do my daily duties but for me it's more about my exit strat from the Fed. What advice can you provide for a mid to senior career accountant looking to become a CPA? I bough the Becker CPA and Superfast CPA exam prep but find it hard to make time to study with 3 kids, Fed job and side tax practice.
I’m sure I don’t “need” a CPA but I think there may be some perceived value from the public. It will also make me competitive when it comes to government contracts. More than anything that’s the real driving force.
i regret ever getting into it. they pay is at the bottom of all professional jobs. dont expect to make more than $65k initially, basically the poverty line. the degree is worth less than soiled toilet paper. you get treated the worst in any company. they see you as a waste of money because you are just overhead. and because of that, they keep dumping work on you, constantly, the longer you stay. ultra mega long hours too. expect to work at least 12 hours a day without getting a dime in OT pay. that means you are basically working for minimum wage. also companies abuse their accountants more than any other field. accountants always feel like they are working for a toxic company. yes its easy to find another job, but who wants to continuously do that all the time? you literally have no life because of the long hours, and are not respected. everyone outside the field feels compelled that you can do their taxes for free. i should have become a real estate agent instead. what a horrible field accounting is. imagine being forced to sit in a chair for hours and hours day after day. guaranteed you will develop chronic illnesses.
After receiving my BS in accounting i went into the private sector, never public accounting. I wanted to take the CPA exam but didn't get around to it. Later in my late 30s I received a masters in Finance. For me, private is the way to go, I've worked my way up. Been a controller for several companies.
It’s looking like you may get the opposite problem. They are continually opening up the cpa exam to international students and are working to outsource it. This is the main reason they dropped the written part of BEC, to make it easier for non English first speakers. Look at the number of cpa candidates in India for instance, that’s your competition. And they require a far less salary.
@@Eye_of_Horus Wow I never looked at it from your point, that makes sense. I do see a huge amount of CPA channels for international students from India and other countries. I was in the middle of studying for FAR when BEC was dropped and the CPA evolution testing process was introduced.
Give me a Mach 1 Mustang, a photoshoot with Sydney Sweeney, a suspiciously large amount of dry ice, and I will solve the accounting image problem in a weekend. (I will take the Mustang across the border and you will never see me again😂😂)
Also note that countries like the Phillipines have a decline in accounting grads too, you already see some staffing firms do bidding wars for Pinoy CPAs. The decline in new CPAs is also taking into account global numbers too.
Unfortunately those of us on the job have to make up for the work not being done by the open positions. The company does not want to pay for the extra hours and work. The deadlines don't change if you are under staffed.
I'm about to go into a MACC personally to switch careers. Searching online often comes up with lots of personal accounts of people that highly pessimistic. Personally I just want a stable job at this point in my life that pays decent and lets me do my thing. People are so self righteous nowadays with career. Certain situations it's 100% valid, many others it's just people being angry for no actual good reason.
I am cpa eligible but any of the study programs (Becker, etc) cost over two grand and each of the tests costs 350-400 a pop. They build the tests to actively make you hate yourself with a 50ish percent pass rate per test. So you’re taking an average of 6 tests. 4500 to 5 grand to go from where I am at with my 150 hours to cpa. Some companies may pay for it or reimburse. Mine does not.
CPA here graduates from big 4. I don’t care for accounting but I’m good with the life style it offers. So I do bare minimum for work, I build my own wealth with the rest of my time
why the heck would anyone go into accounting? Every job post for an entry level position says they want 2+ years of experience, a bachelor's degree, and a starting salary of 40-50k. Subway in my town pays $19 an hour which means you don't fall into the salary trap and will actually make more if you work the same hours as an accountant will. I even see job postings for Staff Accountants that require a master's degree and a CPA with a starting salary of $55k. I understand there is a high ceiling in accounting and I am in no way advocating the fast food industry but an ambitious kid out of high school could be managing a location in 4-5 years and multiple locations within 6-10 years. Accounting used to be a prestigious career but they are just laughed at by tech and finance due to their barriers to entry and awful salaries.
There is a similar issue here in the UK. The best ambitious university graduates aim for the top tier firms, forced to work outrageous hours for very mediocre pay, and risk getting fired if they fail their ACA exams because they're too busy trying to hit their filing deadlines. So many talented people are fired from the profession and then the firms complain that their remaining staff leave at the first opportunity post-qualifying for industry roles / other careers. The whole thing seems to be a pyramid scheme built on the sweat and grind of talented graduates while partners can often barely type an email.
The number of CPA students is dropping but it is in contrast to India and Pakistan because students pursuing the chartered accountancy profession are increasing and hence there is a high shortage of places for trainees in the top category firms. As a CA student from Pakistan who just completed my CA inter just now, I am concerned about the lack of opportunities for me to go to the Top category firms. And also these firms take work normally up to 8-12 hours a day and also give a monthly stipend of up to 70 US dollars....
Low pay for the years of education and hours worked. Not to mention the AICPA made a mockery of the profession by letting people in third world countries obtain US CPA licenses. Why would any ambitious young person go through 5 years of rigorous coursework and take the hardest professional exam all to make laughable amounts of money?
3 big reasons why it's really dropping. 1. When I was at Uni and this goes for my other friends who told me the same thing. There was a term being used "weeding out students" specifically in accounting. Idk wtf they were thinking. 2. CPA exam pass rates keep dropping (harder exam) whats the point in following an accounting path otherwise. I so know plenty of ppl with just masters but most ppl branch out once they see potential in analyst roles. 3. Big 4 mostly make you hate accounting when you work for them couple years. This is an extra note, ai is starting to take over AP/AR and repetitive tasks. Sooner than later, you'll need few accounts rather than say 5-6 just checking entries
This was me during busy season like 2 months ago very emotional cause of the lack of rest. The senior auditors are very intense. I appreciate the time we spent to gain the experience but it’s way to stressful.
Not that easy because first you have to increase for everyone who is already there, before you can offer it to new recruits. People coming in are getting paid more for knowing and doing less
I live in the metro Atlanta area and just graduated college in December. Then I completed an internship with a public accounting firm which I have 3 really good references from but could not go full time as my dad is a client. Now I have applied to over 60 jobs and had multiple interviews which I thought went really well but can’t find a single one who will take me. There must not be a shortage
It's called software. A lot of the work of accountants can be automated. Accountants have to understand it and be able to do it and error check it, but automated systems can cut the accountant work load dramatically.
Can you be specific and explain what tasks can be automated and reduce workload “dramatically”? Cause people who say accounting can be automated have been saying so since forever and are always people who are not accountants. We literally beg for more automation because we have so much to do lol. No one is worried.
Fuck “I was just happy to be in college, not an adult” as someone with a master degree while never getting any experience in accounting and can’t get hired now, this hurts lol.
I’m about to raise the CPA/ accountant shortage here in the USA. 3.5 years of public tax has got me messed up. India and A.I. are going to make us obsolete in a couple of decades might as well take my chances with cybersecurity or something..
