I’m not in public accounting, t just wasn’t for me. I’ve been working non PA since I graduated. Do you think it’s still worth it? I’ve already started studying for the CPA since I’ve got the 150 credit hours, and my experience will count under my manager. Plus, they’re covering the study materials and fees. I mean, it can’t hurt to have it, right? What’s the downside besides the grind? I’m not sure where my career will take me, but it feels like having this license will still help me even without PA experience.
@luke Exactly!! My assistant controller never worked in PA and is still a CPA. I’m going for mine too, even though I’ve never worked in public, because it’s such a great resume booster. Plus, both the controller and accounting director want me to get it, and honestly, I have way more free time to study than the people actually working in public..
@kimberly Same here! I’d much rather study while working a 40 hour week than try to cram for it while working at a PA firm. If you think about it, a lot of people aim to knock it out before starting full-time at a CPA firm. Sure, that’s great because you might have more free time before starting, but there’s also way more pressure to pass everything on the first try. If you don’t, you’ll end up trying to pass while dealing with busy seasons, and that just sounds miserable.
@luke Yep, definitely go for it. I’m kind of in the same boat, just wrapped up my master’s and skipped public. I’m working for an airline as a financial analyst, but I’m still pushing through to finish my CPA. It’s not really required for my current role, but I know it’ll be valuable down the road, and there’s no way I ever want to go back and study for this again! Best of luck!
