WA state hours question

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    Topic
  • #2890287

    Looking for some advice. I passed the cpa exam a little over two years ago and still have not been able to land a job where I can use hours towards a cpa license. I did finally get in with the auditors office for the county I’m in, but not as an accountant yet. What ideas do you have regard in g ways to get hours. I like where I’m at and want to move up to an account ant position but it’ll likely take a while before a spot opens up. I received a loose offer to move a different dept with a substantial increase in pay but I would not get hours there either and likely would never get my cpa license than. I’m in my 40’s and don’t want to work for a traditional public accounting firm, but since I went through the hell of the cpa exam process I want to throw some initials behind my name. Any advice is more than appreciated.

    AUD - 86
    BEC - 78
    FAR - 83
    REG - 75
    Gotta stay focused
Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
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  • #2890449
    Mercenary
    Participant

    By hours do you mean total work experience required to obtain the license?
    I just passed the exam recently and am now looking for work in WA. I also happened to apply for a position at the auditor's office. What position do you have that the work hours, 2000 or whatever, wouldn't apply? Even if there isn't a CPA you work under, you could just do the verification thing to get it.

    AUD - 85
    BEC - 86
    FAR - 91
    REG - 84
    CMA Part 1 - 420

    CMA Part 2 - June 2020

     

    #2890797
    vbmer
    Participant

    In WA, you never need to work in public accounting or work under the direct supervision of a CPA. You only need a CPA from any US jurisdiction to sign off on 1 year of experience. Any sort of accounting, consulting, finance, FP&A, etc. will do. It's also one of the few states that accepts part-time and volunteer experience.

    AUD - 79
    BEC - 88
    FAR - 89
    REG - 80
    Manager, Big 4 Corporate Finance, CPA (WA)
    #2921583

    Vbmer thanks for the reply to my question. Do you have any suggestions where I can get some volunteer or part time experience after traditional work hours?

    AUD - 86
    BEC - 78
    FAR - 83
    REG - 75
    Gotta stay focused
    #2921871
    vbmer
    Participant

    Sorry, I'm not a WA resident, so I don't have any local recommendations.

    Serve.gov is a government directory of volunteer opportunities across the country, which could be a good place to start. There are other similar sites, too. There are some long-term paid remote positions posted on Upwork and the likes, but they tend to be full-time.

    I think the first priority would be to candidly discuss with your manager about your career goals so that you can maximize your chances of transitioning to a full-time accounting role.

    AUD - 79
    BEC - 88
    FAR - 89
    REG - 80
    Manager, Big 4 Corporate Finance, CPA (WA)
    #2922135
    fassopony
    Participant

    If you are near Tacoma, Pierce College may be looking for some help in their finance dept, maybe in cashiering or AR. Having passed the CPA may put you in a good spot. I would reach out to the other community colleges in the area you are in. Colleges and other state positions generally weigh education and certification more than experience.

    Look at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington?category%5B0%5D=Accounting%20and%20Finance&sort=PostingDate%7CDescending

    Make sure your resume has the key words “accounting” “CPA” “bachelors in accounting” etc

    AUD - NINJA in Training
    BEC - NINJA in Training
    FAR - NINJA in Training
    REG - NINJA in Training
    Studying for FAR, then on to BEC, the AUD, and then REG
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