[Anonymous]

Hi All,

I applied for a job in another division within our county Department of Transportation as a finance officer. This position will be 1 level higher than the position I am in now. It is very likely that I will be hired for this position as management has made indications that they wanted me. I want to use the fact that I am almost a CPA to negotiate a higher salary for when they offer me a job. I have passed REG & BUS on first try. But failed AUD with a 72 and FAR with a 63. I will be taking both retakes within the next 2 months and am very confident that I will pass. So in essence I will be a CPA in 2 months but they will likely offer me the job next week.

How can I “sell” the fact that I am almost a CPA so that they would treat me as a CPA and offer me a higher salary. Outside of saying that I have passed 2 sections and almost passed the 2 others (I have the knowledge/understanding of those two sections even though I failed by a little) and that I will be a CPA in 2 months. What else can I say about what almost being a CPA and putting in the work to prepare for the exam. What does this show? That I am very hard working, motivated, etc. Besides being knowledgeable in accounting what does the process of becoming a CPA show about me(us).

Thank you all!

[Tripp11]

I would just state that you've passed two out of four parts of the CPA Exam, and that you are continuing your studies to pass the remaining two parts, and then leave it at that. I would not say that I will be a CPA in two months or that I'm almost there. In reality, there are many people on this forum who have scores in the high 60's and low 70's for multiple times trying to pass the same part. So, I don't think you can say that you'll be a CPA in two months because you scored a 72 on AUD and a 63 on FAR. While, I hope you do pass, a 63 on FAR isn't “almost there”.

I would focus more on the job duties of this new position and convey to them that you can do those duties, and also be responsible for additional duties, if need be.

However, if I had any control over the job hiring and salary for that job, the fact that you've only passed two parts wouldn't hold much weight with me.

Good luck!

AUD - 93
BEC - 80
REG - 86
FAR - 83

[law0915]

What about someone who passed all four and is about to submit their application? I wonder if companies offer a contingent salary say $70k then a bump to $80k after the license is official.

REG 77 Feb14
BEC 13*, 79 Aug14
FAR 64**, 76 Nov14
AUD 89 Feb15

*Exited exam after first testlet
**Only studied F1-F6 out of 10 Becker chapters

Licensed Arizona CPA

[hunter32]

I would just say that you've passed two and leave it at that. Never associate yourself with being a CPA until you actually have a license number.

BEC - 80 (Becker)
AUD - 92 (Becker+NINJA MCQ)
FAR - 87 (Becker+NINJA MCQ)
REG - 90 (Becker+NINJA MCQ and Audio)

[ruggercpa2b]

When I made the transition from public to private when they made my first offer and then I made a counter offer. When I made the counter offer is when I highlighted a few things, for example my 7 years of experience. And then she went back.

Maybe you can say “I was hoping for $6. Aside from X number of years of experience I have also passed to sections of the CPA exam with the plan on being done with the exam by 12/31/15.' Something along those lines.

My very first industry job they flat out told me a CPA was not required to do my job which was in Internal Audit so I was not expect an increase in pay if I was to be done with the exam.

AUD - NINJA in Training
BEC - NINJA in Training
FAR - NINJA in Training
REG - NINJA in Training

AUD - 1/6/18
FAR - TBD
REG - TBD
BEC - TBD

AUD - 73, 72 retake 7/2/2016
BEC - 8/20/2016
REG - TBD
FAR - TBD

I am so ready for this nightmare to be over. Been at this way too long.

[Anonymous]

The fact that you have passed 2 of 4 wont mean anything to your future employer. You are either a CPA or you aren't.

[law0915]

That is true as (god forbid) you could fail and never pass the others and lose credit for the ones you passed.

REG 77 Feb14
BEC 13*, 79 Aug14
FAR 64**, 76 Nov14
AUD 89 Feb15

*Exited exam after first testlet
**Only studied F1-F6 out of 10 Becker chapters

Licensed Arizona CPA

[y_u_no_pass]

Well you may be likely to pass, but I agree you shouldn't say that you will pass within x months. Because the fact is life happens and these exams are tough. When I got my nts for all four exams in the last 6 months of 2014 my plan was to be done and submit my application as soon as I had my year work experience. Then my father died and I had to extend my nts and finished at the end of February instead. There is a saying under promise and over perform. Don't promise you will be done in two months as you just don't know for sure.

Florida CPA!
Took final exam 2/25/15.
Sent in Application 3/12/15.
Issued License 3/20/15.
Used CPA Excel solely for all exams.

[jbarwick]

Conservatism: Recognize all probable losses as they are discovered and most expenditures as they are incurred. Revenue will be deferred until it is verified.

You missed this during your FAR studies and it seems you are applying the principle wrong while the organization is applying it right. You are not only assuming this job is yours but also that you will be a CPA (as others have stated is not a guarantee). They are going to assume you are not a CPA (correct) and they may offer you the job (I don't think conservatism in this since would apply as there is no gain/loss currently).

Journey Started - January 2015
FAR - 4/2015 - Passed
AUD - 7/2015 - Passed
BEC - 8/2015 - Passed
REG - 11/12/2015 - Passed

[fuzyfro89]

Don't make promises you can't guarantee you will keep.

YOu can't guarantee that you will pass the CPA the next time, so don't say anything along the lines of “I'll be passing the remaining exams soon”. You might, and that's great, but it just sounds like you're very full of it. I think back to past candidates, and confidence is great, but I also know the battle isn't over until it's over.

You certainly CAN say that you have passed 2/4 exams and are planning to take the remaining 2 in the next quarter. Nothing misleading or wrong about that. Then, rather than making a silly promise of sorts, it's much more important to reflect on how you have grown from the CPA examination process… setting daily/weekly goals, being disciplined and dedicated for an extended period of time, working through things that are difficult/challenging, etc. All those things are far more meaningful to a potential employer than “I'll be a CPA soon, give me mo' money!”

I will only add that many jobs (e.g. public, and even industry in certain functions) have a CPA as a basis requirement… so it's expected that you're working toward it and will get it… which means it's already built into your compensation.

I don't know what job you're going for, but that's something to consider. Good luck!

[shankysays]

Does the job description/posting say “CPA required” or “CPA preferred”? If not, I would use it only as a quick mention in the interview to make it clear that you are pursuing a professional qualification. Some people, particularly in government, couldn't really care less about whether a candidate is a CPA or not, so if it's not mentioned at all, I would definitely recommend against trying to use it to negotiate a higher salary, especially if you're only halfway there.

BEC - 72, 82! ✓
FAR - 80! ✓
AUD - 70, 92! ✓
REG - 74, 78! ✓

Licensed CPA 5/2015

[jmhassell21]

I had a recruiter call me and say, “You're the guy, #1 out of 6, it's just paperwork”. The next day, they had offered the job to someone not on the recruiter's radar, a seventh person.

That's like Michael Collins saying, “I orbited the Moon, but I didn't walk on it. That was Neil”. Be cool about asking to be treated like a CPA, when you are not. I don't even talk about the exam with friends, because saying you failed is tough.

Let them know ONLY that you've passed two of the four, and that you're continuing to take the Exam.

REG (4/2015)
AUD (5/2015)
FAR
BEC

"And I am reminded, it is not the billows, but the calm level of the sea, by which the heights and depths are measured." James A Garfield

[Author]

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