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mbushnell
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Posted: 18 Jul 2008 at 07:52 | IP Logged  
goodcitizen wrote:
mbushnell wrote:

goodcitizen wrote:
the sad part is the bad grades werent even a result of partying.  i wish i could have been one of the lucky kids to "go away to college" and live on campus...my bad grades are from working and commuting too much....sadly the big four would rather hire daddy's princess who was in the dorm room and on the meal plan and managed to get above a 3.0 ...i knew i was gonna have to work harder than those kids to go to college and now i have to work harder than those kids to get the same job

You want some cheese with that whine?  Seriously man, unless you are Bill Gates there is always going to be someone that has it easier than you do.  I commuted 40 minutes each way my first two years in college and I worked 2-11 pm on weekends at Walmart to make it through.  After that, I was able to afford a tiny ($250/mo) apt right next to campus. I then found a job right near my apt that I could walk to which I did for the next 3 years to save on gas and car expenses.  I did buy a mealplan because it was $1500 for 3 meals a day for an entire semester.  That's a great deal, plus there was a campus cafeteria right next to my work.  You gotta just take the circumstances you are dealt and make the best of it.  Sounds to me like you failed to do that.   




"40 minutes.." try an hour and 30 minutes each way, "2-11 on the weekends," that dont sound like 40 hours to me....sounds to me like you had half my commute and half my work week...

You want to hear a sob story?  I was diagnosed with cancer in September last year.  Notice that was about a month before I took the BEC exam.  I had 16 stitches taken out of my neck less than 24 hrs before the BEC exam.  So don't cry to me about how hard your life is.  Bottom line is this:  You want to get into a big 4?  Stop whining, pass the exam, and get on with your life. 



Edited by mbushnell on 18 Jul 2008 at 09:38

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qtbrye
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Posted: 18 Jul 2008 at 10:13 | IP Logged  
Everyone's kind of cranky today even though it's a Friday.... sheesh.  Let's ease up on each other okay?  I don't mean just you mbushnell but everyone :)

Goodcitizen, I would think that after a year or two in the field all firms will stop caring about your grades.  I am pretty sure that if you pass the CPA exam and have a good resume, the Big4 will be interested in you.  There are multiple routes to the supposed "accounting heaven" that is the Big4.  The key is getting the cpa license.

I don't work for big4 but it seems like common sense to me.  Honestly, after you pass the CPA exam does anyone really care that you got a C in college accounting classes?  lol






mbushnell wrote:
goodcitizen wrote:
mbushnell wrote:

goodcitizen wrote:
the sad part is the bad grades werent even a result of partying.  i wish i could have been one of the lucky kids to "go away to college" and live on campus...my bad grades are from working and commuting too much....sadly the big four would rather hire daddy's princess who was in the dorm room and on the meal plan and managed to get above a 3.0 ...i knew i was gonna have to work harder than those kids to go to college and now i have to work harder than those kids to get the same job

You want some cheese with that whine?  Seriously man, unless you are Bill Gates there is always going to be someone that has it easier than you do.  I commuted 40 minutes each way my first two years in college and I worked 2-11 pm on weekends at Walmart to make it through.  After that, I was able to afford a tiny ($250/mo) apt right next to campus. I then found a job right near my apt that I could walk to which I did for the next 3 years to save on gas and car expenses.  I did buy a mealplan because it was $1500 for 3 meals a day for an entire semester.  That's a great deal, plus there was a campus cafeteria right next to my work.  You gotta just take the circumstances you are dealt and make the best of it.  Sounds to me like you failed to do that.   




"40 minutes.." try an hour and 30 minutes each way, "2-11 on the weekends," that dont sound like 40 hours to me....sounds to me like you had half my commute and half my work week...

You want to hear a sob story?  I was diagnosed with cancer in September last year.  Notice that was about a month before I took the BEC exam.  I had 16 stitches taken out of my neck less than 24 hrs before the BEC exam.  So don't cry to me about how hard your life is.  Bottom line is this:  You want to get into a big 4?  Stop whining, pass the exam, and get on with your life. 



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GSRWSU
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Posted: 18 Jul 2008 at 11:03 | IP Logged  
[QUOTE=qtbrye]
I don't work for big4 but it seems like common sense to me.  Honestly, after you pass the CPA exam does anyone really care that you got a C in college accounting classes?  lol [QUOTE=qtbrye]

I think it still is going to have some effect.  You are going to at least need to have a good excuse for the bad grades. 

Does anyone know if the big 4 hires at all times throughout the year?  I want to get a new job as soon as I pass the last part of the exam and would rather not wait any longer than i have to. 



Edited by GSRWSU on 18 Jul 2008 at 11:08

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mbushnell
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Posted: 18 Jul 2008 at 14:08 | IP Logged  

Quote:

Does anyone know if the big 4 hires at all times throughout the year?  I want to get a new job as soon as I pass the last part of the exam and would rather not wait any longer than i have to. 

It just depends.  They mostly tend to hire people in the fall who will be graduating in the next semester or two.  Sometimes though you can get an interview in a different timeframe.  I interviewed with PWC in March because I met someone that worked for PWC and passed along my resume.  I started working there in July.  This is not the norm however. 



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wetbandits
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Posted: 18 Jul 2008 at 14:15 | IP Logged  

Grades only matter in Big 4 if you didn't go to a top 25 accounting program or if you are trying to go to the "glamorous" offices (e.g. New York).  If you are well liked in the interview you will get offers.  The CPA in Big 4 is pretty much expected so it's not going to benefit you that much unless you are coming from another firm or when it comes time for a promotion (some firm don't promote seniors without one and no one promotes managers without it).  As far as getting in though, you need to impress at the preinterview dinner, interviews and lunch

Other Advice:

--------------Pass the CPA before starting work.  You'll never find the time to study.  Busy season, unlike what they say, does not last from January to March.  It can last almost the entire year depending on your client's year end and there are a lot of clients with 3/31, 6/30 and 7/30 year ends



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