Accounting is a dead discipline with the revolution of AI most people are studying Statistics, Economics, Mathematics, Finance, Computer Science, Financial Engineering, Actuarial Science, Physics among other highly Quantitative disciplines. Accounting is not so Quantitative and is extremely boring. Sammy R.G Aspiring Actuary SOA/CAS
Personally, as a CPA, I think that the profession created too many barriers to entry to make them seem valuable. As far as the 150 hours, I tested out of 18 hours with CLEP to get the requirement with English Lit, American Lit, Sociology, and Poli Science. It was stupid and pointless. Another thing is that stodgy, outdated ideology about marketing, naming, and structural requirements for public firms have kept CPAs from diversifying their business model. That graying group (of which I am one at 60) is stuck in the 80's.
The stress and hours of busy season really aren’t worth the pay. That’s especially true when the number of off season busy seasons we get pushed into is increasing (auditor).
The emphasis on the 150 hours seems to me to be a function of the current concern around cost of education. What people SHOULD be asking is “why was it that we moved to 150 hours?” The fact that we’re getting so far removed from the complete restructuring of the PA landscape in the wake of Enron, WorldCom (I mean we went from a Big 8 to Big 4, Arthur Andersen went POOF overnight!) is sad, not just because it makes me an Old.
I’ve worked in the field for 12 years, and I’m trying to figure out what to do to get out. Older leadership has driven me out of the profession. I don’t enjoy it anymore.
Same, thinking about going back to college for accounting cause I thought it would be an affordable/balanced lifestyle. Now I don’t know anymore. I know someone who does it and they make BANK! But I guess it depends where you work and where you live too.
@@BluDimeNailz I think if you are able to finish a degree soon it's a good decision, but starting now and having to wait 4 years to MAYBE get a good job after AI advances and also the foreigners seems risky to me I might still go for it but I am weighing my options for what major to pick. I'm now considering Statistics so that I have a(in my opinion) more versatile skillset
I have absolutely no idea why anyone would go into a public accounting firm. Just based off what I've heard these places are garbage and private is much more fun, rewarding, and you can do a 40 hour work week.
While I regret not seeing the light of day from after graduation till I was about 30, the skills I learned bouncing around top15 firms for 8 years in different practices and industries was invaluable to me today. Parts of it was fun and exciting back then, like fully compt travel and perks for the entire team (culture is very different now with remote work). Now in private for another 8 years, my work life is honestly worst sometimes than public, but I do get paid for it lol. Honestly the grass isn't greener on the other side especially below senior manager level
The 150 hour rule is so dumb. Considering the remaining 30 credits don't even have to be in accounting classes. Could be Music or art even. The CPA should all boil down to the 27 accounting credit hours
If the AICPA spent the same PR effort on respect for the professional as they did on their name (making the world think CPA is the only accountant that matters), we would have better sustainability in the profession. Bookkeepers and staff accountants that do the "grunge" work get meager pay, as business owners dont understand their value. I cant express how weary I am of the A.I. discussion; no, a computer cant replace the human touch, but try convincing some business owners of that. Now a CMA student and firm owner, I'm pleased with my choice. But I cant help noticing how demand for my type of service has changed over the years.
Not all Accountants are in practice (Accounting firms) and not all countries use CPA. Here in the UK I don't think we have an Accounting crisis to be fair.
In my experience, I believe AICPA is just adding more difficulties to get into the profession. I have 15 years of accounting experience, but since I dont' have the 150 hours, I'm not able to take the CPA exam. I ended up doing a CMA and EA. AICPA is just trying to make universities more money by forcing the 150 hours, in my opinion.
150 hours requirement cannot be earned with BA degree anymore. MA is required and is is very very expensive. Really like Golden Gate uni here in CA but, but oh boy, 50K out of pocket is way too much. Can’t help but feel ripped off. Seriously considering to pass CPA exam and wait until they cancel their stupid requirement.
I have an MSA it got me a job as an assistant controller for a fortune 300 company, even though I was pretty underexperienced, I have no CPA license. Idk what a CPA looks like, I was getting paid $38 an hour, with OT, but was working +50 hour weeks, and I quit because of it. A lot of people felt I made the wrong decision, I'm just glad I'm not stressing like that guy in the clip tbh. I'm just looking for a nice government job that pays decent with benefits.
If ur an accounting major and find the cpa exam difficult, then you must be really stupid. My bachelors was history and masters in tax, along with a few accounting courses at the community college. I passed on all 4 within the 18 months
I know I’m 8 months late to the party but I’m a British man 25 studying for my ACCA qualification who ultimately wants to live in the states. What would I have to do to be “allowed into the country”
This guy doesn’t look like a CPA.
Looks like a Calvin Klein model.
What does an account look like ? I am an accountant. And the pay has been crap. The amount of hrs we put in nights and weekends.
It's not the looks. It's the mentality. After a couple days on the job as a new hire
I worked as a federal accountant for ten years while on active duty, where we don’t have the same stringent requirements as the public sector does. Despite ten years of experience as an accountant, none of my work history counted towards transitioning to the public sector as a CPA. Many companies I spoke to about lateral moves seemed to expect me to already have a CPA given the duties and responsibilities we undertake in our field, but that’s a whole lot of education that doesn’t necessarily benefit us in a significant way while we’re active duty.
There are likely thousands of other transitioning service members who could be more than happy to move to public sector accounting if it weren’t for having to start at zero again. Many of us move to other fields as a result of the lack of support for federal accountants.
Federal audit both internal (omb a123) and external have lots of opportunity. Another thing you could consider is working for a firm that has support contracts with one of the OIGs. Also there is Federal Consulting that a lot of firms do. If you are interested in audit big 4 does a lot of that and deloitte and Accenture do a lot of consulting. Your background would be a good fit for many of these opportunities. Another thing you could do is IT Audit or Compliance. All you need is a CISA. IT Audit is not that technical but lots of writing and project management and pays well. Think unexperienced kids fresh out if college make over 70k with no experience. 3 years gets you around 100k or more.
why do you want to leave government? isn’t the benefit and work life balance the best there?
@@marktran2657 working with the federal government as a civilian is very different than working while on active duty or as a reservist. I left because I accepted a medical retirement when I was 28, which was the best option for me at the time.
These days I’m working full time as a career student / fellow to train into a different field and get a federal job I’d be more inclined towards. As much as I miss being on active duty, making $4,500 a month in compensation on top of another $4,500 to go to school is probably the cushiest federal job there is. Plus, it’s all tax exempt.
Why would u leave
The young generation of aspiring accountants/CPAs do not see the value of 60-84 hour weeks, lower salary per hour worked, increasing workloads and stress, lack of relatable mentors and more complex compliance standards in public accounting. Unfortunately the accounting profession has a stigma and image problem that is universally viewed by a lot of people outside the profession. I am planning to leave the profession after 20 years+ (Big 4, active cpa, corp tax compliance, sec reporting, fin reporting at tech firms). I never had any passion for accounting during my career. It helped pay my bills. Good luck to you!
