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Just know that when you start out for at least the first few years during busy season you’ll be working insane hours. Like 8AM-2AM. No joke.
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what's the requirement for taking the cpa?
out of school for awhile now and had ok greats (not great... 3.0). i assume work experience plays a huge part. would i need to take grad courses prior?
Just know that when you start out for at least the first few years during busy season you’ll be working insane hours. Like 8AM-2AM. No joke.
graduated in 2012 and started in audit at a big 4 at $52k, got my cpa in 2013, went to industry in 2015 at $75K, just landed a senior revenue accountant job i start at next month for $125k. btw all in the SF bay area. hope this helps.
Sort of - it's partially assuming you're retiring a partner so it's kind of like your buyout. I hadn't heard 75% - i thought it was 100%...The overall comp structure is interesting to say the least. Are you w/ KPMG?
Edit - I thought the pension was only good for 15 years too, didn't hear the rest of your life. I mean either way, if you live your life through 30 years in the Big 4 you've earned it.
Just passed final exam for CPA license and now applying for license
My only beef with the profession in general is that a lot of folks (in my experience) who came from Big 4 look at working a lot like a badge of honor (it's not ), and that culture kind of comes with them when they move to industry in managerial type roles. But other than that no complaints. It's not for everyone though
I’m not positive about the 75%. You could def be right. 100% of average last five years rings a bell. Yep, the assumption is you make partner by then. I remember my boy telling me it was for life.
I’m not at KPMG or in accounting but one of my college roommates has been with them for 12 years now.
My previous boss at the last startup I worked at was like this. He kept telling me stories about how he worked 12-14 hours a day at EY like I gave a @#$@, and he expected us to do the same (I already did that for a while at the first firm I worked for and wasn't trying to do it again).
Even if I finished all my projects on time and had nothing left to do for the day, he'd want me to stay in the office for another 4-5 hours to do nonsense work that's better suited for interns or office managers. I don't mind doing non-accounting tasks (comes with any startup job), but seriously, trying to get me to do collections calls with customers for 3-4 hours a day is ridiculous
My current job is perfect for me. I might complain about the hipsters I have to work with, but having unlimited PTO with no restrictions on when to take it (other than month/quarter close time) and being able to work from home 1-2 days a week is
I do agree that while Big 4 background means nothing about how good of an accountant you are (and for the number of hours worked, it doesn't even pay well compared to most of the companies I've been at) it's a resume builder for managerial roles. Same with the CPA. I haven't been able to apply for some jobs just because the requirements were "Must have 3-5 years experience at a Big 4".
The startup scene in the Bay Area is basically what allowed me to move ahead quickly in this field. Being an accountant for startups is so damn chaotic, that if you're flexible and able to solve problems quickly, you have a lot of value. I've seen a lot of accountants who came from established companies/Big 4 and couldn't handle the daily disasters that happen at startups Not that I blame them; the constant "putting out fires" mentality is irritating to me too
this
done some temp work for startups out here. a lot of these companies just don't have their **** together. no real HR or acct dept set up.
don't get me started on how they spend their money. no wonder these companies burn through millions of dollars in funding and most don't survive.
are you currently at a startup?
I dont see how its expected
Must have been hard to get by with $52-75k in SF
Thread bump.
Were internships crucial to you all getting job opportunities after graduation ?
Im 28 and looking to switch careers ..but a internship isn’t viable with a wife and kids
personally internships for me was beneficial. but I was a young kid still in college, living at home and they helped a lot because I had no work experience. Some companies offer paid internships but im sure you can find an entry level position even if its just bookkeeping that you can get into. You can let them know that you are switching career pathsThread bump.
Were internships crucial to you all getting job opportunities after graduation ?
Im 28 and looking to switch careers ..but a internship isn’t viable with a wife and kids