Will passing the CPA get me a job?

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  • #201388
    WantJobCPA
    Participant

    Hi all,

    Well I am a new accounting grad decent GPA 3.2 and experienced bookkeeper. I am a little older than the norm for new grads I am in my early 30’s and I cannot land a job

    I’ve been thinking that getting the passing the CPA exam will give me the edge I need…. bur I really don’t want to spend too much money so any ideas? Also, do i really need to spend 3000 dollars on materials or can i go cheaper?

    Thanks for any feedback!

Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
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  • #772512
    CPA CMA
    Participant

    Nothing is guaranteed other than death and taxes, buddy! Pass the exam will only increase your chances.

    CPA, CMA

    Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA) 12/17/2014

    BEC 76 (10/3/14)
    FAR 75 (10/24/14)
    REG 83 (4/6/15)
    AUD 75 (4/20/15)
    Anticipated Licensure: August 2016

    CMA part 1 passed (6/15/15)
    CMA part 2 Passed (9/4/15)
    Anticipated Licensure: August 2017

    #772513
    wombataholic
    Participant

    The designation by itself won't get you a job. I would say that it's a qualification that will set you apart from other candidates and a talking point during job interviews.

    As for materials, Ninja is pretty great in terms of quality and price. I passed using Ninja Notes/Audio/MCQ. I think it could be done with just notes and MCQ, which would run you $456 for all 4 sets of Ninja Notes and purchasing 3 months of access for each section's MCQ as you start prepping.

    Good luck!

    AUD - 91
    BEC - 85
    FAR - 91
    REG - 92
    CPA, CFE
    Passed all 4 CPA exam sections with Ninja Notes/MCQ/Audio

    Licensed CPA
    Passed each section on the first try with Ninja Notes/MCQ/Audio

    #772514
    TheHoundThatRides
    Participant

    It gets people looking at you. You still need to land the job on your own with legwork and interviewing skills.

    No you don't need to spend $3000 on materials. Becker has that price just because it's the most heavily marketed.

    There are low-end CPA reviews that plenty of people use to pass. (low as in price, not in quality.) I believe Gleim and Ninja are in this range.

    And there are mid-range reviews like Roger, Yaeger, Wiley. I went with Roger. The review helped me pass FAR and BEC first try so far. I failed AUD but that is more because I got lazy.

    Becker helps a lot of people pass. But it's foolish to drop money on it BASED ON REPUTATION ALONE. You really have to try sample lectures from each review course and see which one works best for you. Based on what I have read, I would have had a really hard time studying for the CPA exam with Becker. And there are lots of people who would have had a hard time studying with Roger. Read up on pro's/cons for review courses, give samples a try, and see what works best for you.

    BEC - 78 (August 2015)
    FAR - 80 (November 2015)
    AUD - 73, 67. (Ok I gotta confess I was even more lazy this time around)
    REG - August 27th, 2016

    #772515
    HoosierDaddy
    Participant

    Do you live near a big city, smaller city, or rural?

    Can you try to find a job as a bookkeeper at a local CPA firm? Then once you pass the exam you will likely have a job as an accountant!

    Most smaller CPA firms have bookkeepers on staff.

    -Passed all four sections of CPA exam in 2010 using Becker.
    -Former Seasonal Audit Senior with Big Four accounting firm.
    -Plan to sit for Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS)

    #772516
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Your only hope is really getting on with a firm in the FALL during tax season..

    What Ive found out is to get an industry job you have to go through public..to go through public you have to be recruited through school..or atleast its easier that way..

    No CPA firms will even talk to you if you do not have 150 credit hours and are elligible to sit for the exam..thats the first question I was asked..

    Hoosiers advice might not be bad just keep looking..avoid job site for the most..Im 30 as well so know how you feel but ive had a few interviews just screwed up royally and passed on the jobs to focus on passing the exam and now its a ghost town as far as hiring goes.

    #772517
    mtaylo24
    Participant

    You don't need public for an industry job. I will have been working in industry for 5 years this May and I'm not a CPA yet. Never stopped me from getting promoted or a new job. Shoot, I have an interview on Wednesday…

    CPA (2017)

    REG:  75

    BEC:  76

    FAR:  77

    AUD: 78

     

    CMA (2019)

    P1: 380

    P2: 360

    AUD - 1st - 60 (12/12), 61 (2/13), 61 (8/13), 78! (11/15)
    REG - 55 (2/16) 69 (5/16) Retake(8/16)
    BEC - 71(5/16) Retake (9/16)
    FAR - (8/16)

    #772518
    Missy
    Participant

    That question is just like asking “will getting a gym membership get me physically fit?” Maybe, and it certainly won't hurt your chances, but you're going to have to work at it. There are very few jobs in industry that require public experience, and you certainly don't have to get a CPA. It really depends on what your career goal is.

    Old timer,  A71'er since 2010.

    Finance manager/HR manager

     

     

    Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
    Finance/Admin/HR Manager

    #772519
    Pete
    Participant

    I have had a similar experience to amore. You can certainly get industry jobs without public, but they'll be 10x harder to get in my experience. I've had 3+ interviews, where I was told the company went with someone with public accounting experience, despite how much they liked me. This assumes you strictly mean staff accountant though. For a less strict accounting position, like a financial analyst, this public accounting rule might not hold as much weight.

    I too have found that it's much more difficult to get hired by a firm, if you don't get recruited during campus recruiting. You can always apply on the firm's website, but then it almost becomes like applying through monster, which doesn't work well. In this case, networking is the only real effective way to get these jobs. Even that isn't as effective as campus recruiting though.

    B=84 This exam was such a b**** that I thought I failed-don't know how these things work
    A=76 Slacker I am, I'll happily take it
    R=81 I LOVE taxes
    F=80 I don't wanna get banned for an expletive I'm thinking with "yea" proceeding it

    #772520
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Ratfus spot on..

    Yes you can probably get an industry job but you will make less and always be passed over for people with public and BIG 4 experience..I had a great interview with Groupon and got passed over once they realized I had no public..

    Its dumb but a reality..atleast starting out..

    Financial analyst type roles I think are more looking at Finance type degrees..not a lot of accountants know how to make financial forecasts straight out of college..most of them dont even know what an option really is other then by defintion..

    #772521
    Pinkysharma
    Participant

    Hello,
    CPA US makes you the world's topmost qualified public accountant of the industry in the least possible time.
    CPA has 4 papers – BEC, AUD, FAR, REG. One needs 9 months to 18 months of time to complete these papers. You can write the papers either from the US or from any of these Middle East Countries:
    UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Lebanon.
    You need to send all your educational documents to NASBA
    CPA exam is conducted by American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). CPA US is
    considered as the most valued Chartered Accountancy qualification of the world.

    You can do it as online also so that you could do your job aswell your course

    for more details pls check – http://www.mylogic.online

    #772522
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I passed and got my license last October. I still havent been able to find a job. I have several strikes against me; having my license has not been enough to overcome.

    1) older
    2) worked in a different industry/self employed for the past 15 years

    so yeah, getting your CPA is NOT a magic ticket.

    – See more at: https://www.another71.com/cpa-exam-forum/topic/will-passing-the-cpa-get-me-a-job#post-920342

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