wannabCPA wrote: I had 2 years of state governmental auditing experience, which basically translated into 1 year public, so I started off as a 2nd year.

It's nice to hear that.  So does this imply that even if you only have 1 year experience in public, Big 4 will already consider you?  I want to try working in one of the Big 4.  I am now working in small public accounting firm (25 people).  I already passed the CPA exam and now accumulating the 1 year  work experience.  In my state, I need 400 hours of audit/review/compilation or any attest plus 1200 hours of any professional work in a public accounting firm.   I am hoping to accumulate all those hours within 1 year but my firm is not giving me enough work on those that belong in the 400 hours category.   I feel like I'm gonna spend 2 years in this firm before I get my CPA license.  95% of the work i do belongs to the 1200 hours category. 

Should I start applying to Big 4 now or any  public accounting firm?  I have been working in this firm for 5 months now.

wannabCPA wrote: I had 2 years of state governmental auditing experience, which basically translated into 1 year public, so I started off as a 2nd year.

holy crap were'nt you the one that was talking a lot of smack about how you had 4 or 5 years of exp.,worked for a big four then quit because you wanted to start your own buisness,UNf**kING REAL here it is folks THERE IS A LOT OF f**kING POSERS AND HATERS ON THIS SITE,so take every post that you read with a grain of salt,i knew it, i f**king knew you had to have a complex against people that can pass the test, oh and by the way your credit is about to expire and i bet you UGly too.

peace people.

??? What's wrong with that? I didn't lie? I'm 28 (or will be in August), I started my first audit job at the lovely age of 21 (I started in May) and unlike you, even though I don't have my CPA, could easily get a public or private accounting job anywhere here in the United States because of my previous experience. At this point, passing the exam is a formaility.