Hello, in alot of these comments im finding people talk down on public accounting. Could you explain why public is so bad compared to private? I have a very elementary level of understanding but keen to learn more.
@@jag732 Public accounting: long hours including weekends, full-time job while preparing for exams, high turnover of mentors/seniors/managers, stuck auditing specific areas only (revenue/oper expenses/fixed asset/stock based comp/payroll/cash), significantly lower pay vs private industry, constant pressure of tracking billable hours, frequent travels to client's site, incentive to find client errors/mistakes vs client's view that auditors are requesting too much info/samples, and mental health issues for a very demanding profession with a lot of young inexperienced auditors. Auditing public-traded companies is a very exhausting endeavor by the audit team.
@Jag732 my professor worked at Deloitte (big 4 firm) for a couple years before becoming a professor. He was a tax accountant there, and there are a lot of expectations to work long hours (like OP has mentioned) with not enough compensation. Also, at large firms, you are merely a cog in the machine. It is difficult to work up as a partner because you will have to endure long and grueling work loads and hours before you reach partner status/eligibility. It is not a sustainable way of life for some. You will have to sacrifice a lot of weekends and nights. At private firms, you have a personal relationship with your superiors and can become a partner more quickly because your superiors are more likely to notice your presence (if you work hard enough). You may find a more balanced life at a private/smaller firm. However, it is good to earn experience at a large firm in the beginning of your career because corporate training is valuable, and private firms do value this if you choose to transition away from public to private in your career.
@@jag732He literally just said it, read the comment again
Where will u be shifting your career? As I am Interested to shift my career in accounting too
Here's the change: You start your own tax filing business on the side and build from there over a course of a few years until your income can replace the income from your job. Just file people's taxes for them, your average mom and pop. (Context: I work in wealth management as a career outside Atlanta and I know a guy who did what I just described. He makes $100k a year and only works 4 months out of the year.)
Facts 💯
A.I won't replace this?
@@rasulsamad5860 most people can't install windows on their laptop... AI will help the business not the avrg guys for a long time
That’s my plan! Also plan on doing some bookkeeping/playing controller outside of tax season.
@@rasulsamad5860 Would you trust AI if the IRS sends you a letter?
I graduated with a Bachelors at a small state school, completed my 150 hours by taking mostly online classes at my local community college while working in public accounting in my first job out of school. I only had to take 2 or 3 in person as required by my state. It was not too difficult. My college tried to push the Masters program on me but I am glad I did not do it. I passed my CPA exam without any failures using a CPA study guide like Becker (I can't remember which) that my firm paid for. I never cracked open one book, all test questions, every day before work.
Overall it was not too difficult. I would not want to do it again, but if I could go back, I wouldn't change the path I took and I am glad I did it.
You have a math brain. you're lucky to have a math brain. I don't have a math brain but I went to math brain....🥂 to math brains!
@@marykay8587 Accounting is not math. The math is the easiest part. More like a puzzle brain.
Curious as to what sort of courses you took to make up the additional 30h? I know the 150h doesn't exactly mean a Masters degree, but I've not yet found a course of action otherwise that wd be personally beneficial. Looking for good suggestions.
Here’s my theory. I’m 38. Worked in tax accounting for 15 years. Every year our firm would hire 4 staffers for tax season out of college, and fire the least productive 2. I worked at 2 other firms, same thing. The 35-40 year old CPAs largely don’t exist because firms have FIRED OFF half the potential workforce.
Best part, they fire them exactly 89 days after their start date, so they wouldn’t be eligible to file unemployment. So you graduate, put in 60 hours a week for 3 months straight, and on the day the crazy hours end you get fired. Decades of greed on the part of the partners, and now it’s come back to bite them.
dam
That's down right evil
@@lavender123u it was standard practice. “We need to hire a staffer, so let’s hire 2 and keep the best one”.
I have almost two decades of experience in accounting and companies keep passing over me. I cant figure out why. I have for profit and non profit experience. It makes me want to scream at times. Yet, they keep hiring people fresh out of college. Did I price myself out of my profession?
It's the staffing companies...they pimp and use accountants. The labor industry is not fair...you have to do so much then they make u compete
Pay - it’s literally just pay. Public accounting is a pyramid scheme that’s been abused to this point by firm owners. The AICPA isn’t quite innocent here, in my experience over my career, they haven’t done much to help all of us (their members). I know I’m not renewing my AICPA membership when it comes up. It’s on this next generation of firm owners to make a better offer for talent to join our industry.
I’m not in the profession but I’m sure it’s definitely pay. One day I was curious and killing time, I was on Indeed looking at pay for accounting jobs. Definitely felt they could be higher. Controller $110,000; seriously? Senior accountant $89K? GTFO! These were NYC job listings. There were numerous listings like this.
@@manyogurt4645most people on the planet don’t make that kind of money bro chill out. Complaining about 75-80k is crazy when it’s a 4 year degree and maybe an extra year for a cpa
It's both pay, and the fact that hiring managers don't understand what "entry level" means. They'll post an entry level AP job, and list the minimum qualifications as 2-5 years of experience. The problem is... everyone wants that same 2-5 years. Every firm wants the experience. No firm wants to work with new accountants.
wow
Can confirm a large part of my generation just wants more pay.
I'm a senior about to graduate with my undergraduate in accounting. In the past my school had many easy paths to reach 150 hours for accounting students, but last year they took those opportunities away to try and increase their enrollment in the MAcc program which screwed us upperclassmen who were expecting to graduate with 150 this upcoming May. Seems like some universities are trying to exploit the few of us who actually want to become CPA's...
That's terrible!
Do the masters online at Western Governors University. If your state accepts the credits it's probably the cheapest option.
A lot of the big four firms are offering programs to get the credits you need for the CPA. My remaining credits were earned for no cost through EY’s program.
@@chandlerangol6718 What’s that program called?
Holy crap man thanks for that I might do it its literally 25K cheaper than ASU.@@first9299
When I was in college in 1993-1997, it was just understood that CPA was a path to a “stable” career. Tech barely existed as a road for finance/econ/accounting majors. The internet changed everything.
From a step back observing the trend. I went to school in 2004ish to work in IT/network engineer. Currently technology sector is saturated and less demand for talent as shown in the layoffs.. Interesting how your generation was advise to do finance/econ and mine was advise to do technology yet in a ten year span both are no longer demanded. A family remember was a PA in 2010 and issues with the hours/pay, saturated PA/NPs market. Just like the internet, AI changes things too.
@@TheSeaOfAsher I'm deciding what offers to study in uni, and funny enough its between CS and business (accounting). I don't know what to pick at this point.
