| Topic Name: |
Thinking about Going into Accounting |
| Message Name: |
Thinking about Accounting? |
| Date Posted: |
03/15/2002 |
| In Reply To: |
Greetings! I have been thinking about going into accounting career. Right now, I am a consultant at Accenture but I am thinking about going to b school with concentration in accounting or getting a MA in accounting or taking CPA exam and become a CPA. What are the differences (pros and cons) between these three paths? Is CPA the only license you can get in accounting? Are CPAs highly regarded? What do most people do after passing CPA exam and finishing two years of internship? What's the difference between (and pros and cons about) CPA and corporate accountant? Please help me figure this thing out. I've researched on variouis accounting related websites. |
| Message: |
I am actually surprised that you would want to leave Accenture, one the worlds most prestigious consulting firms (so they say). What is your motivation for wanting to go into accounting?
Anyhow... Do you have any accounting background (what was your undergrad major)? If so, you can probably pass the cpa exam by studying very hard (of course), and by taking a BeckerConviser Review Course (located all over USA).
But if you do not have much of an accounting background, it will probably be best to go to B-school and get your mba with an emphasis in accountancy, or you can do a MAC program (Master's in Accountancy) - I know personally that the Big 5 are big on MAC and support it. People with MAC's usually start in auditing. After your mac, or mba, then you can take the cpa exam (make sure you check the requirements acccording to your state), and begin working in public, private, or even government accounting to get licensed. Previously, you had to work in public accounting under cpa's and only in audit to become licensed as a cpa. However, the rules have changed (at least in CA they have, and I am sure it is the same nationally) and you may now become licensed by working in private (industry), public (big 5...), or even gov't - so long as you are working for a cpa, and you may do work other than audit to become licensed. Check out www.aicpa.org - it will probably be your best resource to get better acquainted with the accounting profession.
Hope this helped.
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