Good Idea/ Bad Idea?

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    Topic
  • #186365
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    You’re awesome if you thought of the cartoon Anamaniacs when you read the title…ah the good ole days…

    I digress…

    I work for a relatively small accounting firm but I am going to transition into Audit at a Big 4 in mid-August…I am also looking for a part time job to help pay for the grad school program that I am starting this Fall.

    First of all:

    1) Is it even possible to hold a part time job as an entry level auditor at a Big 4 firm?

    2) I was considering asking my current employer if I could work on a contract basis/ part time instead of quitting altogether (got the idea from an article that was recently posted in the forum)…Has anyone had any experience doing this…good or bad?

    It’s hard to find a full time job in this economy, let alone a part time job…so I figured it doesn’t hurt to ask my current employer. Besides, I know I’d be leaving at a bad time (fall busy season) so I figured it’s somewhat mutually beneficial.

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 16 total)
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  • #578695
    itsjustatest
    Member

    Are you asking if you can hold down a part time job AND be an big 4 auditor? Or a part time job BEFORE being a big 4 auditor?

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    #578696
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    AND

    #578697
    itsjustatest
    Member

    Big 4 + Part Time + Grad School = Bad Idea.

    The equation needs to lose one of the above variables. Hope this helps

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    #578698
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    *Sigh*…you're probably right…but I'll also add that A) I don't plan on needing to do this after this first Fall semester and B) the grad school program is 100% online…

    Do these two pieces of info change your opinion?…I have a feeling they don't : /

    #578699
    itsjustatest
    Member

    Unfortunately not! After 50+ hour weeks at the big four and a grad degree program (online or live), the monetary benefit a part time job would provide (if even possible to hold one) does not outweigh the stress/time/sleep that it would cost you.

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    #578700
    acamp
    Participant

    Forget job + Big4, but even grad school + Big4 sounds kinda crazy–online or not, you'll have times where you have nearly zero free time.

    Why are you doing grad school at this point in time? Need units?

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    #578701
    lude4life13
    Member

    I would have to say it's almost impossible. There are times when you work 7 days a week, and if you decide you can't do that then I don't think you could be successful in that environment, as people will automatically assume you are lazy. I know that sounds horrible (and it is), but that is the truth. I think I saw you saying you were going to a big 4 in LA correct? If so it's even harder since there is really no such thing as “busy season.” In socal there is almost every industry, which means every single year end (not just calender), which means you are very frequently working “busy season” hours throughout the entire year. Not only that, but as a staff, your schedule is almost completely unpredictable. You work when the team works, and you usually only have a general idea of what the hours will look like. I can't tell you how many times I found out I was working on Saturday, on Friday around 4PM…

    #578702
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I just left Big 4, but there was a clause in my employment contract that said I could not hold another job while working for the firm. Not sure if they were the only one of the four to do this, but it was definitely in my contract. I'm not sure what they would have done if they found out someone had a second job, but it said we couldn't. Might want to watch out for that.

    Even if you don't have to worry about that, doesn't sound like a good idea to me. You get too busy to even consider it.

    #578703
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @acamp: I actually am one of the few CA CPA people that got grandfathered in with the old pathway, so I don't actually need the credits…but I'm recently married and want to have kids within the next 3-5 years, and I would like to get my Master's before children and because I am interested in eventually teaching at community colleges/universities(adjunct) and also, it's a Masters in Governmental Accounting, which would benefit me when I plan to transition to a government job later in my career…

    It allll works out in my head in theory…but I guess not in real life.Ok so it looks like I have to take on some loans for the first semester, NBD…but I do NOT want to take any more out after that, and I don't anticipate I will have to next year (I plan on applying for every scholarship possible).

    EDIT:

    Plus, I can take advantage of the tuition reimbursement program at Big 4 employer 🙂

    @lude4life:

    Yes you're correct…Los Angeles Big 4. Thanks for the heads up about lack of off season in this region.

    #578704
    acamp
    Participant

    Hmmm, I've seen people do a masters before big4 to get units or after big4 at a higher end school once they have some resume cache.

    Its going to be a real challenge to a get lot out of your master's program WHILE being a Big4 auditor. If you were doing it just to get units its one thing, but given that you have the option I would wait until your in a better position. I know my local (and respected) community college allows for Bachelors + CPA in lieu of a masters, might check if this is an option at school you'd be interested in working with; that way you could do an evening master's while teaching, seems easier than any sort of school while working Big4.

    Lastly, given the total hours consumed by Big4 PLUS Grad School…do you plan on still be married in 3-5 years? 😉 j/k… sorta.

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    California CPA - Big4 Aud Manager Alum - Private Accounting at Startups

    FAR, REG and BEC with Ninja Notes + WTB Only

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    #578705
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    You ALL make valid points…I guess I have some decisions to make.

    Thanks for the advice everyone 🙂

    #578706
    JAG314
    Member

    @CPA4birthdaypresent

    I'm enrolled to the same masters program you mentioned. I finished my 1st semester and I just wanted to let you know that the classes are not that easy. Most of all the students have been doing government accounting for quite a few years. It was me and one other student who didn't have any experience in government.

    So I agree with everyone by saying it would not be best to get a part time job. You will have a lot of homework depending on how many classes you decide to take. And from what I understand you don't have much experience in government accounting.

    #578707
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    JAG314 wow! Glad to actually encounter someone who actually knows about the masters program I'm doing!!

    As it turns out, k917 was correct in that there is a clause in my offer agreement forbidding me from taking on another job. As a result, I've resolved to take that nice CPA bonus and pay my first semester's tuition instead of taking out loans. And no, I do not have any governmental accounting experience.

    I will be taking two courses: Governmental Accounting & Auditing & Public Financial Management per Marcie's suggestion

    Can we like swap email addresses? I have so many questions regarding the program!

    #578708
    JAG314
    Member

    Yeah sure. I don't know how to go about that without posting my email on here lol.

    #578709
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    How bout we connect via LinkedIn? My name is Jennifer Williams and I have the same pic on LinkedIn that I do on a71.com

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