@@hello-zq8ku If you're truly passionate about CS, do it, even though it's a lot more risky due to the job market always fluctuating. I hopped on the cs train mainly for the "money" and although doing something for the money is okay, you have to be PASSIONATE ENOUGH to endure the bleak job market after graduating. I simply was not that passionate. Your story could be different though. It's a high risk high reward thing.
If you don't care too much about high 6 figure salaries, and are good with a lower start salary, but job stability, go accounting. And if you do, don't do public accounting if you want to have a good work life balance.
It's not like you would be homeless either way if you do one or the other.
Cs is high risk, high reward
Accounting is low risk, meh reward. It can be good or bad based on who you are as a person and what you value.
@@hello-zq8kupick whichever of the two you think you’d be most competent in. Also I think an accountant that knows python + sql could build a niche data analyst type career for themselves but who knows.
Working as an IRS Revenue Agent is a high pressure job for very modest pay. But over the years, the IRS has created a multitude of “Analyst” and “Policy” jobs which pay significantly more, with vague requirements and little pressure. Not surprisingly, many R.A.s have shifted to these cushy jobs, and the agency is having difficulty backfilling the accounting positions.
I see a lot of the big public US companies in private industry hire accountants from India and Mexico and force them to work "North American" hours just because they can pay them less because of the COL adjustments. The few US accountants/ CPAs that do get hired are called upon to be project managers to "babysit" their overseas counterparts and micromanage them by asking "where this report is" or " where are the deliverables?". Today's US accountants in private industry are more like PMs and not doing any of the "accounting" technical work.
Well Said! Such is on top of many accountants not truly adapting to the analytics & AI world.
We're working more hours than we're clocking and as someone who went from a career as a dog groomer to a career in accounting (weird shift, i know) i can say from experience that accounting is really bad for your mind. Sitting in front of a spreadsheet all day and barely interacting with other people is very dehumanizing--it warps your brain. Whenever I take a few days off, 4-5 in a row, the "real me" starts to wake up again. It's night and day. I'm like a zombie during my workweek, depressed and muted and not doing much b/c the emotional energy has drained out of me. When that dude starts crying, i totally get it. My first job was full of great people and I was learning a lot but never saw the sun, and barely saw or spoke to other people b/c of the high sided cubicles--6 months in and I was severly depressed and had to get out of there. I'm somewhere that's much better in terms of environment, plus it's hybrid, but the hours are still killing me b/c upper management doesnt seem to care that we're understaffed. They have a "hiring freeze", but it only seems to apply to our department. I'm thinking about an exit but I dont know what I would do instead.
I can relate to this. I also hunger for socialization despite thinking I was an introvert my whole life. I was recently let go from my firm and also question how my experience can be translated to private, government, or anywhere else? It can't, I could open my own firm but I still need more experience.
I have the same experience as an accountant in Italy. I guess everywhere is the same, long hours in front of a spreadsheet and no interaction, so disumanizing. I would advise anyone to not di this job, I have been in this shit in the last 6 years, and I am looking for a way out. I am thinking to go for a manual job with lots of demand, I know it is crazy, but electrician or plumbing is something that requise lots of precision and there are very few people that are precise in this kind of jobs, so lower competition and I can manage hours and client as I want, so I can be free and not in front of a fucking screen all day long as well-
Same bro same, I’m guna transition out of the profession soon.
Before our modern information era (I graduated in 2008 when social media was just getting started), college students were much more in the dark about the profession and what to expect on the other side of graduation. But there was still the same turnover issues. The expected practice was 3-5 years and bounce. Industry turnover of 20%+ was an acceptable "standard." The cohort I started with mostly left for private as soon as the economy recovered from 2010-2011.
The problem goes back decades. This isn't a new problem the industry is suffering from because of a narrative on social media. The industry is suffering the consequences of it's own practices that it can't hide anymore. They're trying to blame the messenger.
I studied for CPA, couldn't pass the exams. Mainly because: 1. no work experience to understand what accounting is at the time. 2. Language barrier, my English wasn't sufficient to understand some questions, even now, I still have difficulties time to time. 3. I'm not good at taking exams in general. After over two years full cycle accounting working experiences, I still don't have the confidence to take the exam (with studying of course). But I appreciate accounting experiences deeply. Now I work in corp Finance, I have to say that accounting is under-appreciated by the corporations, outsourcing accounting functions doesn't always work. There's no technical barrier for any accountant to perform Financial analysis, however, most financial analysts don't understand the basic principles for accounting.
There's so many testimonials in RUclips about individual who's English isn't there first language and was able to pass the exams. I recommend watching superfast CPA podcast. I hope you get inspired to try again.
What drives people out of the Profesional is the low pay compared to the regulations and high mental work requirements put on CPAs
Is the pay really an issue?
@@jorusanubis6745bro no 6 figures is not low pay , we think we deserve doctor money lol
And why can't we get doctors salary. Ain't we also professionals as a CPS holder
@@jalilmonroe1289low 6 figures for the amount of work performed is not worth it. After taxes and benefits, it's barely anything left over. Not worth it from an accounting major who worked with cpa in a big bank
@@jalilmonroe1289Doctors are also severely underpaid you are not making your point with this
CPA with 15 years of experience here. Public accounting isn't worth the trouble. Private accounting is more money and better work-life balance. Big 4s should be begging people to work for them. The focus should be on first work-life balance and then compensation. A CPA shouldn't give a damn about staying relevant, I won't get fired because they need me, and it's nonsense that they'll hire someone in India to do my work, that doesn't happen in private acctg for many reasons
I’m a student still but sometimes I worry I won’t have a job when I hear about offershoring and all
@lordfarquaad1701 Getting the first job might be difficult, especially if you didn't get an internship. Once you have 2 years of experience and make sure to leave in good standing with previous employers, it should be fine. Offshoring happens, but if you don't get a job in acctg it is not because of it
Hi! Can I ask what role you went into after graduation? I recently did a busy season internship at a big 4 and I'm not really sure if public accounting is the path for me 😭 so I would love to hear more about how you went about your career given that you mentioned public accounting isn't worth it
It's unfortunate that college always tries to sell students to get a job in public acctg preferably at a Big 4... It's good experience, but the hours, stress and toxic environment don't make it worth it.
Basically, I just applied for roles online. References are super important, even if you do good during your interview your references will get you to the finish line. So whatever you do, try to leave in good terms.
I think an internship from the Big 4 will look good. Frankly, under regular circumstances you shouldn't have any problems looking for work, but for what i've been hearing the job market is not as healthy as people say in the news.
Focus on building your resume with work experience. At the beginning of my career, I took temp work from Robert Half, and I did my best; the employer was so satisfy that they kept me 18 months until I eventually move on. That was almost 15 years ago... I am currently working for a hospital in CA, I used as one of my references the employer from that first job.
