[Anonymous]

considered for? Hello everyone new to the forum and once long-time lurker. Firstly, I thought I’d like to share my thoughts on my background.

I graduated June 2013 and I am a recently promoted Cost Analyst for the subsidiary of a top 350 Fortune 500 company (manufacturing as you guessed it); I am set to take BEC and REG in the next couple of months and life has been hectic for me! I’m sure all of you can relate. I graduated from a reputable state school with a 3.30 overall G.P.A and a 3.65 Accounting/Business core GPA. The work has been incredibly challenging, partly because of the highly subjective work but most importantly something always goes wrong in the plant. Human error is inevitable.

With that being said, does anyone know what accounting position in the Big 4 I’d be considered for. Before I was promoted I was interviewing for multiple jobs; I did not want to be at the junior accountant/clerk level while sitting for the CPA. I was considered for several accounting/finance rotational programs but did not receive offers after making it to the final round; I do believe my lack of experience/leaving a new job so soon played a role in not getting an offer. It was one job decline in particular that led me wanting to go to the Big 4. I was turned down by a very reputable company for actually studying for the CPA. They told me verbatim ” you would be overqualified for this position because of the CPA, why don’t you go to one of the accounting firms and apply back later”.

Once I pass the exams I am going to start applying. I’ve spoke to many of my former college buddies who are all willing to help me get in but they’ve said that it’d be really difficult to get in as an Audit Associate/Assistant because they prefer recruiting students. I’m also in the difficult position of not being ready yet for the higher level Analyst type positions because of only having a 1-2 year experience (maybe I am?).

What does everyone think; please let me know

thanks.

[Anonymous]

bump

[taxman89]

no big 4 exp so really dont have a clue. just wanted to say. i kind of want your job 😀 out of curiosity what type of work do you do? I find the cost accounting side much more interesting than tax

AUD - 75
BEC - 77
FAR - 78
REG - 82

AUD: 61-67-75 (Thanks ninja aud)
BEC: 77
FAR: 78
REG:69-73-70-82

Aud-75 3x I knew i never liked you
Bec-77 1x being in the bubble is stressful
Reg-82 4x its not me its you...and no we cant be friends
Far-78 1x easiest section

[Anonymous]

taxman: before I say what I'm going to say I want you to know that throughout college I loved managerial/cost accounting and wanted to do cost accounting as a living; now I'm not so sure.

I work in livestock cost accounting; not to toot my horn but this really is the hardest type of cost accounting. It's so variable; we're not building repetitive guitars here like the textbooks make you believe. And although we do use process costing, the variability of processing on the plant will make you go crazy.

I am taking pride in the fact that I have a job first and foremost, and I do believe cost accounting can potentially branch you off into project management/general management which may be more prestigious in the long run (take a look at the majority of CEO's, it's either sales/general management/ or operations that they come from, very few accounting guys; the exception is warner bros ceo Kevin Tsujihara and even he has a Stanford MBA!).

The downsides are it's such a niche form of accounting (you pretty much have to work on a plant; some companies use project based cost accounting but I don't think they hire cost accountants just use the principles,) and that it's hard to branch off. We don't do enough forecasting to be well prepared for higher Financial Analyst type positions and we don't deal with all the line items of an income statement that a general accountant does.

Just my two cents.

[taxman89]

That's interesting. I am been thinking of trying to get into a financial analyst position because i like the forecasting and planning portion of cost accounting (I was an accounting and finance double major in college and def liked the finance better) but it makes sense that you would get somewhat into a niche, but i would think it would translate decently well to a fp&a analyst at least

AUD - 75
BEC - 77
FAR - 78
REG - 82

AUD: 61-67-75 (Thanks ninja aud)
BEC: 77
FAR: 78
REG:69-73-70-82

Aud-75 3x I knew i never liked you
Bec-77 1x being in the bubble is stressful
Reg-82 4x its not me its you...and no we cant be friends
Far-78 1x easiest section

[Author]

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