[south0085]

After I pass the CPA Exam, is it possible to get hired by a Public Accounting firm with no experience in public accounting? I am currently working as an accounting specialist for a manufacturing plant. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

I think the CPA will help (in no way would it hurt!) but realize that

1) We are not in a good economy and hiring volumes are low

2) There are at lot of people with public experience out of work

3) It can be done, but it can require a significant amount of time and effort. Just don't give up!

4) It will exponentially increase your chance of success if you know someone on the inside that can help push you through the hiring process. I can't stress that enough!

[Anonymous]

Well I've never been in the hiring process before, but I would imagine that as long as your expectations about pay are realistic, it won't matter all that much whether you have no public accounting experience, at least you have some real life accounting experience behind you. Public Accounting firms (at least the big 4) get most of their new hires straight out of college, with no experience, and during my interview with all of the big 4, I was told that experience is moot.

However, with that being said, I would imagine that your chances of being hired will be greatly reduced if you expect to make more than the average new hire in your area. I know that at least at PwC, there is a big push for getting new hires to get their CPA license. If you have that, I am sure that you'd be a shoe in, and they'd probably even give you a small pay incentive because of it.

[potatogun]

PwC now has it as policy that you need your CPA exam parts passed to be promoted to senior. I think the other Big4 are moving towards that if they have not done so officially. The firms can really get a lot out of people now and keep pay lower than it has been because of the market.

FAR 92 - AUD 91 - REG 94 - BEC 86

[Author]

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