Don't burn bridges, even if you don't like the people you work with always make sure that they'll speak highly of you
I know is tough right now, hang in there and be persistent.
@@gamerio9945
I am at 38 now I want to go to CPA after 12 years experience, will it help me to secure the job?
Heard stories from people that used to work at big 4 accounting firms. The management expect overtime constantly, with low pay compare to similar education in other profession, and bad work life balance. I was told the only time they seems to be interested in offering you an raise or promotion is when you submit a resignation letter with another job ready.
I'm a retired accountant in Canada who was a partner at mid and small public practice firms. I really enjoyed most of the 30 years that I spent in practice. But, in recent years, talking to people still in practice but working for larger firms have very different experiences. It seems that in the last 10+ years, partners in mid to larger firms all think that they need to continually grow their firms and also that they should be paid like lawyers. The fact is that accountants typically don't and won't get paid like lawyers unfortunately. But, the result has been that they drive their staff hard without compensating them accordingly. If I was to counsel someone thinking about going into accounting, I would suggest public practice but with a smaller firm or, better yet, start your own once you have a few years experience. It can be extremely rewarding and you can treat people the way you wish that you had been treated.
It's literally just the toxic work environment in public and pay. That's it. Making it easier to get your CPA license is the worst possible solution.
If there was really an accounting crisis, I would have a job already. I graduated college with my bachelor's in accounting 5 months ago and i still don't have an entry level position in the field. Every entry level position that i have looked at they want you to have at least a year or two of accounting experience which is crazy if you just graduated college.
How many places have you applied to?
Same here. Ive applied to over 500 jobs and still nothing.
@@taxtelegraf all over new England, I live in the state of Massachusetts.
@@123meyca I know dude it sucks!
@@ismaelpena8860 me too, im in MA. Its exhausting to think about so im increasing my education.
I work for the State as an auditor. The previous generation screwed up the accounting profession big time. Our agency has major retention issues. They want 150 hrs (MBA candidate more than likely) and a CPA license to make 52k a year 😮.
Hahahahahha. These firms are delusional.
At this point, accountants should form a union or coop
That sounds like a state by state issue because my state only requires a bachelor degree to work as a state auditor unless you want to move up to upper management. It's about the same pay as your state. I think we're starting to hit retention issues in the recent generation as the old generation starts to retire
yes share your sentiments. Also worked for an auditor general office of the state with my CPA + grad degree and additional designations. Great benefits, but low pay throughout your career in the agency just wasn't cutting it. Had to leave after a few years.
It took me forever to get that 150 hr requirements. I barely got my cpa license last year - at 45 years old!
I'm 38 taking bs accounting credits til December then cam finally sit 😢 all the hoops we have to jump doesn't make sense
Im 47 and studying for FAR right now. It's been a grueling process with balancing work and life and studying for the exams.
What drives people out of accounting is that everyone in accounting is passive.Aggressive mean repressed sexually and take out their anger on staff
Don’t say that, I’m already sexually repressed and this feels like a dark foreshadowing. 😅
@@campbellblk7484🤣🤣🤣 same.
lol nah it’s the long hours doing medial tasks. That’s why working from home is great, get the GF to come over, tell the boss you got an appointment, and take care of that need.
It's outsourcing and automation. A lot of A/P and A/R jobs are being outsourced to India and the Philippines. Yes, these are entry level jobs but these are very important jobs. Accounting college grads need these jobs to gain experience.
Regarding automation - a lot of the work can be automated and is in the process of being so. Look at every article or video regarding AI and Automation - Accounting is almost always on the list to be hit the hardest. And lastly, as others have mentioned, the pay. I honestly do not see the field lasting at all. And yet people are asking why there is a shortage?
Considering majoring in accounting pretty scary with ai i think accounting is interesting but might go skilled trades route
I got lay off because automation and been more than 4 months can’t find job even held BS in accounting and MBA
It’s ridiculous
As an MSA is tax and degree with accounting I picked the right degree for job security but I do also wish we got paid more. I’m unsure if I want to get that CPA license until I see some actual benefits for having it.
I know that I should be doing it but just the sheer will to do an extra year of school and the pay off sets each other.
I took a holiday job once when I graduated college with the Post Office. It was for 2 months. 5 days a week, 12 hours a day during the winter. So 60 hour work weeks. What broke my mind was I'd enter the office at 5 AM before the sun had come up and I'd leave at 5AM after the sun set--so I never saw the sun for like 2 months. I do think it messed with my head a little. To make things worse, there were no windows in the mail sorting room where we'd give mail off to the carriers, so there wasn't sunlight indoors. Also, around 9AM all the carriers would leave, so I was alone just sorting mail by myself from like 9AM--4PM when the carriers would come back.
Dude that job was terrible.
Sounds just like my first two years as a CPA lol
This is so good Logan! Man its hilarious to me what the AICPA and all these other governing bodies will blame the shortage/pipeline problems on. its like uhhh yes blame that IG account thats it!!
Or the 150 credits. Blame em yesss thats it!!
Naww I happily got my Masters in Tax that catapulted my career trajectory, I was fine sitting for 4 exams to get my license, its a right of passage its fine.
What I was not fine with was doing all that and having a starting salary of $50K in a high COL state and working 70 hours a week. What I was not fine with was 5 years later after doing more or less the same I was at $88K while being beat on by schedulers while working 60+ hours and being in a toxic culture. That is the issue. Fix that and accounting wont have a bad rep.
Or yea continue blaming some IG account that is hacking the pipeline lol
It is not only a US problem. I am from Malaysia and it is the same thing. Low pay, high workload, long hours, compliance heavy, low tolerance for mistakes. Anyone thinking of doing accounting please reconsider. 20 years in accounting and finally decide to leave.
What other career would you do
Then what better career is there lol
Partners know there is a serious staffing shortage across the country and they're holding onto their treasure for as long as they can get their hands on the vested pension that pays out ~18-25M over their retirement years. They don't really care if the industry will be in shambles 5-10 years down the road as long as they can get their bags. Same goes for the upper management in industry. Just holding onto the current structure that rewards the top as long as they can. They're just motivated by their agenda just as we are. It is unfortunate but it's merely just a symptom of late stage capitalism where everything is coming to a decline. Best we can do is fight for better environment but not get dissapoint with the natural course of event.
Previous accounting student here who made it to junior year and then realized I actually hated it and had no interest in it. Too many negatives within the profession compared to the supposed positives. None of the accounting students I met actually enjoyed what they were learning, they were only doing it for the money, and a lot of them seemed as depressed as I had been for a long time. I switched to IT and I’m much happier now. Until the industry is overhauled, I don’t see things getting better from what I experienced.
IT makes me depressed as hell. Different people, different interests.
