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brooklynCPA23
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Posted: 11 Jul 2011 at 01:02 \| IP Logged

I am 24 years old with minimal accounting experience, I did a couple of seasonal tax seasons with a CPA in Long Island & I had a short stent doing A/P A/R with a private company. Its been 2 years since i've been out of college. My goal is to hopefully land a position with the Big 4 or a medium sized firm. If I pass 4 parts of the exam and im 25 years old, what are my chances of getting a good job?

Ellipsis123
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Posted: 11 Jul 2011 at 19:25 \| IP Logged

Your chances with the Big 4 are pretty much non-existant. They only recruit someone with your level of experience directly from colleges. You have a better shot with a medium sized firm. You might have a better shot at the regional ones vs the big national ones such as GT, McGladrey & BDO.

Your best bet would be to go back to school and get a Master's in accounting at a school that is heavily recruited by the Big 4 & other large firms.

But if that's not an option, by all means pass the exam. Do you have enough experience to fulfill the CPA requirement? Because even though you pass the exam you can't say your a CPA without the experience.

Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide to do.

brooklynCPA23
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Posted: 11 Jul 2011 at 19:36 \| IP Logged

Thank you so much for your insight. I'd be fine with accepting a job from a medium sized firm, my only worry was that I'd pass this exam for "nothing". I have worked seasonal for the past 2 tax seasons under a CPA who owns his own little practice, maybe after serving enough tax seasons I'd be able to get him to sign off on me.

Theres so much junk on the internet, I've read a few posts about people who've supposedly passed the exam and it was "worthless". Reading things like that are pretty scary.

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Ellipsis123
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Posted: 11 Jul 2011 at 19:44 \| IP Logged

Not to discourage you or anything but most medium sized firms also tend to recruit directly from campus for their entry level hires.

But in general they tend to be more flexible with who they hire, where as with the Big 4, good luck getting someone in HR at the Big 4 to look at you (even with a referral.) I know because I've had a couple of Big 4 referrals and they didn't even bother to look at me once I got out of school.

At worst, I suppose you can work for a small firm (not ALL small firms are bad) than leave after a couple of years to go to a medium sized firm.

brooklynCPA23
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Posted: 11 Jul 2011 at 20:32 \| IP Logged

Are you a CPA, or did you pass all 4 parts of the exam?

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The harder you work the harder it is to surrender V. Lombardi

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