<p>Hey taxguy I read this forum two years ago and now I will be working in the fall for a regional CPA firm in the tax department. I am going to specialize in agricultural taxation and also work in some management consulting as that is what the local office primarily does. There is a lot of good information on this forum and it really did help me in 2008. </p>
<p>I remember I was initially concerned about the whole degree “prestige” thing but in my experience “prestige” will only help get your foot in the door. Degree prestige does not get you promoted or retained. Passing your CPA, being a competent accountant, being a likable person and bringing in and retaining clients makes you a partner or manager. I have met partners that went to tier 4 schools and partners that graduated from the Ivies. I will be graduating from a AACSB accredited tier 4 school soon and many of my friends are going to big 4 and national firms.</p>
<p>Well said, ValleyAccountant. Even better is that you are developing a specialized niche that will be very useful and put you in demand. Frankly, I wish I knew more about agricultural taxation. Not to many farmers in Wash DC.</p>
<p>The clients are very different from what most accountants are used to. I actually have to purchase western garb so I can dress in a non-threatening way when I go out to visit clients on site. Also when you count cows if you wear nice shoes they will get destroyed. I won’t be visiting clients on site for another 2 years. If you dress in a nice suit the farmers think you are the IRS or a banker. </p>
<p>The hillarious thing is that I am learning about the various types of cow breeds and how to determine if the herd is in good shape. A sick dying old cow is worth tens of thousands less than a champion breeding bull. When you perform a compilation for a bank loan you need to actually figure out how much all their animals and crops are worth. Agriculture is an interesting industry.</p>
<p>hey guys been working really hard these past two semesters to raise my gpa and make up for my bad freshmen year, i have got my gpa up to a 3.6 and i think i can get it even higher the following semester, would this gpa make me a competitive candidate for the big 4 etc?</p>
<p>If you hold you hold your 4.0 throughout all your upper level curriculum the big 4 will be impressed. Also you need to have demonstrated leadership and some kind of work experience to stand out. Volunteer at VITA and run for an officer position in a club. The economy of the late 90s is over and GPA is only one part of the puzzle. A 3.6 will make the cut if you maintain it. Also try to do an internship with one of the big 4.</p>
<p>“also try to do an internship with one of the big 4.”</p>
<p>hehe. easier said than done. </p>
<p>depending on the school, and your resume & cover letter, a 3.6 will probably mean you’ll get at least 1 interview but it really depends on the # of interview slots and the competitiveness of your peers. you could get none. but like valleyaccountant says, its also about the whole package (even if gpa is most important in the early stage), so try to impress in other areas. </p>
<p>also: you’ve only taken financial & managerial accounting? then I would’nt brag about a 4.0 acctg gpa in your resume & CL. those are introductory courses, loads of accounting students did great in those classes, and then as a result, chose to major in acctg. besides 2 subjects aint really a good sample.</p>
<p>yes i understand about only taking financial and managerial. i will be taking the upper level accounting courses starting next semester. also in terms of resume, have some leadership positions in clubs and already did one internship and starting another one this summer, although neither company is anywhere near a fortune 500 company or anything.</p>
<p>I was offered an internship with a big 4 and I am not a genius. As a matter of fact I only scored around a 1600 on the new SAT. That was mostly due to the fact I was a major jock in high school and only cared about being the homecoming captain of the football team. I turned it down since I don’t want to get the “disneyland” introduction to accounting. I know a few people that did the internship and went to a full time position. Basically the internship is a way for them to trick you into thinking that the work environment isn’t that bad. This is especially true if your internship is in the summer. </p>
<p>In reality most people will never last in the big 4. They will get burnt out and quit. If you can handle relocations, long work hours, and competition then go for it. If you are like me and enjoy a bit of time off but don’t mind working 55-60 hours a week during busy season then go to a regional. The partners don’t make as much as the big 4 but they make at least around 150k a year starting. What good is 500k per year as a partner in the big 4 if you don’t have time to spend it?</p>
<p>I also have a fiance and I plan to have children at some point in the next 5 years. I want to be in my children’s lives.</p>
<p>Thank you for all the helpful information. </p>
<p>Can you please provide me with some guidance on proper major/minor for my desired career?</p>
<p>At age 38, I am currently pre-business and after summer school, will enter the accounting major at UNLV, a double accreditied school. I’ve taken the preliminary accounting classes (A and B+), and passed the entrance exam for ACC 400. I have a cumulative GPA of 3.8, and have only 3 more classes to complete my minor in communications.</p>
<p>I abhor inefficiency and, throughout my life, in most of my jobs, I have seen how business owners can increase their profits while increasing their customer satisfaction, which in turn tends to increase sales. At my current job, I was able to save the owners $1200 a month on postage (and stop p/o’ing customers and agents!). I also made a recommendation to them that, if taken by a peon like me, will increase their revenue by 20-30%. </p>
<p>My dream job is to get paid for assisting businesses in increasing their profits while increasing their customers’ satisfaction.</p>