Three things: low pay, poor work life balance, and too clumsy to get a CPA license. First and second are pretty obvious; no one wants to work 60+ hours a work on the regular for slightly more than a similar industry 9-5. Third one baffles me. Why we don't have a federal set of standards for CPA licensing requirements is insane. On top of that, the current procedure for getting a license is expensive and clunky. $1000 just to take some exams isn't money a lot of prospective exam takers have, let alone expensive review courses and material. Until the process is modernized, people will continue to avoid becoming CPAs altogether.
That clip of the guy at the Dr. is hard to watch. Great video. Couldn't agree more that the lifestyle aspect needs to change. Thanks for the content.
I'm more and more convinced we have to get small firms and colleges connected. The work life balance is much better at a small firm.
I'm beginning the process of transitioning out and am building a team of 30-somthings and early 40-somethings to take over. It's scary, probably on both sides, but I'm open to their scheduling needs and the like. This profession isn't easy and much of it is beyond our control (tax deadlines mandated by Congress or states), but it has been the most rewarding for me. I counseled my children that if you love what you do for a living, it's not work. I've barely worked over the last 30 years! Well done, Logan.
I wish colleges would drop all these useless classes and focus more on the profession. Instead of reading Kant or learning about the dust bowl which is high school work we could have been taught more things a CPA should know or even learn some of the common accounting software. This would make the quality of new graduates so much better.
I agree.
This is what makes me hesitant to finish college
Yup their are far more skills an accountant needs, software skills, ten key typing skills, excel skills to name a few.
If you want a college degree you have to learn college stuff along with the stuff you learn in your major. Do you want a job training program or a college degree?
@@HoosierCanuk obtaining a college degree should make you ready to take on an entry level positions in your field. So I would say I would want both. Most of my useful skills came from my internship. However, after 2020 I assume it’s even harder for students to get them. Haven’t had interns in my office since then.
You are speaking my language my friend! Would love to sync up and have this discussion. The industry definitely needs a reboot to something better for the CPA!
I completely agree, public accounting needs to change. I've been in this industry for years and it doesn't even pay people enough. It is to a point that if I ever have kids and they want to become CPA i'd tell them don't do it. If this field has to die to let those partners and clients know that we are not merely getting paid enough then so be it.
If the 150 credit was the problem. Then why is the 4 years of medical school not stopping people from becoming doctors?
I don’t understand your comparison
@ to be a doctor you have to go to 4 years of additional school. And this is not stopping the interest of applicants. Because Doctors get paid well.
@@brandonpacheco6945the extra hours are red herring. The real reason nobody wants to become an accountant is because it’s a shitty, low paid job
Honestly, it comes down to decades of terrible treatment from Big 4-5 and other major public accounting firms that took their approach as the norm.
All the discussions that EVERY student accountant heard as they were studying were true:
1. terrible hours
2. treated like children
3. ridiculously low pay considering the bachelor and designation requirements
4. having to still study while working (even after designation)
5. New emerging industries (like tech) AND old blue collar industries that began to pay just as much or significantly more for less effort and time
I'm just surprised the industry didn't collapse sooner.
However, the silver-lining is that for people who are still around, many of their salaries have gone up a decent amount because of all this shortage.
TLDR you reap what you sow public firms.
Here in Australia, we have two professional bodies: CPA Australia (CPA) and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ).
Both are next to useless despite charging yearly membership fees of $800.
Both of these bodies are all in on importing as many accountants as possible from China, India, and Asia.
The result, of course, is an influx of accountants, which suppresses wages, and, naturally, additional membership fees for CPA and CAANZ.
Coupled with outsourcing and the threat of AI streamlining tasks, the industry is suffering-at least for us bean counters, it sucks.
I've advised younger teens to pursue a trade, like plumbing, electrical work, or carpentry.
It's a lot harder to outsource building a house or fixing a toilet.
This is why I just got my EA (Enrolled Agent). Own my own Tax firm and make my own hours.
How many years of experience would you suggest getting before starting your own firm?
@@SomeRandomUser0105 I did it within a week after I got my EA.
I been working as a corporate accountant for a little over 20 years. I will say, not having my CPA (I am a CMA) has paid off really well
Just subscribed, I’m starting my masters! Your videos are super helpful in helping me learn more about accounting!
Awesome, thank you!
Any topics you would like me to cover?
@artjogo getting a masters helped me!
Constructive advice: If it’s countable, like the number of persons, then use the word “fewer”; if it’s not countable, like sand pebbles on a beach, then use the word “less.”
Fewer people…
Less sand…
I hope this helps!
Thank you! I struggle with grammar 😅
I decided to take classes to get a cert in bookkeeping. I had to take Accounting courses. OK. Then COVID hit. Classes were moved online. No lectures. No teaching. Absolutely nothing. They offered an online study group, but they just gave us the answers. The department head said that THAT was no way to learn accounting, and promised his class would be better. He had an online weekly meeting where all he did was give us the answers. No teaching. What did I learn? Become a teacher.
I'm a supervisory accountant for the fed and I also side hustle to keep my tax and public accounting skills in check. I absolutely don't need a CPA to do my daily duties but for me it's more about my exit strat from the Fed. What advice can you provide for a mid to senior career accountant looking to become a CPA? I bough the Becker CPA and Superfast CPA exam prep but find it hard to make time to study with 3 kids, Fed job and side tax practice.
What's your yearly salary lol
@@vicvic2081 total comp package is close to 140k
I don't think you need a CPA.
I’m sure I don’t “need” a CPA but I think there may be some perceived value from the public. It will also make me competitive when it comes to government contracts. More than anything that’s the real driving force.
@@usnaccountant that's a good reason to get it!
i regret ever getting into it. they pay is at the bottom of all professional jobs. dont expect to make more than $65k initially, basically the poverty line. the degree is worth less than soiled toilet paper. you get treated the worst in any company. they see you as a waste of money because you are just overhead. and because of that, they keep dumping work on you, constantly, the longer you stay. ultra mega long hours too. expect to work at least 12 hours a day without getting a dime in OT pay. that means you are basically working for minimum wage. also companies abuse their accountants more than any other field. accountants always feel like they are working for a toxic company. yes its easy to find another job, but who wants to continuously do that all the time? you literally have no life because of the long hours, and are not respected. everyone outside the field feels compelled that you can do their taxes for free. i should have become a real estate agent instead. what a horrible field accounting is. imagine being forced to sit in a chair for hours and hours day after day. guaranteed you will develop chronic illnesses.
😵
Ummm, I'm gonna need you to go ahead come in tomorrow. So if you could be here around 9 that would be great, mmmk...
@@abramwarpness6053LMAOOOOOOO
After receiving my BS in accounting i went into the private sector, never public accounting. I wanted to take the CPA exam but didn't get around to it. Later in my late 30s I received a masters in Finance. For me, private is the way to go, I've worked my way up. Been a controller for several companies.
