Help! Unsure what to do?

  • Creator
    Topic
  • #186462
    slpierce
    Member

    I will graduate with my bachelors degree in accounting in December from K-State. My school offers a 1 year 30 credit hour masters (MAcc) degree to help students get to the 150. I had originally wanted to go the MAcc route, but after realizing that I will be only 11 hours short of the 150 after I graduate in December I’m not sure if it is worth the extra year and money to go on for my masters. I am also taking 3 graduate hours next semester so I would only be 27 hours short of a Masters.

    Basically my options are:

    Graduate in December finish the 11 credit hours at a community college or online.

    Graduate in December try to get a winter internship (hopefully big 4) start Masters in Fall 2015.

    Graduate in December start Masters in January 2015. (possibly intern in the summer)

    I have a 3.5 GPA, 4 years experience as a bookkeeper, currently the evening supervisor for the tutoring center on campus, and have an interview for an accounting internship for a local business that employees approximately 900 people on Monday. What do you think my chances are of getting a Big 4 internship with my experience? I know that it is competitive for summer internships, but winter ones are supposed to be easier to get into. I don’t have much as far as extravehicular activities or volunteering.

    Also, when do firms start interviewing for winter internships? If I got to my schools career fair in September will they be looking for winter interns? Also what are the chances of me getting into a different region with a Big 4 firm. Most people usually go to work at Kansas City, but I would prefer Portland, Oregon as I am originally from Oregon.

    All advice and experience is welcome and appreciated.

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • Author
    Replies
  • #577167
    ICM117
    Member

    I did the 150 in four years, without a masters program. I recommend doing your last 11 credits at a community college online. I ended up taking probably about 12 credits online of extremely random classes (psyc and sociology mostly because they were easy) and I am in the same position as other people who I work with who got masters. I don't really think there is a benefit to getting your masters if your'e planning on getting your CPA anyway.

    Also I think if your school has good recruiting you can easily get interviews through your school and then ask to be placed in a different city. My school does interviews in our business school, and I've definitely heard of companies flying people out to go to office interviews at the locations they want so as long as you make it clear where you want to be you should be fine.

    #577168
    QuesoDip
    Member

    I definitely recommend taking your additional credits at a community college. There is no sense in getting into debt uselessly. Take advantage of your school's career fair and then finish your credits to get licensed. I went the Macc route and greatly regret the decision to do so. The only tangible benefit I received from it was gaining access to the school's recruiting process which landed me a big 4 job.

    REG - 88 - 8 Weeks (Becker, Ninja Audio/Flashcards, Wiley TB)
    FAR - 87 - 10 Weeks (Becker, Ninja Audio)
    AUD - 98 - 6 Weeks (Becker, Ninja Audio, Ninja MCQ)
    BEC - 87 - 2 Weeks (Becker & Ninja Audio)

    #577169
    slpierce
    Member

    Thank you for the responses! My school as an all university career fair in September with 250+ organizations attending throughout a two day period. I will definitely be attending, but wanted a game plan so when I talk to recruiters I can tell them exactly what I will be doing after graduating in December.

    #577170
    impska
    Member

    I think you should try to get an internship. I went to KU, and it was a tougher haul to get a full time offer without an internship (I had an internship at a smaller firm). Big 4 is pretty much your only option for getting a west coast internship (unless Moss Adams recruits at K-State – they did turn up at KU recently, so you might be able to get in touch with a recruiter).

    I say go into the fall recruiting season saying that you want a January internship (preferably west coast) and that your plan is to wrap up your 11 credits within a semester after that – but that you're willing to finish them up while working full time, if necessary.

    From there, make sure you look at the differences between the Kansas and Oregon education requirements and pick up anything you're missing for Oregon (though, Kansas pretty much covers all bases as far as requirements are concerned :p).

    REG - 94
    BEC - 92
    FAR - 92
    AUD - 99

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.