<p>So far, I enjoy and find a great peace in my accounting classes and would like to focus on this major. Is there another major (perhaps doing a double major?) or minor you’d recommend that will complement my career goals?</p>
<p>Perhaps it depends on the businesses that I want to help? Where would I look to do internships? And, how much money can I make annually being an “efficiency expert”?</p>
<p>Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you in advance for your time.</p>
<p>Samantha, you sound like a very smart gal. I would say that accounting mixed with some good old fashioned common sense should be the major of choice for you. One of the best ways to get better at business consulting is to work for firms that do what you do. The only way to really get those skills is to have a good mentor. This is true for many fields. How you find these types of firms is the question. However, I would bet that they exist. Do a search for business consulting or business consultants and see what they do. If you can work for a turn around specialist that might also do the trick.</p>
<p>If you have no experience in accounting leave anything that could indicate your age off your resume if you apply to CPA firms. So if you worked at jiffy lube in 1990 don’t put it on there. Unfortunately in my experience age discrimination is rampant. I am only 22 so it isn’t a problem for me but I have known spectacular 40 year old graduates that cannot find jobs since the firms identify them as “too old to be molded”. Even in my regional firm most people are very young with the exception of the senior managing partner. The partner whose tax team I am on is only early 30’s Also if you do get hired keep in mind that you could very well have a 25 year old as your supervisor and be cautious when giving them good ideas from your experiences as a peon.</p>
<p>Thank you for the advice. I’ll remember this. I believe my age is an asset. But, I understand why you say this. Unlike some my age (and younger!), my appetite for learning is voracious, I love to work and am “moldable”.</p>
<p>Regarding my resume, I have a question. I will be ready to do internships by spring '12. I finished Eng 407a-business writing and have created an internship resume that does just what you mentioned except I included my previous business experience (selling life insurance/small business owner). It gives the impression that I am probably late 20’s to early 30’s. I think it’s relevant because it is business experience. Obviously, its not direct accounting experience. Should I just leave that off my resume?</p>
<p>That depends on what kind of a job you are going for and what kind of experience you had in those jobs. If you had leadership experience and supervised 20 people I would include it. If you were a peon and jumped ship after 6 months I would leave it off. Honestly it just depends I would recommend joining BAP and asking them as the job market varies from area to area. Unfortunately your age is not an asset in public accounting do not tell them and they legally cannot ask you your age. Biologically people mentally and physically peak at 40. Age is an asset in public accounting if you have years of experience in the field of accounting, management experience in accounting, certifications, and a nice client base. Also the social circles in public accounting are composed of young people. My friends new class composed of entry level hires at a big 4 accounting firm is known as “The Nursury”. Literally the oldest person their is like 28. </p>
<p>Also make sure you get your credit history in order. Many accounting jobs will check that along with the background check. I have known older people that returned to school after a bankruptcy only to find that they cannot get a job in finance or accounting because they are viewed as being financially irresponsible. Most 22 year olds have not had a bankruptcy or foreclosure.</p>
<p>I have an impressive resume for any insurance salesperson- strong, stable, proven experience in sales and insurance (9 years-present). I currently have a good job and am a top producer brokering life insurance. I also have some excellent professional references.</p>
<p>If I did it full time, I’d be in six figure range; but on the neverending “hamster wheel” with no retirement and no medical benefits. Plus, I’ve mentally outgrown selling insurance, which is why I went back to school. If UNLV opens up the accounting insurance cirriculum again, I’ll be utilizing those classes. They would work exceptionally well with my resume and while they probably won’t get me a job or internship at a Big 4, they likely will get my foot in the door at a large insurer such as Marsh. But, perhaps Big 4 needs people who specialize in insurance?</p>
<p>I’ve planned to get either Masters or MBA after graduating so I’m close to on par with my peers when I’m done. I’d rather put in the extra 1-2 years so I can come out on the upper 25% of graduates, if you know what I mean.</p>
<p>I have had a bankruptcy, but am quite frugal now. The bk will be 1-2 years from falling off my credit report by the time I’ve graduated. (What you say is true to an extent probably more so for people with no experience. Merryll Lynch’s manager wanted to hire me with $75K salary but it was 10 months after the bk. Their legal dept said to wait 2-3 years. But, its irrelevant because I don’t want to go be a salesperson unless I can have some effect on the guidance of the ship. And, frankly, my education is more important to me than just the money.) </p>
<p>Thanks for listening and for your thoughts as I fine tune my plans,</p>
<p>Seriously if I were you I would go back to insurance. You will not start anywhere near 100k in accounting. In Vegas you will probably start at 50k if anyone wants to hire you. It will take you at least 5 years to get promoted to a 100k salary in accounting. That is assuming you pass the CPA, don’t **** off your 26 year old manager and get licensed.</p>
<p>Sales experience is nice but not nearly as important as management experience. Your age will be a major issue at the big 4 and national firms. At most offices you would be viewed as too old with no relevant experience. Be prepared to work 70-80 hour weeks.</p>