I hope people continue to leave the accounting field so I (a new CPA) can capitalize
Exactly
It’s looking like you may get the opposite problem. They are continually opening up the cpa exam to international students and are working to outsource it. This is the main reason they dropped the written part of BEC, to make it easier for non English first speakers. Look at the number of cpa candidates in India for instance, that’s your competition. And they require a far less salary.
@@Eye_of_Horus Wow I never looked at it from your point, that makes sense. I do see a huge amount of CPA channels for international students from India and other countries. I was in the middle of studying for FAR when BEC was dropped and the CPA evolution testing process was introduced.
….I asked myself if I wanted to be like the people that have been at it for a while and the answer was no
I am from India and want to captialize it or start a firm with enough knowledge
Give me a Mach 1 Mustang, a photoshoot with Sydney Sweeney, a suspiciously large amount of dry ice, and I will solve the accounting image problem in a weekend.
(I will take the Mustang across the border and you will never see me again😂😂)
Also note that countries like the Phillipines have a decline in accounting grads too, you already see some staffing firms do bidding wars for Pinoy CPAs. The decline in new CPAs is also taking into account global numbers too.
I didn't know that!
The pay and wlb needs to get better. Period
Unfortunately those of us on the job have to make up for the work not being done by the open positions. The company does not want to pay for the extra hours and work. The deadlines don't change if you are under staffed.
I'm about to go into a MACC personally to switch careers. Searching online often comes up with lots of personal accounts of people that highly pessimistic. Personally I just want a stable job at this point in my life that pays decent and lets me do my thing. People are so self righteous nowadays with career. Certain situations it's 100% valid, many others it's just people being angry for no actual good reason.
I am here too. I personally don't plan on doing public accounting and plan to transition industry
I am cpa eligible but any of the study programs (Becker, etc) cost over two grand and each of the tests costs 350-400 a pop. They build the tests to actively make you hate yourself with a 50ish percent pass rate per test. So you’re taking an average of 6 tests. 4500 to 5 grand to go from where I am at with my 150 hours to cpa. Some companies may pay for it or reimburse. Mine does not.
CPA here graduates from big 4. I don’t care for accounting but I’m good with the life style it offers. So I do bare minimum for work, I build my own wealth with the rest of my time
Big corporations shift most of the accounting jobs to India, Singapore, Ireland, and Philippines.
Can you be specific? Which tasks are sourced?
@@Janthonyx Account receivables, account payables, billings, and collections.
@@fabledreamor Lmao you call that most of the accounting jobs? Just like a thought, clueless.
@@Janthonyx Smart ass like you have to kiss a lot of asses above you to keep your job. Go drink more almond milk.
why the heck would anyone go into accounting? Every job post for an entry level position says they want 2+ years of experience, a bachelor's degree, and a starting salary of 40-50k. Subway in my town pays $19 an hour which means you don't fall into the salary trap and will actually make more if you work the same hours as an accountant will. I even see job postings for Staff Accountants that require a master's degree and a CPA with a starting salary of $55k. I understand there is a high ceiling in accounting and I am in no way advocating the fast food industry but an ambitious kid out of high school could be managing a location in 4-5 years and multiple locations within 6-10 years. Accounting used to be a prestigious career but they are just laughed at by tech and finance due to their barriers to entry and awful salaries.
There is a similar issue here in the UK. The best ambitious university graduates aim for the top tier firms, forced to work outrageous hours for very mediocre pay, and risk getting fired if they fail their ACA exams because they're too busy trying to hit their filing deadlines. So many talented people are fired from the profession and then the firms complain that their remaining staff leave at the first opportunity post-qualifying for industry roles / other careers. The whole thing seems to be a pyramid scheme built on the sweat and grind of talented graduates while partners can often barely type an email.
The number of CPA students is dropping but it is in contrast to India and Pakistan because students pursuing the chartered accountancy profession are increasing and hence there is a high shortage of places for trainees in the top category firms. As a CA student from Pakistan who just completed my CA inter just now, I am concerned about the lack of opportunities for me to go to the Top category firms. And also these firms take work normally up to 8-12 hours a day and also give a monthly stipend of up to 70 US dollars....
Low pay for the years of education and hours worked. Not to mention the AICPA made a mockery of the profession by letting people in third world countries obtain US CPA licenses. Why would any ambitious young person go through 5 years of rigorous coursework and take the hardest professional exam all to make laughable amounts of money?
Sadly instead of firms making things better, they’re just outsourcing more and more to India
Facts all the way. This is so true
People get pigeon toed into a CPA, i was CFO and didn't have it. Public accounting is just one aspect of the profession.
3 big reasons why it's really dropping. 1. When I was at Uni and this goes for my other friends who told me the same thing. There was a term being used "weeding out students" specifically in accounting. Idk wtf they were thinking. 2. CPA exam pass rates keep dropping (harder exam) whats the point in following an accounting path otherwise. I so know plenty of ppl with just masters but most ppl branch out once they see potential in analyst roles. 3. Big 4 mostly make you hate accounting when you work for them couple years. This is an extra note, ai is starting to take over AP/AR and repetitive tasks. Sooner than later, you'll need few accounts rather than say 5-6 just checking entries
This was me during busy season like 2 months ago very emotional cause of the lack of rest. The senior auditors are very intense. I appreciate the time we spent to gain the experience but it’s way to stressful.
I'm in the middle of learning accounting. This is new to me.
It's a simple supply/demand problem. Increase pay and the supply will come.
Not that easy because first you have to increase for everyone who is already there, before you can offer it to new recruits. People coming in are getting paid more for knowing and doing less
@@holelee7834not really… hiring departments usually have more budget then retention… it happens all the time
I live in the metro Atlanta area and just graduated college in December. Then I completed an internship with a public accounting firm which I have 3 really good references from but could not go full time as my dad is a client. Now I have applied to over 60 jobs and had multiple interviews which I thought went really well but can’t find a single one who will take me. There must not be a shortage
I've been hearing this from others as well...
@@taxtelegraf any advice? I am starting to lose hope and am considering trade school
It's called software. A lot of the work of accountants can be automated. Accountants have to understand it and be able to do it and error check it, but automated systems can cut the accountant work load dramatically.
Can you be specific and explain what tasks can be automated and reduce workload “dramatically”? Cause people who say accounting can be automated have been saying so since forever and are always people who are not accountants. We literally beg for more automation because we have so much to do lol. No one is worried.
@@Janthonyx It already has been compared to 15 - 20 years ago when a lot of accountants were still doing work on paper.
@@kirkb2665 and has workload been reduced or are accountants more busy and more in demand than ever? lol.
Don’t overthink this…is not that complicated pay more
Fuck “I was just happy to be in college, not an adult” as someone with a master degree while never getting any experience in accounting and can’t get hired now, this hurts lol.
I’m about to raise the CPA/ accountant shortage here in the USA. 3.5 years of public tax has got me messed up. India and A.I. are going to make us obsolete in a couple of decades might as well take my chances with cybersecurity or something..
Why am I seeing these videos right after my busy season ends?
Accounting is a dead discipline with the revolution of AI most people are studying Statistics, Economics, Mathematics, Finance, Computer Science, Financial Engineering, Actuarial Science, Physics among other highly Quantitative disciplines.
Accounting is not so Quantitative and is extremely boring.
Sammy R.G
Aspiring Actuary SOA/CAS
Personally, as a CPA, I think that the profession created too many barriers to entry to make them seem valuable. As far as the 150 hours, I tested out of 18 hours with CLEP to get the requirement with English Lit, American Lit, Sociology, and Poli Science. It was stupid and pointless. Another thing is that stodgy, outdated ideology about marketing, naming, and structural requirements for public firms have kept CPAs from diversifying their business model. That graying group (of which I am one at 60) is stuck in the 80's.
The stress and hours of busy season really aren’t worth the pay. That’s especially true when the number of off season busy seasons we get pushed into is increasing (auditor).
Offshore Accounting firms means that US Accountants will see a decrease in pay. This is happening in the software development field as well.
Fewer accountants mean the ones that are / do become accountants can charge higher prices. I presume that's a good thing for the industry.
Hopefully! But that change is slow
Plus, as the boomer and older generations of accountants retire, the younger generation of accountants can sweep their clientele.
You ever heard of offshoring?
The emphasis on the 150 hours seems to me to be a function of the current concern around cost of education. What people SHOULD be asking is “why was it that we moved to 150 hours?” The fact that we’re getting so far removed from the complete restructuring of the PA landscape in the wake of Enron, WorldCom (I mean we went from a Big 8 to Big 4, Arthur Andersen went POOF overnight!) is sad, not just because it makes me an Old.
They’ve done it to themselves. The overwhelming majority of accountants leave within the first three years for the same reasons since the 1960’s.
It’s not just pay. It’s offshoring.
I’ve worked in the field for 12 years, and I’m trying to figure out what to do to get out. Older leadership has driven me out of the profession. I don’t enjoy it anymore.
@@torrey88 you're not alone!
So where’d you get the clip of the accountant at the doctors? 😂
it's a show on netflix! I already forgot what it's called... lol
There should be an accountong union then we'll actually have rights to take breaks and not work 55hrs
I was looking to get into accounting as I start college next year but now I'm having second thoughts
Me too especially with all this ai taking entry level accounting jobs eventually too
I’m an accounting major currently I’m probably gonna switch my major
Same, thinking about going back to college for accounting cause I thought it would be an affordable/balanced lifestyle. Now I don’t know anymore. I know someone who does it and they make BANK! But I guess it depends where you work and where you live too.
@@BluDimeNailz I think if you are able to finish a degree soon it's a good decision, but starting now and having to wait 4 years to MAYBE get a good job after AI advances and also the foreigners seems risky to me
I might still go for it but I am weighing my options for what major to pick. I'm now considering Statistics so that I have a(in my opinion) more versatile skillset
This guy is me but female version !! I was constantly criticized , no training, if asked something seem like a problem or incapable
It seems like every field is in crisis and no profession is worth it. Any advice?
Follow your heart
@@taxtelegraf Thanks
Start a business or online presence
@@123meyca thanks
CMA doesn’t require the 150 hours. Just a bachelor degree and 2-3 years of experience. You don’t need to be a CPA to be a controller or a CFO.
I have absolutely no idea why anyone would go into a public accounting firm. Just based off what I've heard these places are garbage and private is much more fun, rewarding, and you can do a 40 hour work week.
While I regret not seeing the light of day from after graduation till I was about 30, the skills I learned bouncing around top15 firms for 8 years in different practices and industries was invaluable to me today. Parts of it was fun and exciting back then, like fully compt travel and perks for the entire team (culture is very different now with remote work). Now in private for another 8 years, my work life is honestly worst sometimes than public, but I do get paid for it lol. Honestly the grass isn't greener on the other side especially below senior manager level
The 150 hour rule is so dumb. Considering the remaining 30 credits don't even have to be in accounting classes. Could be Music or art even. The CPA should all boil down to the 27 accounting credit hours
So should we learn data analytics also while preparing for CPA exam?
Why data analytics?
@@taxtelegraf lol i don't know but they say CPA'S need to equip themselves with relevant tech.
Which IT skill you recommend that's useful ??
Many universities in the US are offering masters in accounting and data analytics to get it STEM certified.
I also heard this @@manavhir9161
If the AICPA spent the same PR effort on respect for the professional as they did on their name (making the world think CPA is the only accountant that matters), we would have better sustainability in the profession. Bookkeepers and staff accountants that do the "grunge" work get meager pay, as business owners dont understand their value. I cant express how weary I am of the A.I. discussion; no, a computer cant replace the human touch, but try convincing some business owners of that. Now a CMA student and firm owner, I'm pleased with my choice. But I cant help noticing how demand for my type of service has changed over the years.
Not all Accountants are in practice (Accounting firms) and not all countries use CPA. Here in the UK I don't think we have an Accounting crisis to be fair.
UK barriers to entry are a lot lower than the US and UK pay is really really low compared to US.
In my experience, I believe AICPA is just adding more difficulties to get into the profession. I have 15 years of accounting experience, but since I dont' have the 150 hours, I'm not able to take the CPA exam. I ended up doing a CMA and EA. AICPA is just trying to make universities more money by forcing the 150 hours, in my opinion.
150 hours requirement cannot be earned with BA degree anymore. MA is required and is is very very expensive. Really like Golden Gate uni here in CA but, but oh boy, 50K out of pocket is way too much. Can’t help but feel ripped off. Seriously considering to pass CPA exam and wait until they cancel their stupid requirement.
just do wgu or community college once you pass the exams nobody gives a fuck
Lol he's talking to the nurse about working 60/70 hours a week!
I have an MSA it got me a job as an assistant controller for a fortune 300 company, even though I was pretty underexperienced, I have no CPA license. Idk what a CPA looks like, I was getting paid $38 an hour, with OT, but was working +50 hour weeks, and I quit because of it. A lot of people felt I made the wrong decision, I'm just glad I'm not stressing like that guy in the clip tbh. I'm just looking for a nice government job that pays decent with benefits.
Accountants were aware of the intensity of the first 3 years in public, but were promised a job in a recession and growth to be a better job
Would be good to cross interview or research what the experience off ACCAs are like
CPA exams are just so hard.
If ur an accounting major and find the cpa exam difficult, then you must be really stupid. My bachelors was history and masters in tax, along with a few accounting courses at the community college. I passed on all 4 within the 18 months
What i see is an increase in identity theft due to the release of delicate information( SSN, etc.) and a tech savvy information age.
It would be nice if I could name my salary to accounting firms if they are so short staffed.
I know I’m 8 months late to the party but I’m a British man 25 studying for my ACCA qualification who ultimately wants to live in the states. What would I have to do to be “allowed into the country”